How to Remove Keyboard Noise From a Voice Recording

Keyboard noise is one of the most common complaints in a home recording. A close microphone picks up every key press, and a narrator who types while speaking can fill a recording with clicks. The sound is sharp and repetitive, which makes it distracting even when the voice is clear. The good news is that most keyboard noise can be prevented, and what remains can be reduced with care.

This post explains where the sound comes from, how to stop it during recording, how to reduce it afterwards and when re-recording is the better choice. It is a common problem for podcasters, writers who narrate, and anyone who records while working at a computer.

Where the sound comes from

Keyboard noise travels in two ways. The key presses create sound in the air, which the microphone picks up directly. They also send vibration through the desk, which can reach the microphone stand and become a thump or a rumble. A close microphone on a desk is exposed to both, which is why the problem is worse when the microphone sits on the same surface as the keyboard.

Sharp, high clicks are the most noticeable. A low thud from a heavy key or a desk tap is easier to remove, but it can still be heard in quiet passages.

Move the microphone away from the keyboard

The simplest fix is distance from the source. Move the microphone further from the keyboard, or place it on a stand that is not connected to the desk. A boom arm that holds the microphone above and in front of the speaker separates it from the desk and keeps the keyboard out of the direct line. Keep the microphone close to the mouth, though, because moving too far away brings in more room sound.

If the keyboard must stay near the microphone, a soft pad under the stand can reduce the vibration that travels through the desk.

Record between the typing

For a narration, the cleanest approach is to stop typing while you speak. Write the script first, then record it without typing. If you must type during a recording, pause the take at each point where you touch the keys, and restart the sentence cleanly. A little planning makes the difference between a usable take and one that needs repair.

Many people find it easier to record in separate sessions, one for the script and one for the voice, so the two tasks do not compete.

Use a quieter keyboard where you can

Some keyboards are much quieter than others, and the difference matters for a recording. A keyboard with softer switches, or a silent option, reduces the click that reaches the microphone. Switching the keyboard is not always practical, but it is worth considering if you record often at the same desk. Test any change with a short recording before a long session.

Reduce what remains

If clicks remain after prevention, a click-reduction tool or a general noise reducer can help. Use the smallest setting that works, and listen to the result on headphones. Over-processing turns clicks into a watery or smeared sound that is harder to listen to than the clicks themselves. Sharp, isolated clicks can also be repaired by hand, by zooming in and smoothing each one with a very short fade.

Compare the processed version with the original. If the voice sounds thinner or the consonants soften, you have gone too far.

When to re-record

If the clicks are constant, loud or cover important words, re-recording the section is usually faster and gives a better result than repair. A short section recorded again in the right conditions will sound more natural than a long section cleaned heavily. Keep the good parts, and re-record only where the problem is worst.

A simple checklist

1. Move the microphone away from the keyboard, and use a stand that does not share the desk.
2. Write the script before recording, so you can type less during the take.
3. Pause and restart each sentence where you must touch the keys.
4. Reduce any remaining clicks with the lightest setting, or by hand.
5. Listen on headphones and a phone, and re-record the worst sections.

Limits

No tool removes keyboard noise perfectly, and a recording made while typing will always carry some trace of it. The aim is a recording where the clicks do not distract the listener. Prevention is far more effective than cure, so start there, and treat repair as the last step rather than the first.

Start with a clean recording

A clean take is easier to tidy. The Noise-Free Voice Recorder can record voice-overs with live noise removal, or clean an existing recording. The Tunedzy Go page covers cleaning a phone recording. For the related problem of clicks in the mouth, read the mouth clicks post in this series.

Frequently asked questions

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