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Author Topic: The miracle of modern audio software.  (Read 7119 times)

pwhodges

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The miracle of modern audio software.
« on: 27 Mar 2012, 12:46 »

So, during the concert I sang and recorded last Sunday, someone dropped something in one of the quiet moments:

Noise over music

I tried a couple of my usual programs in spectral editing mode to reduce this noise, but the reverb is so great that it seemed impossible.  Then I tried Adobe Audition CS5.5, outlined the noise in spectral mode (just a rectangle, nothing fancy), and clicked "auto-heal", and five seconds later I had this:

No noise

I can still just detect it, but wow!  With a little care, and adjustment of the marking and other parameters, I bet it could do even better.

Heh, sounds like advertising, doesn't it!
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Jimor

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Re: The miracle of modern audio software.
« Reply #1 on: 27 Mar 2012, 15:38 »

Oooh, nice to know! I have Audition as part of the Adobe suite I won, but I haven't tried playing with it yet.

But yes, the algorithms that are coming out for sound manipulation these days are akin to magic. I've even heard of one that will eliminate reverb, though I don't know how well yet.

For the live music videos I take, I have a "secret" formula that starts with a bit of compression (3-band compressor in Premiere, mid a touch higher than low, high a touch higher than mid), then a bit of EQ with a middle/low notch cut of 3dB around 300hz to de-emphasize some of the room resonance, then a 3k notch addition of around 3-4dB to clarify vocals a bit. Being that I'm simply pointing a cardioid at the front of the room from wherever I'm shooting, it's not "perfect", but for a no-hassle solution, it's worked out really well.
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pwhodges

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Re: The miracle of modern audio software.
« Reply #2 on: 27 Mar 2012, 15:58 »

The first CDs I made were edited using CoolEdit 96, and the later ones using CoolEdit 2000.  Although I've kept updated through the switch to Audition, I now use WaveLab as my main editor.  However, in many areas Audition has now got what I went to WaveLab for, and in others WaveLab has actually fallen behind.  But WaveLab remains incomparable for simply marking up and making a CD (in fact Audition CS5.5 can't burn a CD at all!).  For noise reduction I have IzoTope RXII Advanced, which is the best out there other than Cedar; but my demo above was beyond it.  As Audition CS5.5 was a ground-up rewrite that was rushed out incomplete to meet an Adobe deadline, I have some hope that the next version will not be too long (I've seen a rumour that it's now in beta), and that it will complete the conversion of the program to full multi-channel file handling.  Even now, Audition CS5.5 is the only program I can afford that does spectral editing on files of more than 2 channels (which I use for my surround recording).

Of course, if Reaper got spectral editing...

then a 3k notch addition of around 3-4dB to clarify vocals a bit.

That "presence peak" is built in to some microphones, of course.  And if you want to damp resonance and reverb, a hypercardioid is best, though you have to watch the fact it has some sensitivity to the rear.
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"Being human, having your health; that's what's important."  (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?"  (from: The Eccentric Family )

Cire27

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Re: The miracle of modern audio software.
« Reply #3 on: 28 Mar 2012, 02:30 »

In the 'Without Bang' version does it sound like the voice is autotuned around 13 seconds when the bang is edited out to anyone else or is it just me?
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pwhodges

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Re: The miracle of modern audio software.
« Reply #4 on: 28 Mar 2012, 02:40 »

I think that's the penalty of the way the heal function works.
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"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?"  (from: The Eccentric Family )

Orbert

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Re: The miracle of modern audio software.
« Reply #5 on: 28 Mar 2012, 10:00 »

The first CDs I made were edited using CoolEdit 96, and the later ones using CoolEdit 2000.

I still use CoolEdit 96.  For a free program released in (ta-da) 1996, it's still quite useful.

But it's also good to know what Audition is capable of.
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pwhodges

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Re: The miracle of modern audio software.
« Reply #6 on: 28 Mar 2012, 12:10 »

Tsk tsk - not free, but shareware.  I started using it with a cracked key that the friend who'd shown it me passed over with it, and when I realised that I was using it for a real CD, I bought a licence.
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Orbert

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Re: The miracle of modern audio software.
« Reply #7 on: 29 Mar 2012, 09:56 »

Hmm, I believe you're right.  I suck.  But I've never used it for commercial gain, just for editing my daughter's skating music and stuff.
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