Subject:Background noise or ?

Posted by: Rita

Date:10/14/2008 8:12:19 AM

I have recently recorded messages using my Sound FOrge 8 software. There is a lot of static or background noise which makes it unpleasant to listen to. Any suggestions? I have noise reduction on my computer. Does this work automatically? Are there certain settings I should be using to get better recordings in general? (I am a novice)

Subject:RE: Background noise or ?

Reply by: pmooney

Date:10/14/2008 4:50:38 PM

Dear Rita,

There are so MANY things that could be causing your problem. You need to get a basic, introductory book on audio recording with a computer to help you. This forum is better for asking more specific questions.

You can pick up a book on Sound Forge at your local Barnes and Noble or similar-type store.

Your noise reduction software that came with Sound Forge is a "plug-in". If you don't know what that means, consult the help file. It does not work automatically.

Other things that can be biting you are the type of microphone you are using, your sound card, your wiring, and the environment in which you are recording.

Good luck...and feel free to post again when you questions are more specific.

Subject:RE: Background noise or ?

Reply by: jackn2mpu

Date:10/16/2008 7:56:19 AM

Depends on the type of noise. If it's a constant type noise, a plugin like Bias Sound Soap that can capture a 'noise print" which is a sample of the noise you want removed and use that to remove the noise. You may have to do this several times for good results.

Noises that vary are going to be very difficult to remove, especially for us civilians. Individual noise hits can be removed using SF, but you've got to be real careful so you don't remove the signal you want to keep. If the noise is on top of what you want to hear, this is where it gets really hairy. I'm sure there are some government agencies that have software and/or hardware to do this.

I've done noise removal on some very old, scratchy lp's that I have. One disc took 4 passes through Sound Soap and using various tools in SF9, along with noise reduction algorithms in my TC Powercore. And, the file still has some noise, but not as bad. I could have removed all the noise but at the hazard of intelligibility of what I wanted to hear.

If you're talking about stuff you have recorded through a mic, that's a whole 'nother can of gakh. Directional mic patterns, recording in a quieter environment, lowering the mic gain are just some of the things you can do to lessen the noise picked up. Also, some cheap mics have horrendous noise figures, not to mention low-end electronics that can and will make a file noisier.

Edit: Oh yeah - almost forgot about noise generated by the computer. If you're recording with the computer nearby, you'll also pick up noise generated by it's internal fan; not all fans run continuously, so you may not even be aware of that noise source. I should have remembered this as my daw computer has a very noisy fan that runs at the most inoppurtune times.

Wishing you luck in your quest.

Jack

Subject:RE: Background noise or ?

Reply by: bilco82

Date:12/3/2008 6:15:05 PM

I have Sound Forge 9 and I don't know how to remove or lower the background noise (humming) I have in a video filmed in a diner. I have the Sony training seminar DVD and it does not address this feature. Any suggestions as I know this is not something that probably can't be explained in a short post.

Subject:RE: Background noise or ?

Reply by: rraud

Date:12/4/2008 4:13:22 PM

Read the manual or the online help for NR-2.
That said, You first need to capture a "noise print" of just the noise you want to attenuate. (a few milliseconds is usually sufficient.) No time to elaborate right now.
This procedure has also been described before. Search this forum.

Subject:RE: Background noise or ?

Reply by: rraud

Date:12/5/2008 11:24:58 AM

Addendum: Found a post which has basic instructions.

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=3&MessageID=521456

Subject:RE: Background noise or ?

Reply by: plasmavideo

Date:12/10/2008 1:12:02 PM

Rita, I'm going to hazard a guess here. If you are recording into the computer using an on board sound device - meaning that the computer main processor board has it's own audio chipset that you are using - then a lot of the noise you are getting is probably from the computer sound interface itself. This is a notorious problem with the cheap microphone preamps built into the on board sound chipsets. The line inputs are a little cleaner, but there are also distortion problems with them as well.

If that is the case, you might want to invest in a higher quality sound device to transfer the audio into the computer. Depending on the quality you are looking for, you might look for an inexpensive USB interface that will plug into a USB port on the computer. Those devices then have audio connectors that you can connect to. Some of them even have fairly decent microphone preamps built in. Look for something manufactured by Edirol or M-Audio for starters. I've had good luck with both companies low end USB devices.

There are many more elegant solutions, but this might be a good start. The USB devices also feature higher quality sound output than you can get from the onboard sound chips too.

Good luck, and happy recording!

Tom