Shallow tinney sounding. How to boost the bass? -Sound Forge - PC

Subject:Shallow tinney sounding. How to boost the bass? Posted by: StormCrow Date:5/10/2005 2:35:57 PM I have some audio from a wedding reception in which the music is very flat, shallow and tinney sounding. The DJ was a newbie and did not have a equalizer to adjust to add bass to the music. I have SF 7.0 and have never really used it. I was wondering if there is a way to boost the bass in the audio and if so how? I need to buy a good book on SF. I bought "Instant SF" a while back but did not find it very helpful for someone new to SF.
Subject:RE: Shallow tinney sounding. How to boost the bass? Reply by: carmellose sodique Date:5/10/2005 3:26:48 PM hello, you could try to privilege some specific frequencies while reducing others with the equalizer: process->EQ->graphic you can choose beetween graphic (manually set), paragraphic or parametrric. Message last edited on5/10/2005 3:31:51 PM bycarmellose sodique.
Subject:RE: Shallow tinney sounding. How to boost the bass? Reply by: jumbuk Date:5/10/2005 4:59:51 PM How was the music recorded? If it was recorded with a video camera or hand-held tape recorder (or a mobile phone!) it will sound tinny and lacking in bass even if the DJ was getting a good sound in the room. This is just the limitations of small microphones at a distance from the source. You probably have a fair bit of noise as well. If you have Sony Noise Reduction, you might like to apply some processing first. Or you could use the Express Audio Restoration (not sure if this is in SF 7.0). I would set up a chain of plugins to work on this. You need EQ (graphic or parametric) to boost the bass, but be aware that any change you make in one freqency will probably have negative effects elsewhere. Make small changes, and listen through a good monitoring system. I would also probably add compression after the EQ (maybe multiband so I can work on the bass instead of EQing it) and maybe Smooth/enhance to put back any lost high freqency. Salvaging usable audio from a poor quality video is a tough task. Don't underestimate the time it takes to listen and experiment. It can be done, with time and effort. Message last edited on5/10/2005 5:14:31 PM byjumbuk.
Subject:RE: Shallow tinney sounding. How to boost the bass? Reply by: StormCrow Date:5/10/2005 7:04:47 PM Thanks guys, I'll give it a try. I want to learn this software because I realize how much difference great sound makes to a movie or presentation.
Subject:RE: Shallow tinney sounding. How to boost the bass? Reply by: plasmavideo Date:5/11/2005 12:23:00 PM You might want to check out the Virtos Band Extrapolation Direct X plug in available at: http://www.virtos-audio.com/?uri=prod.nw_overview.html This plugin will (according to the website): "Synthesize high or low frequency harmonics to give life to dull recordings. The Band Extrapolation plug-in is suitable for post processing such as enhancing the often missing high frequencies in old recordings or increasing the perceived bass." Several folks I know have it and I've heard the results. It really does produce pretty nice sounding expansion of the upper and lower frequencies.

Subject:Shallow tinney sounding. How to boost the bass?

Posted by: StormCrow

Date:5/10/2005 2:35:57 PM

I have some audio from a wedding reception in which the music is very flat, shallow and tinney sounding. The DJ was a newbie and did not have a equalizer to adjust to add bass to the music. I have SF 7.0 and have never really used it. I was wondering if there is a way to boost the bass in the audio and if so how? I need to buy a good book on SF. I bought "Instant SF" a while back but did not find it very helpful for someone new to SF.

Subject:RE: Shallow tinney sounding. How to boost the bass?

Reply by: carmellose sodique

Date:5/10/2005 3:26:48 PM

hello,

you could try to privilege some specific frequencies while reducing others with the equalizer:

process->EQ->graphic

you can choose beetween graphic (manually set), paragraphic or parametrric.

Message last edited on5/10/2005 3:31:51 PM bycarmellose sodique.

Subject:RE: Shallow tinney sounding. How to boost the bass?

Reply by: jumbuk

Date:5/10/2005 4:59:51 PM

How was the music recorded? If it was recorded with a video camera or hand-held tape recorder (or a mobile phone!) it will sound tinny and lacking in bass even if the DJ was getting a good sound in the room. This is just the limitations of small microphones at a distance from the source.

You probably have a fair bit of noise as well. If you have Sony Noise Reduction, you might like to apply some processing first. Or you could use the Express Audio Restoration (not sure if this is in SF 7.0).

I would set up a chain of plugins to work on this. You need EQ (graphic or parametric) to boost the bass, but be aware that any change you make in one freqency will probably have negative effects elsewhere. Make small changes, and listen through a good monitoring system.

I would also probably add compression after the EQ (maybe multiband so I can work on the bass instead of EQing it) and maybe Smooth/enhance to put back any lost high freqency.

Salvaging usable audio from a poor quality video is a tough task. Don't underestimate the time it takes to listen and experiment. It can be done, with time and effort.

Message last edited on5/10/2005 5:14:31 PM byjumbuk.

Subject:RE: Shallow tinney sounding. How to boost the bass?

Reply by: StormCrow

Date:5/10/2005 7:04:47 PM

Thanks guys, I'll give it a try. I want to learn this software because I realize how much difference great sound makes to a movie or presentation.

Subject:RE: Shallow tinney sounding. How to boost the bass?

Reply by: plasmavideo

Date:5/11/2005 12:23:00 PM

You might want to check out the Virtos Band Extrapolation Direct X plug in available at:

http://www.virtos-audio.com/?uri=prod.nw_overview.html

This plugin will (according to the website):

"Synthesize high or low frequency harmonics to give life to dull recordings. The Band Extrapolation plug-in is suitable for post processing such as enhancing the often missing high frequencies in old recordings or increasing the perceived bass."

Several folks I know have it and I've heard the results. It really does produce pretty nice sounding expansion of the upper and lower frequencies.