Help removing mic noise -Sound Forge - PC - MAGIX Community Forums Archive

Subject:Help removing mic noise Posted by: CClub Date:2/11/2007 12:58:45 PM Any way to remove the microphone noise in the following audio clip? I had a mic on a table while interviewing someone and for some reason it kept clinking. Sound1 It'd be greatly appreciated if you have any suggestions. I'm not that familiar with SF and only use it to help with audio from video work I do. I was wondering if there is a way to isolate the frequency (ies) of that sound and then remove that frequency. Message last edited on2/11/2007 1:07:18 PM byCClub.
Subject:RE: Help removing mic noise Reply by: Andreas S. Date:2/16/2007 10:21:21 AM Hi. I'm afraid the noise is part of the sound and aside from some judicious EQ, there are a few things you can do, but the noise is part of the speech, so you're always going to have some residual sound. As always, getting good source will always make your job easier after the fact. Simplicity is always key, so this is what I did: -- I recorded the online file in SF8. -- 1) Normalize to -16db - the levels were low, so a little more amplitude was in order - the low level of the recorded audio is part of your problem. The self-noise from the microphone is less apparent if the mic is placed well, and attenuation is set to get as much input as possible without overloading. 2) I looked at it in the spectrum viewer (too bad it's not a spectrum editor like Audition), and noticed little punches in the 600-700 Hz range. Next, I opened up the paragraphic EQ and selected the Four Stacked Filters to remove 60 Hz Hum preset. I simply swept the frequency of each of the filters to 650, 680, 700, and 720. Voila. While the rumble is still there, the tonality (pitch / ping) was pretty much removed. It's much more listenable now (if listenable is even a word). It's a quick and dirty solution to the problem. You can listen to a comparison file I created here - the original file normalized to improve output, and then the edited file: http://www.edmontonoilers.com/help/james1.wma There is some loss of fidelity in the fixed file, but that's just a matter of EQ'ing the file to recover some of the lost frequencies and create some snap. But again, the source audio (input) is always going to determine the final product (output).
Subject:RE: Help removing mic noise Reply by: CClub Date:2/16/2007 3:12:27 PM Thank you VERY much for your help. I printed out your steps so if I encounter a similar problem in the future. I've used the mic setup a number of times in the past; I just wasn't that careful this time. Thanks for your time. James
Subject:RE: Help removing mic noise Reply by: rextilleon Date:3/1/2007 3:48:54 PM Forget about it. Thats horrible. Dont you wear headphones?
Subject:RE: Help removing mic noise Reply by: Andreas S. Date:3/5/2007 10:59:05 PM Sure, the problem is still there, but when you have source that bad it's less about removing the bad noise, as it is mitigating it. And with a little creative application of a music loop (thank you Acid) you can actually further reduce how apparent the mic noise is. It's much like getting voice actors who don't do accents to do accents: "It doesn't have to be good, it just shouldn't be bad. And once the listener gets the idea of what it's supposed to be, 30 seconds later you could stop doing it and they'd never notice." Illusion, after all, isn't just for the eyes. ;-)

Subject:Help removing mic noise

Posted by: CClub

Date:2/11/2007 12:58:45 PM

Any way to remove the microphone noise in the following audio clip? I had a mic on a table while interviewing someone and for some reason it kept clinking.

Sound1

It'd be greatly appreciated if you have any suggestions. I'm not that familiar with SF and only use it to help with audio from video work I do. I was wondering if there is a way to isolate the frequency (ies) of that sound and then remove that frequency.

Message last edited on2/11/2007 1:07:18 PM byCClub.

Subject:RE: Help removing mic noise

Reply by: Andreas S.

Date:2/16/2007 10:21:21 AM

Hi. I'm afraid the noise is part of the sound and aside from some judicious EQ, there are a few things you can do, but the noise is part of the speech, so you're always going to have some residual sound. As always, getting good source will always make your job easier after the fact.

Simplicity is always key, so this is what I did:

-- I recorded the online file in SF8. --

1) Normalize to -16db - the levels were low, so a little more amplitude was in order - the low level of the recorded audio is part of your problem. The self-noise from the microphone is less apparent if the mic is placed well, and attenuation is set to get as much input as possible without overloading.

2) I looked at it in the spectrum viewer (too bad it's not a spectrum editor like Audition), and noticed little punches in the 600-700 Hz range. Next, I opened up the paragraphic EQ and selected the Four Stacked Filters to remove 60 Hz Hum preset. I simply swept the frequency of each of the filters to 650, 680, 700, and 720. Voila.

While the rumble is still there, the tonality (pitch / ping) was pretty much removed. It's much more listenable now (if listenable is even a word).

It's a quick and dirty solution to the problem.

You can listen to a comparison file I created here - the original file normalized to improve output, and then the edited file:

http://www.edmontonoilers.com/help/james1.wma

There is some loss of fidelity in the fixed file, but that's just a matter of EQ'ing the file to recover some of the lost frequencies and create some snap.

But again, the source audio (input) is always going to determine the final product (output).

Subject:RE: Help removing mic noise

Reply by: CClub

Date:2/16/2007 3:12:27 PM

Thank you VERY much for your help. I printed out your steps so if I encounter a similar problem in the future. I've used the mic setup a number of times in the past; I just wasn't that careful this time. Thanks for your time. James

Subject:RE: Help removing mic noise

Reply by: rextilleon

Date:3/1/2007 3:48:54 PM

Forget about it. Thats horrible. Dont you wear headphones?

Subject:RE: Help removing mic noise

Reply by: Andreas S.

Date:3/5/2007 10:59:05 PM

Sure, the problem is still there, but when you have source that bad it's less about removing the bad noise, as it is mitigating it. And with a little creative application of a music loop (thank you Acid) you can actually further reduce how apparent the mic noise is.

It's much like getting voice actors who don't do accents to do accents: "It doesn't have to be good, it just shouldn't be bad. And once the listener gets the idea of what it's supposed to be, 30 seconds later you could stop doing it and they'd never notice."

Illusion, after all, isn't just for the eyes. ;-)