Subject:Need some openions SF8 or 9

Posted by: donp

Date:3/29/2007 4:19:21 PM

I have been asked to remaster a concert I taped as part of a much larger production. The head musician whants to tone down the base and remove some other things. I'll copy his last e-mail to me.

< I'm still not sure whether or not the level of editing that I'd like to do is technically possible. For example, I don't know if I can dub in a a verse in a section where I flubbed the lyrics and remove or cover the bad vocal section. This is easy to do when you record on multiple tracks but trickier when just a few mics are involved for multiple instruments and a vocal. I can't remember exactly how we miked everything so I don't know how much bleed there will be from instruments to the vocal track ... and I don't even know if the vocal can be seperated out at all? Plus its a challenge to match the vocal to the acoustic conditions of the room.

Again, I've been in situations in studios where the engineer, using pro tools or some other advanced editing software, could actually isolate a bad note on a graph on the computer and alter it or take it out without changing anything else. Is this doable? That is probably the only way that I can see to fix some of the bass problems. The good news about fixing a problem in the bass is the frequency of the sound wave is much easier to isolate and identify than if it is a midrange sound.>

Can SF8 handle this or part of it or do I need to invest in something more powerful (expensive). I want to be able to do as much as possible what he wants to do.

Subject:RE: Need some openions SF8 or 9

Reply by: Chienworks

Date:3/29/2007 6:17:05 PM

Do have access to the multitrack master before it was mixed down to stereo? If so, your chances of accomplishing this are pretty good. Of course, Sound Forge 8 only handles a stereo recording. Vegas does as many tracks as you wish. Since you mention Sound Forge 9, i'll guess you may have heard some rumors that it handles more tracks too. *shrug* We'll find out when it's released.

Bleed through is a concern, but if you're creative and willing to spend the time you can usually hide the ill effects pretty well.

If you only have a mixed stereo master then there is nothing you can do to isolate an instrument or voice from the rest of the mix. The only way to overdub successfully would be to reassemble the entire orchestra in the same location with the same mic arrangement and record that again.

Subject:RE: Need some openions SF8 or 9

Reply by: rraud

Date:3/29/2007 6:36:11 PM

I concur with Chien ..When it comes to replacing parts without the multi-track master.. You're usually SOL. Even then, some things can't be fixed. Y
Mastering, ie; EQing, compression, ect. SF can do.
SF-9 will probably only feature polyphonic multi-track, as in 5/1. It is still to be an editing-mastering program I assume.

Subject:RE: Need some openions SF8 or 9

Reply by: donp

Date:3/30/2007 8:43:32 AM

Thanks guys. The whole thing was recoreded thorugh a mixer via Stereo XLR to my DVX 100A so there is no trac for each mike, just a stereo left and right that was recorded ot tape. So I guess all I can do tone down the base anfd that's about it.