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  1. Hello.

    I have some audio I want to clean background noise (a refrigerator in a restaurant running loud on one audio file, an AC unit running on the other)

    I've used Audacity to do this, yet, I find that the quality of dialogue in the audio clips diminishes to where it sounds partially digitized.

    Can anyone advise on what to do, and/or recommend software that can assist me?

    I'm willing to pay for software (as long as it isn't too expensive).

    Thanks in advance.
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  2. Member hech54's Avatar
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    Yank in Europe
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    You watch too much NCIS.
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  3. Member
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    If you can find a piece of the audio with just the unwanted noise, you may be able get a decent noise print.
    These kind of tools take a certain amount of practice to use them well, and beginners usually over do it
    causing the problem you mention. Other times, too much is expected (See hech54's comment).

    I've had good luck with Sony Sound Forge and it's noise reduction plugins, but from what I've seen in Audacity, the
    tools are respectable .
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  4. Member
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    I have both Sound Forge and Audacity. I actually prefer the latter. With this particular problem, yours is not a matter of software limitation, but an instance where even the best tools cannot turn a poorly recorded piece of sh!t into something that sounds clean and sharp, as though it had been captured in a professional sound booth.

    You can use a tiny amount of noise reduction, taking care not to over-process. You can possibly improve the recording, but you'll never, ever fix it the way you want it.

    To give you a clear answer to the basic question: Audacity is a fantastic piece of software, and the best bang for the buck (FREE!) around. You need not look any further for audio software. You may, perhaps, want to invest in good microphones and sound-deadening blankets.
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  5. Broad spectrum noise can only be reduced by 10 or 15 dB before the remaining audio is very obviously degraded.
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  6. Try Izotope RX2. If I remember rightly, you can demo it, but not save the file.

    http://downloads.izotope.com/product_download/iZotope_RX_Advanced_Setup_v2_10.exe

    More info: http://www.izotope.com/products/audio/rx/download.asp
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  7. I've had really impressive results with SoundSoap on some interviews and other clips I've had to repair. It's amazingly simple to use, and not very expensive - it can take out background noises, hiss, clicks, pops, hum, etc... Works in Logic X, Garageband, FCP X & other apps, and it also works as separate app. One thing you have to watch is if the audio you are trying to get rid of is the same frequencies as the audio you are trying to keep, it can be very tricky - but that's true for all the software tools designed to do this.

    There's an enhance feature too which brings back some of the sparkle and fullness in the sound. I agree the best approach is to use noise reduction sparingly.

    Cheers-
    Jeremy
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  8. Member
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    Didn't it used to be Bias Soundsoap? Have the products been acquired by a new company?
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  9. Upload a piece and I'll see what I can do.
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  10. The OP hasn't been around in months.
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  11. Oh, I didn't look at the date of first post. God damn you bumpers! I look like a dumbass now.
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