Bad sound due to a "too loud" concert...

[lirand]

Hey there...

I was wondering if anyone could try helping me fixing this video-clip I recorded... I shot it in a music concert, and it seems the music was a bit too loud for the camera's microphone... the sound is really quite bad...

You can download the clip from here: http://www.savefile.com/filehost/files2.php?fid=9903642&PHPSESSID=4611983f31a7d7f69118fdf9d32a9ce0

Help would be appreciated!

[guns1inger]

You might be able to smooth some of it, but at the cost of detail. You may find it starts to get muddy.

What software do you have available to you ?

[lirand]

I am familiar with Goldwave. I have also managed to get a hold of Adobe Audtion, after seeing its popular around here, but I have never used it yet...

If there's any other software that you believe would be better, I would probably be able to get it too...

[robertazimmerman]

Adobe Audition will do the job of reducing overall volume and is actually quite simple to use.

-Load the WAV file into AA
-Select Edit | Enable "Undo/Redo"
-Highlight the entire WAV (Edit | Select Entire Wave)
-Select Effects | Amplitude | Amplify/Fade
-Lock Left/Right (if not already selected)
-Unselect "View All settings in DB"
-Reduce the % in the amplification box to around 95%
-Select OK

I usually test this out by selecting a small section of the loudest part of the WAV and running the above steps. If the resulting level is good, I then select Edit | Undo and proceed with reducing the volume of the entire WAV.

Changing the % to a level higher than 100% works well to increase the volumes of WAVs that were recorded at levels that were too low.

Roberta

[MrMoody]

Cool Edit Pro has a noise filter called "Clip Restoration" that works fairly well. I'm not sure if other programs have it or not.

[dcsos]

There is no way to reduce the distorted sound of an overloaded sound recording.
Of course you can reduce the level or equalize the sound, but nothing will remove the "overmodulated" quality

[lirand]

I don't think that reducing the volume would help, since the sound is already "overloaded", as dcsos put it...

Any advice then? Do you think that "Clip restoration" thing would help?

[MrMoody]

Clip restoration works by reducing the level and then extrapolating the cut off wave tops. It can't get back the detail that's gone, but subjectively it can get rid of about 80% of the distortion. I've only tried it on electronic clipping, though, if the mic was mechanically clipping it could be much worse.

Post a short clip, I'll run it through.

[lirand]

I've already posted the clip.. look at my first post at this thread...

[MrMoody]

Compressing it "reinforces" the distortion, we need to try a short wav. I hope the camera recorded PCM and didn't already compress it once ...

I d/l the wmv and it's pretty hopeless. The clip filter does little for it. Was it DV or an analog recording?

[robertazimmerman]

I agree that reducing the volume will not reduce the distortion, however by reducing the overall volume before burning, you prevent the possibility of the digitized recording clipping - a big no-no.

Roberta

[jakol]

Cool Edit Pro has a noise filter called "Clip Restoration" that works fairly well. I'm not sure if other programs have it or not.

Cool Edit is now Adobe Audition.

Distortion is caused by overloading - you probably recorded at too high level and overloaded the mic. pre-amps.

Filters can't get rid of distortion, you have to stop it from happening in the first place. As MrMoody said its probably hopeless, ill try when i have time...

[lirand]

Cool Edit Pro has a noise filter called "Clip Restoration" that works fairly well. I'm not sure if other programs have it or not.

Cool Edit is now Adobe Audition.

Funny... I didn't know that! :P