Best method of removing buzz from captured audio

[snafubaby]

I used a product years ago called DVD Xpress to capture VHS tapes and get them ready to convert to DVD. One of the VHS recorders i used was faulty, so when i play back those videos, i hear a constant buzz in the audio. What would be the best way to remove the buzz, or at least minimize it? Thanks!

[redwudz]

Try the freeware audio editor Audacity. If it's pure 60Hz you may be able to get it out with a filter.
Try 'Effect>Noise Removal' and try to find a second or two of just the buzz and you can use that to create a filter.

Too much filtering, though, and it may sound like a bad telephone connection. Less is usually better. But experiment.

EDIT: BTW, I still have a DVD Xpress laying around somewhere.

[johnmeyer]

If you still have the tape, try playing it on another deck. If this is linear audio, many misadjusted decks will let the control track bleed through and you will get a horrible buzz. You can also sometimes minimize or eliminate this by adjusting the tracking. Also, check to see if the tape has a Hi-Fi track. Once in awhile a deck will get set to only play the linear track, which can buzz, but since the Hi-Fi track doesn't suffer from that problem, and since it is much better quality, that can solve the problem.

The solution to removing the buzz depends entirely on the nature of the buzz. One trick that works well with some kinds of buzz, although it is tedious to do, is to find a section of the recording with just buzz. Record that and repeat it exactly, lining up the buzz waveforms in you sound editor. Then, invert that and add it into the audio, adjusting the levels and nudging the inverted buzz until the buzz disappears. If the buzz is constant, this can work rather miraculously. However, you typically have to re-align the buzz every few seconds, so it is tedious.

iZotope RX is the king of sound restoration and has several modules that can deal with buzz and hum. If this is mostly 60 cycle hum (and its harmonics) RX has a module that will kill that almost completely. If the buzz is something else, then you can use the noise reduction plugin.

[snafubaby]

Thanks for your help, Redwudz, and Johmeyer! I will try the Audacity method, as i saw on a youtube video how easy it is to create a filter and remove the buzz. I will try iZtope RX if Audacity doesn't do the trick.

[johnmeyer]

Sounds like a good plan. And Redwudz has it right: less is more. Don't try to get rid of it all or you audio will sound really strange.