Tools for removing background audio buzzing sound from VHS transfer?

[Wanderer]

Hello all,

I have some VHS transfers where the audio is too low whenever people were too far away from the camera when it was recorded. When I boost the audio, there is a loud buzzing or hissing sound throughout. I've learned how to reduce it with Noise Reduction in Audacity, but it does seem to result in a little damage to the rest of the audio(it's possible I just need to adjust the settings better). I'm wondering if there is a better tool that the more experienced prefer. It helps if it's user friendly because I'm very much a novice at all of this, but I'm open to learning if the best tool isn't. I've attached an example of the background noise. Thanks in advance to all for any advice.

[netmask56]

Possibly an Earth loop - see https://www.jensen-transformers.com/product/ci-2rr/

[Wanderer]

Possibly an Earth loop - see https://www.jensen-transformers.com/product/ci-2rr/

Thank you for the suggestion. I'm not able to redo the capture, as I had someone else do that, so I'm looking for a software solution that would help me fix the audio in the recording I already have. Some kind of app with smart noise reduction.

[davexnet]

Izotope RX 11, free trial available.
Spectral Denoise and/or Dialog Isolate

[pandy]

Spectral subtraction and your ear are enough to remove most of the problems from your recording but proper methodology is key to success.

Key points are:

- use relatively small FFT (somewhere around 1024..4096 points), higher FFT can lead to more spectral leaks and as such various chirps
- choose proper sample for noise profile acquisition - it should be free from complex tonal signals - search for relatively short time frame where only noise is - present, no other sound especially things like vocals or music is present
- perform processing in chunks as in time noise profile may change in time so one acquired at the beginning of the recording may be different than noise profile in middle or at the end
- it is useful to search for optimal threshold level to select inverted processing i.e. removing signal while keeping noise - search for such threshold where noise is unmodulated by useful signal
- try to perform relatively mild noise removal strength - not go over 20dB - you can always repeat process multiple time to increase noise removal efficiency.

Btw i have impression that your source is largely mono - so i would at the beginning of processing combine both channels to one and as such gain approx 3dB better signal to noise ratio, also i would avoid increase recording level before noise removal, as your sound has practically no useful spectrum above 12kHz i would also apply bandpass filter - from 150Hz to 12000Hz , removing everything bellow 150Hz will cut eventual 60Hz power line hum and it's 2nd harmonic at the 120Hz.

[Barrythecrab]

Cyberlink AudioDirector can single out the noise and mitigate it.

[davexnet]

Updated Rx 11 to a revision put out by Izotope, just two days after the initial release.
Here's another go using the updated Dialog Isolate. Seems to be increased sound quality compared to RX10.

[Wanderer]

Thanks so much to all of you for the suggestions and advice. I have a lot to explore now.

Pandy to be honest much of what you've said here is over my head, I'm going to have to go learn some terms and measures, but thanks for expounding all that.


Davexnet honestly both of those samples sound pretty good to me, thanks for doing that. I'm going to go watch some tutorials now and see if I can get it there myself. Hopefully the Izotope trial will last until I'm done with all the VHS transfers

[davexnet]

Hopefully the Izotope trial will last until I'm done with all the VHS transfers

I believe it's full functionality for 10 days. Good luck with it !

[Wanderer]

Hopefully the Izotope trial will last until I'm done with all the VHS transfers

I believe it's full functionality for 10 days. Good luck with it !

In that case, I guess I better wait until my vacation to make sure I don't run out of days!