Fixing plosives (after the fact)

RFR

Well-known member
Yup. Got some plosives on a voc track. Performance is good otherwise and voc can't be redone.
Why are there plosives? It was recorded with a 58 without a pop filter.

I fear it will only get worse once compression is applied.

Anyone have any experience and luck with removing or reducing these?

Narrow eq cut maybe?
 
Automate -pre insert / clip gain preferably - before the track comp so it isn't seeing them -assuming there aren't too many. Next best maybe M/B comp maybe? Automation, once you get into the groove isn't to bad, and you get to reduce only what's needed (rather than a compressor's static setting? Works that way for esses'.
 
Thanks guys. Gonna play around with those suggestions. For the HP it seems like it would be a quick in and out like a surgical bomb strike. :)
 
Are you splitting the spot out for processing or automate the filter?

Depends on the software. When I did it on my friend's PT setup I used Audio Suite and didn't even crossfade, I just selected the section and applied the eq. That was the last time I did it, probably 3-5 years ago. At first he was horrified that I'd do something that drastic but he was happy with the result. In Sony Vegas 6 I might automate it. In Vegas 13 I'd split it out and use the clip effect button.
 
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The fix is actually much easier than you think. Just find it visually, split the track before the plosive, and then use a crossfade in and move the fade in and split point until you have some remaining consonant for lyric recognition, but enough removal to eliminate the worst of it. Typically, the waveform is so obvious that just eliminating all but the very end of it will cure all.
 
Zoom in on the wave form, clip on either side of the plosive, then lower the volume of the clip manually. This works with sibilants too.
 
I do a deep v cut via volume automation, which is just another version of what others have said, without the splitting.
 
If it's a part that's repeated and only has plosives on some parts can't you just splice in a different piece of audio?
 
The difference between a good P and a plosive P is the low frequency sound caused by the turbulence of the wind hitting the mic. Eq addresses that difference directly, and leaves the level, tone and timing of the original P intact.
 
The difference between a good P and a plosive P is the low frequency sound caused by the turbulence of the wind hitting the mic. Eq addresses that difference directly, and leaves the level, tone and timing of the original P intact.

Considering parts of the problem can be like that, makes a case for volume control. A lot of times you're dealing with signal that are partly unwanted sounds. I.e, you can have a transient, or in this case P or pop' that are mostly just too loud. But before or after, noises. Gain automation, rides up after the noise, a shelf to level the part to keep. Often you can see the difference in the waveform. Stuff that shows as much lower or higher freq content, something along those lines.
 
Considering parts of the problem can be like that, makes a case for volume control. A lot of times you're dealing with signal that are partly unwanted sounds. I.e, you can have a transient, or in this case P or pop' that are mostly just too loud. But before or after, noises. Gain automation, rides up after the noise, a shelf to level the part to keep. Often you can see the difference in the waveform. Stuff that shows as much lower or higher freq content, something along those lines.

Well, I arrived at the HPF solution by experimenting with all the mentioned techniques on a real case of a plosive, not by asking on the internet about theoretical concepts and hypothetical cases. If I were the OP I'd do the same. It may be that different plosives need different solutions.
 
Well, I arrived at the HPF solution by experimenting with all the mentioned techniques on a real case of a plosive, not by asking on the internet about theoretical concepts and hypothetical cases. If I were the OP I'd do the same. It may be that different plosives need different solutions.
Just trying here to inject -the 'issues' are varied. Recognizes them as such.
 
Well, I arrived at the HPF solution by experimenting with all the mentioned techniques on a real case of a plosive, not by asking on the internet about theoretical concepts and hypothetical cases. If I were the OP I'd do the same. It may be that different plosives need different solutions.

Eq is the key. Boulder is right.
My plosives are the low freq turbulence kind.

I don't want the levels of the vocals changed. I just want that low end noise gone.

Playing around with eq, I got 90% of it gone without any noticable level change.
You almost can't hear it at all now. :D

Thanks for setting me down the right path.
:thumbs up:
 
Yeah depending on your daw software the easiest is just to draw an auto volume drop. If it's tape I'd dub over. Don't overthink it.
 
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