Removing artifacts produced by software

One need only ask a specific question. I tried to provide information without writing so much no one would be interested in reading it. If you think of something missing just ask me a question.

Well, I don't know why you have taken it personally. Would "pick out" or "single out" have made it any better for you?

You may want to clarify your OP.

It clearly says, "I am looking for advice on reducing or even eliminating (hopeful) the mechanical artifacts produced by audio software."

Which audio software are you talking about? You mention Audacity, which is a DAW. I simply asked you how you know what is producing the "mechanical artifacts" since your "audio software" (presumably a DAW) is not the only component used in recording. (It's not even clear how software can produce mechanical artifacts.)

I posted the clips, not to show age alteration, but to demonstrate that something other than the DAW may be causing "artifacts".

Anyway, please yourself. I hope someone can solve your problem, whatever it is.
 
Dood, you really need to first off understand that just because something is called 'software' does not make it great. The reason that I even state that is because you mentioned the free Audacity wav editor (not a DAW) and $400 Melodyne plugin in the same page.

I still am not sure why you expect plugins to fake voices. There is a reason why different voices/people are cast for individual characters...
 
Yes, Melodyne targets the pitch correction crowd, but it does offer formant editing. Not sure if it will provide a clean enough source for your needs. I'm guessing no software is going to sound natural enough for spoken word. If you wanted to change gender and age in a song, you could potentially hide artifacts behind a bed of music, but spoken word is just hanging out there on its own.

If you can't get it do what you want, the old mantra applies: Fix it at the source. That means getting voice actors to help you out. The young, the old, the guys, the girls, etc. People have come here in the past looking for just that, actors who can do VOs to help on low/no budget projects.
 
Yeah. I wish ..maybe it was were we to have known to have related' to some other thread?, but imagine starting with a simple rundown' -of what you finally have clarified?
 
It's not clear from his OP whether he

1. Has control over the production of the starting material, in which case he may be able to deal with artifacts at source. OR

2. He has no control over the production of the starting material, and the voice alteration software he is currently using can only go natural to natural.
 
Dood, you really need to first off understand that just because something is called 'software' does not make it great. The reason that I even state that is because you mentioned the free Audacity wav editor (not a DAW) and $400 Melodyne plugin in the same page.

I still am not sure why you expect plugins to fake voices. There is a reason why different voices/people are cast for individual characters...
Do you really believe I or anyone for that matter thinks like that? I already explained why I mentioned Audacity. Melodyne was suggested by someone else.

Why are you even questioning why I would expect a plugin to "fake a voice" that says it is designed to "fake a voice?" I am not trying to do anything with the software that it is not supposed to do. I am trying to improve the result if that is possible. Cost is a new frontier to me. I thought $300 was substantial for a plugin. Then I learned of audio cleaning software costing $3000. This software does the trick. It just does it with a lot of unwanted characteristics that I am hoping can be reduced if not eliminated.
 
Well, I don't know why you have taken it personally. Would "pick out" or "single out" have made it any better for you?

You may want to clarify your OP.

It clearly says, "I am looking for advice on reducing or even eliminating (hopeful) the mechanical artifacts produced by audio software."

Which audio software are you talking about? You mention Audacity, which is a DAW. I simply asked you how you know what is producing the "mechanical artifacts" since your "audio software" (presumably a DAW) is not the only component used in recording. (It's not even clear how software can produce mechanical artifacts.)

I posted the clips, not to show age alteration, but to demonstrate that something other than the DAW may be causing "artifacts".

Anyway, please yourself. I hope someone can solve your problem, whatever it is.
I am not taking it personally. It must be you who is feeling this is personal. Your take on this appears to be irrelevant. I appreciate the effort and thank you for trying to help.
 
The OP sounds to me like he is trying to use his voice for several characters and the plugin he is using sounds like a vocorder when he uses it.

The problem with any of these types of plugins is they all essentially work like a vocorder and will exhibit that type of sound at some point. If you want it to sound completely natural, you will have to get voice actors. Or, at least get better at using your own voice to get closer to what you are looking for, so you don't have to make the software do as much.
 
Yeah. I wish ..maybe it was were we to have known to have related' to some other thread?, but imagine starting with a simple rundown' -of what you finally have clarified?
Imagine people coming here who do not know the rundown of composing the ideal post. You seem to know what you need to know. If it is missing just ask for it.
 
It's not clear from his OP whether he

1. Has control over the production of the starting material, in which case he may be able to deal with artifacts at source. OR

2. He has no control over the production of the starting material, and the voice alteration software he is currently using can only go natural to natural.
I have control over everything. I get the same results whether using studio produced voice tracks or those I created on my own. The artifacts are from the software not the recording process but I understand that I need a pristine source to get the best results. It is obvious to me that the source of this artifact is in the software manipulation stage not the creation of sound file stage.
 
The OP sounds to me like he is trying to use his voice for several characters and the plugin he is using sounds like a vocorder when he uses it.

He posted a video earlier of voice alteration software, but there is no explanation of why he posted it.

is he saying that the software has the "mechanical artifact" problem? Maybe my French isn't good enough to notice.

Or is there some other reason he can't use that software?
 
I have read this thread from start to finish, and I wouldn't mind offering help. But frankly at post 32 I am no clearer on what's required. It seems there were two requirements: some kind of file restoration method and some kind of WAV manipulation to simulate other voices. If I have got at least that right, then there is a starting point.
 
He posted a video earlier of voice alteration software, but there is no explanation of why he posted it.

is he saying that the software has the "mechanical artifact" problem? Maybe my French isn't good enough to notice.

Or is there some other reason he can't use that software?
It's my understanding that he is using that software to alter his voice and make it sound younger, older and/or female...and it doesn't sound natural.

The short answer is, it won't.

The only reason he is looking into file restoration is because he is trying to remove the artifacts that the voice manipulation plugin makes.
 
He posted a video earlier of voice alteration software, but there is no explanation of why he posted it.

is he saying that the software has the "mechanical artifact" problem? Maybe my French isn't good enough to notice.

Or is there some other reason he can't use that software?
I just posted the video link so you could see the interface and get an idea of what the software does.

---------- Update ----------

It's my understanding that he is using that software to alter his voice and make it sound younger, older and/or female...and it doesn't sound natural.

The short answer is, it won't.

The only reason he is looking into file restoration is because he is trying to remove the artifacts that the voice manipulation plugin makes.
You are correct.
 
I have already said I am working with a native file not an exported file.

If I could make my voice sound like a child's or woman's I would not need software. There is a small contribution I can make by altering the cadence in my speech but that is only useful if the software does the other 99%.

It takes considerable muscle from software to change a man's voice into a child's or woman's. The software does exactly what I am attempting. I am not doing anything that I am not supposed to do with this software. But the consequence is that the result comes with the artifact.

This effect is used in film. Until recently I didn't know there was audio cleaning software costing $3000. There could be $3000 software that alters a voice without any artifacts.

I am looking for ways to reduce the artifact if there are any. Chances are some of it can be done using known techniques and less expensive tools. This software probably has many if not all of the dials to control various aspects of sound frequency. I know absolutely nothing about audio engineering. I was hoping someone might know that turning down or up a specific control could help.

I am going to experiment with the idea of applying the effect in multiple light applications. The way it works is that you designate a starting point (i.e. man, woman, child, etc.) My male voice is farther from a child's. A woman's voice is already closer to a child's. If I can maintain a clean source file to apply lighter treatments I might be able to attain my goal taking this alternate route. However, I foresee this adding an additional problem in that any lingering artifact will be reprocessed rendering the final result more mechanical than that achieved in a single application of the effect.

The Save As work-in-process is a good general approach I use with everything from desktop publishing to visual design.

I am doing voices for all of the characters in an animated cartoon. I need to create recipes achieving different voices for various characters not just one. Each character will need its own formula. Consistency becomes a factor. I am better off with everyone having the same artifact than each having varying degrees of it. I have come up with a plot to explain the artifact if a solution eliminating it cannot be found. I thought of it before I made the decision to invest in this software. But I would prefer that the artifact be eliminated so I have the freedom to compose stories outside the constraints of this explanation for the artifact.

Look, listen to my advice or don't. However, I spent almost 40 years doing sound professionally including recording voices for animations etc.

Any good voice artist can change his or her voice to suggest different types of character and age. Once this happens, any electronic processing becomes much easier. (As I type this, I'm speaking what I'm typing in a baby voice and my wife thinks I'm crazy.) No, I'm not suggesting that you sound exactly like a baby but if you go up to a falsetto pitch and use a baby cadence, the software has a lot to do. Listen to old Monty Python episodes or watch lots of old animations like Hanna Barbera or Warner Brothers. Those were done by a small number of talented people. We once bought rights to a French animation which we had to dub to English. Originally we thought we'd need several different actors but, in the end, every single voice was done by a guy named Enn Reitel. Have a listen to this demo...every voice and sound was done by him without benefit of electronic processing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rYClpqAU40

Be sceptical of any software claimed to change a man to a baby totally in software without artefacts. Many will charge you hundreds or thousands of dollars and still not do what a good voice actor can.

Anyhow, I can tell you don't want the answers you're getting so I wish you luck.
 
Look, listen to my advice or don't. ... I can tell you don't want the answers you're getting so I wish you luck.
Just because you conclude there is nothing that can be done does not mean it is so. I would like to keep it open that there could be something that would help offered by other people. If you have exhausted your knowledge you don't help things trying to convince everyone that there are no other alternatives. Someone may know something you don't. But thanks again anyway.
 
Just because you conclude there is nothing that can be done does not mean it is so. I would like to keep it open that there could be something that would help offered by other people. If you have exhausted your knowledge you don't help things trying to convince everyone that there are no other alternatives. Someone may know something you don't. But thanks again anyway.

Dood. You really need to start understanding that you are asking for something that does not exist. And you are now starting to be a dick to people helping you.

Best of luck man...
 
Dood. You really need to start understanding that you are asking for something that does not exist. And you are now starting to be a dick to people helping you.

Best of luck man...

A moderator saying someone is acting like a dick?

"Dood" you need to understand that saying someone is acting like a "dick" is ghetto behavior warranting post deletion on most forums.
 
Chill out man. We are trying to help and you are not accepting the help. This is your problem.

Sorry but you are not helping yourself here.

Best wishes...
 
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