backround noise reduction

J

jazzbass12

New member
Hi,
Since I record at home and dont really have the best enviroment I have PC noise issues and mic noise. Its not too bad but, on quiet passages you can here it and it adds up after a few tracks.
Will a noise reduction plug be helpfull? If so any recomondations?
My past experience with noise plugs is that you suffer in the high end.
Thanks
 
If the noise happens while there's a signal...as in, if it happens during a vocal line or guitar line, there's not much you can do other than get rid of the sourse of the noise BEFORE you record (put a blanket over your computer, close the windows, etc...). If it happens in between lines, you can use a noise gate or simply solo your tracks and clean them up by silencing the track where you're not singing or playing.
 
Noise reduction plugs work best on pops, clicks and continuous noise with easily identifiable and repeatable fundamentals. The pinker and more ambient the niose gets, the harder time the plugs have with them.

I have Steinberg/Pinnacle "Clean", Sonic Foundry's NR plugs package and the Waves Restoration pack. And for the kind of situation you describe none of them will do a very good job in and of itself, a lot of manual processing is also required.

These manual processes can be quite successful, but they're labor-intensive (a half-dozen or more seperate filtering passes at a single track would not be unusual) and require rather a bit of practice to get the techniques right.

You'd really be best off re-tracking without the noise.

But if re-tracking is not possible and the tracks are valuable to you, then I'd say send them to an experienced engineer to have them manually cleaned.

G.
 
Man you got to make sure that shit dont happen, i hate it. I mean imagine that stinkin computer sound in your music.
Even if it gets buried its still there, get some extension cables and record out of the room the pc is going to be in.


As far as restoration/hiss removal.
Samplitude is great has a built in hiss removal plug.
Bias sound soap pro.

Cheers
 
The best results that I've gotten are by getting a noise profile and automating the Waves restoration plugs (threshold, etc.) for something like this.

I've also been meaning to try Cedar Tools but haven't had the chance or need yet as I'm not doing much in the way of forensic audio.
 
you might want to make some modifications to your pc. i bought a quiet power supply, a quiet fan for my processor with a large heatsink, and i changed my graphics card to one without a fan. i noticed a huge difference but ideally it would be best to extend your mic and headphone leads and record in another room.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top