Getting rid of tape hiss

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rokket
  • Start date Start date
Rokket

Rokket

Trailing Behind Again
My wife wants me to transfer some of her cassette tapes to CD. I have all the equipment I need to do this, and my idea was to capture them as .wav files then clean them up in Vegas. I thought about going through my MG10/2 to boost the signal a bit and try to clean it up going in.

The problem is that some of these tapes are old, and some of them were second-hand recordings on not-so-good tape, and I am hearing a lot of hiss. I am going to clean my heads and demagnetize, but what can I do to further reduce the hiss? I am not looking for pristine recordings that I know I won't get.
 
I've had good luck with the noise removal algorithm built into Audacity. Since it's free, it's well worth the download even if you don't wind up using it on this project.

And thanks for the rep bump!
 
ssscientist said:
I've had good luck with the noise removal algorithm built into Audacity. Since it's free, it's well worth the download even if you don't wind up using it on this project.

And thanks for the rep bump!
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I'll look into it. I think Vegas may have something like that too, I haven't really looked into all the plugins it's got, since I don't use too many of them. Thanks for the tip, and you're welcome!
 
Anyone else have any suggestions? I am going to start on capturing the audio this weekend....
 
Well, I download Audacity and it's a much different interface than Vegas, so it's going to be a learning experience for me. It looks good. Does it have any track limitations?
 
If you have the Noise Reduction plug-in from Sonic Foundry, er I mean Sony, then you're good to go. Let me know. I can give you pointers on using it.
 
MadAudio said:
If you have the Noise Reduction plug-in from Sonic Foundry, er I mean Sony, then you're good to go. Let me know. I can give you pointers on using it.
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I don't have it... :( Can I download it free? I have to be a cheap bastard right now...
 
I looked on the sony website. There's a demo of it, but I am at work. Will try it when I get home...
 
Rokket said:
I looked on the sony website. There's a demo of it, but I am at work. Will try it when I get home...
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I thought that plugin came with Vegas...
 
http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com/Products/showproduct.asp?PID=965&FeatureID=8187

Extensive audio effects
Apply over 30 customizable, real-time audio effects. Automate delays, reverbs, EQs and more with envelope control for each parameter. Use over ten automated effects such as Track EQ, Reverb, Chorus, Delay, Noise Gate, and Flange/Wah/Phase. 5.1 DirectX® effects for the master bus include EQ, Dither, and Wave Hammer™ Surround compression tools.
 
bigwillz24 said:
http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com/Products/showproduct.asp?PID=965&FeatureID=8187

Extensive audio effects
Apply over 30 customizable, real-time audio effects. Automate delays, reverbs, EQs and more with envelope control for each parameter. Use over ten automated effects such as Track EQ, Reverb, Chorus, Delay, Noise Gate, and Flange/Wah/Phase. 5.1 DirectX® effects for the master bus include EQ, Dither, and Wave Hammer™ Surround compression tools.
Click to expand...
It's got a noise gate, but that's not the same as Noise reduction. The one I am talking about is like DBX or Dolby noise reduction. I was tweeking the hell out of the noisegate plugin, but it was taking out some of the more subtle sounds when it was cranked enough to work on the hiss on the track. Maybe I could automate it...
 
The noise reduction plug-in is cool - you take a "noiseprint" of the noise you want to subtract. You can then tweak parameters to find the least amount of aliasing. It works with varying degrees of success depending on the source. Sometimes mutiple passes are required.
 
MadAudio said:
The noise reduction plug-in is cool - you take a "noiseprint" of the noise you want to subtract. You can then tweak parameters to find the least amount of aliasing. It works with varying degrees of success depending on the source. Sometimes mutiple passes are required.
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I DL'd the demo. It says that saving is disabled, but that's not a problem because I will just render it once it's been fixed. I am going to give it a shot later on. I'll post again if I run into problems. I have to learn this plugin first! Thanks Norm, I appreciate your help!
 
I just did a tape to .mp3 conversion with a tape last weekend. I just did some simple frequency adjusting. take out some low mids here. add some hi mids there. also, I the tape I was converting was just a voice, no music. sorry if that didn't help. But remember, you can get lots of sounds by just tweaking eq's
 
vigormusic said:
I just did a tape to .mp3 conversion with a tape last weekend. I just did some simple frequency adjusting. take out some low mids here. add some hi mids there. also, I the tape I was converting was just a voice, no music. sorry if that didn't help. But remember, you can get lots of sounds by just tweaking eq's
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I ran a few test tracks using my Tascam MF-P01 through my mixer. It's really bad and needs to be cleaned up and demagnatized. I think that will clear up a lot of it, because even a brand new tape in it hisses like a den of snakes. I was able to bring out some clarity with just the eq on the mixer, and got it better with Vegas. I am trying to get as much of it out as possible so that it doesn't sound like a cassette burned to CD. It may be impossible with the gear I have, but I want it closer. Either way, it's going to be a good learning experience.
 
I may just try to plug my wife's boom box into my mixer and see what happens...
 
that's a good idea

sounds like a fun project.

I'd be interested to hear before and after snippets
 
vigormusic said:
that's a good idea

sounds like a fun project.

I'd be interested to hear before and after snippets
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If it weren't for the fact that it'd violate a few copyright laws, I'd post some.
 
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