Removing Audio Rumble From Wav

[WayneRocks]

Hello!

I am converting my VHS collection to digital using the Liteon DVDR to do the transfer. I then copy the DVD to my hard drive using dgmpg, then avisyth to frameserve(?) to VD.

The source tape is mono. Both R&L channels were recorded to the DVD. dgmpg imported the audio as stereo 44.1 with normalization demuxed as wav.

During periods of silence, the is an extremely annoying rumble or hum. I'd like to dump that if I could.

I have SoundForge available to me, but it is far more complicated than what I could have imagined. Their advice of "just play around with it until it sounds right to you" doesn't cut it for me. I don't want to dedicated my life to learning a program I have little interest in.

Is there anyway I can focus in on this background noise and extract it? Right now I'm just thinking about increasing the oa volume and just living with it in the background, but I anal.

I also have Audacity, but don't see how I can focus in on the rumble with it.

Any information that you would care to share would be deeply appreciated.

TIA - Wayne

[Jenri]

I cannot view the trouble.
If you have SF8, only goes to menu Tools, Audio Restoration, and OK, the program is able to reduce the clics, pops, rumble, hiss and hum commons in the analogic domain.

I hope to give help, Wayne,
Pepe.

[setarip_old]

@WayneRocks

Hi!

You might want to try (freeware) "Audacity"...

[Chainmax]

I found GoldWave to do an amazing job at removing hiss/hum and pop/click artifacts. It's also extremely easy to use as the corresponding functions have presets with self-explanatory names. I recently cleaned up a mono source from a digicam clip and was very satisfied with the results.

[WayneRocks]

Thank-you for taking the time to reply.

I'll have to check the version of SF when I get home.

I do have Audacity, but I don't see where I would make the adjustment. Is it a specific version of Audacity that you reference.

Goldwave...heard it works wonders but costs mucho dinero.

TIA - Wayne

[Mug Funky]

it sort of depends what kind of "rumble" you have. unfortunately there's no consistent language for describing audio effects.

but if it's a slowly rising hiss with strong bass like i think it is, then it'll be very difficult to remove nicely. VCRs have a gain control on the audio - quiet parts get turned up and up and up until your head explodes, then a loud sound comes and it goes quiet again. this means any noise reduction you apply on it will become ineffective once the volume starts going up after a second or two. you'll then hear horrid artefacts and then just the old noise that was there.

i'm not sure if SF8 offers anything that can "ride" the gain control and reduce noise accordingly, but one thing you can do is manually apply a volume envelope to turn the hiss back down so it's all at the same level. then noise reduction will be able to grab hold of it and work effectively.

guh, i hate old VHS. especially stuff that's been dubbed with consumer equipment. just too many problems and not enough solutions, in both audio and video :(

well, anyway, what i'm trying to say is that you can remove the hiss to some extent, but it'll never be perfect. hopefully it'll be at a point where you're happy with it though.

[AVIL]

@WayneRocks

Hi,

With audacity you can easily reduce noise if your wav file has a short period whitout signal, only with noise (i.e the pause between songs). You must select only that period and open the efects menu ("Efecto" in my spanish version). You must select noise reduction option ("Eliminacion de ruido..."). I dont know the exact name in english but is before Fade In option, and probably contains the word noise and other like elimination, reduction or kill. You must click on the button get noise pattern ("obtener perfil de ruido") in the step 1 ("paso 1") box. The program open an pop up that remains a second (if the period selected is short). After the windows closes you must select the sound you like denoise (normally all the sound) and invoke noise reduction option again ("Eliminacion de ruido...") but this time you must click on the button accept ("Aceptar") located at bottom right of the step 2 box. You can modify the strengh of the denoising whith the slider cursor but the default is a best option. The program opens a progress box and when it dissapears the work is done.

Good luck

[joseph5]

Thanks for the info, AVIL.

Is it possible to save the noise pattern for other audio files? All my captured VHS tapes have the same pattern, but not all of them have a period with nothing but noise.

Thanks in advance.

[AVIL]

Hi,

Sorry for the delay. You can extract a piece of sound suitable for denoising. Take a file tha have silence parts. Delete non-silence parts and save with another name (i.e. pattern.wav).

This file could serve to denoise others. Open the file to denoise. After, import the pattern file. Select the pattern track and get noise pattern. Select track of main file and do the denoising. Delete pattern track and export proyect as the denoised wav.

Alas, this is a theoric method. I have never tried it. If don't work you can append pattern file to main track, make the denoising and, before save, strip pattern zone.

Good luck.