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Noise Reduction

Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2014 9:04 am
by Frink
Hi All,

I'm thinking of changing from Sound Forge to Goldwave (cost reasons mainly) but there is one function in Sound Forge that I can't do without: Noise Reduction.

Specifically, I'm using this function to capture a noiseprint and then remove the print signature from the whole audio clip.

i.e.
I place an audio file into Sound Forge, take a sample of a small clip of the wave BEFORE singing takes place (in other words, a clip of 'silence' which might include some background hum or hiss.
I then take a noiseprint of this section and then remove it from the whole clip.

This is much better than simply gating the low noise at the point of recording as this only removes the hum or hiss from the quiet portions of the vocal take.

Is the Noise Reduction function in Goldwave capable of this operation?

Many thanks for your help!

Frink.

Re: Noise Reduction

Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2014 10:36 am
by Gord
Yes, GoldWave can do that. From the Help file:
Noise Reduction
===============

...

A reduction envelope is used to remove noise. The envelope can be created in four different ways, depending on the Reduction envelope setting as explained below. The Use clipboard option often gives the best results.

...

Use clipboard
-------------

Analyzes the audio in the clipboard and creates an envelope based on it. To use this setting, you must first copy part of the sound where the noise exists by itself. Like the Use current spectrum setting, this can remove a buzz, hum, static, and other common noises. The clipboard noise can be based on audio copied from another file or audio outside the current selection. In general, this is the best setting to use.

Re: Noise Reduction

Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2014 12:06 pm
by Tristan
What Gord said.

Re: Noise Reduction

Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 6:29 pm
by donrandall
Two or three years ago, I had the opportunity to try Sound Forge. It may be a lot better now, but at the time it was no where close to Goldwave. The Noise Reduction tool in Goldwave is really very, very good.

Someone I "know" from a different message board had a voice track that needed some help... there was some slight extraneous noise from an air conditioning compressor just outside her apartment and she could not get it cleaned up using another (more expensive) recording software program. I had her send me a .wav copy of her file so I could see if Goldwave could do what another "Big Name" application could not. I could find only a very tiny sample of the offending "whir" of the compressor noise... less than a quarter of a second was all I could get.

I used Goldwave's Noise Reduction tool and made the offending noise go away, without any of the odd artifacts that often remind people of Star Wars sound effects.

I believe you can still download and use and evaluate Goldwave without any cost, so why not do it? I think you will be pleased.