Quick Start: Cleaning Audio Using Audacity
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Continued from - Adding an ION USB Turntable to G4 2x500 Tower
http://www.flyingsnail.com/Mac/g4ionusbturntable.html

Introduction

This page is a brief quick start on removing noise from recordings using Audacity - Beta version 1.3.2.

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

All recordings will be different and (imo) it is important to explore all tools Audacity offers.

Noise Removal

[Note: The ION USB Turntable software pamphlet contains ten (10) half pages of 'recording information'.]

Start recording a few seconds before music begins and Stop recording a few seconds after music ends.

Sample - 6 seconds of noise, with click, pop, and hum - MP3

[Suggestion: Turn up sound to listen or download MP3, open in Audacity, and view graph.]

Graph View  od six seconds of audio

Noise Removal

On upper menu bar

Click Effect

Click Noise Removal

Noise Removal window

Step 1

Follow instructions for Get Noise Profile.

Select Sample

Step 2

After recording 'Noise Profile'

On upper menu bar

Click Edit

Click Select

Click All

Click Effect

Click Noise Removal

At bottom of Step 2 instructions

Click OK

Select All

Noise Removal Result - MP3 Sample

Noise Removal result

The above example is mentioned in the ION USB Turntable Software Installation Guide. What follows are some alternative methods of removing noise.

[Note: Personally, I (first) try to use the Apple AUBandpass filter followed by Repair, and save a one minute sample.

After that is done I use Edit -> Undo to take the recording back to its original state, apply the above method of Noise Removal, and create a second, one minute, sample.

I look at both samples in graph form on Audacity, listen to them with high volume, and chose 'what sounds and looks best 'to me'.]

Apple AUBandpass

Apple AUBandpass setting

Apple AUBandpass Result - MP3 Sample

Apple AUBandpass result

High Pass Filter

High Pass Filter setting

High Pass Filter - Result - MP3 Sample

High Pass Filter Result

Low Pass Filter

[Note: The Low Pass Filter was applied on the above High Pass Filter Sample.]

Low Pass Filter setting

High and Low Pass Filter Result - MP3 Sample

High and Low Pass Filter Result

Repair

Before

Before Repair

Select

Repair Selection

Repair Result - MP3 Sample

Repair Result

[Note: There is still noise on the above sample that can be removed and ;-) each individual will have to determine when ;-) enough noise removal is enough, praise to the Undo key (-; ]

The Real Thing

Because of ' who owns what'n'stuff ', selecting a 'usable' record track for demonstration purposes was limited, and requires credit before proceeding.

Credits start with Nobody, the Birthday Party, and the Nobody for President Campaign; a humorous approach to elections encouraging people to register and vote. Wavy Gravy was "Nobody's Fool" and I was "Nobody's Campaign Manager":

http://www.NobodyForPresident.org/

During 1980, Jim Maxwell, of Jim Maxwell & The Sundown Band, gave me the following "Nobody For President" 45 record, with permission to use it (located on Nobody's pages and included here).

Nobody for President by Jim Maxwell and  The Sundown Band, 45 front jacket Nobody for President by Jim Maxwell and  The Sundown Band, 45 back jacket.

Record Credits

Jim Maxwell - vocal, guitar, Roy Marden - guitar, vocals, Jerry Shebeski - drums, Joe Jedrlinic - bass guitar, Craig Grant - vocals, percussion, David Peel - vocals, percussion, Joanna D'ascoli - vocals, Sherwin Winnick - mix consultant, Recorded at Dreamland Studios, N.Y., Mixed at Sundown Recording, L.I., N.Y., Special Thanks: Andrea Katz, Cover Design: Harry Wasserman, Promotion: Michael Luckman. More Details Located At:

http://www.nobodyforpresident.org/nobodysongs.html

Beginning of Recording

ION USB Turntable Begin Recording

End of Recording

ION USB Turntable End Recording

Two other Effects used in this recording were:

Click and Pop Removal

Click and Pop Removal settings

and DC Bias Removal filter.


The Results

MP3 Recording using Technics QUARTZ SL-1301, G4 Tower, and QuickTime Pro (The Hum)

8 Second Sample (140 KB)

MP3 Recording using ION USB Turntable

6 Second Sample (96 KB)

Complete MP3 (3.4 MB)

Nobody for President.mp3

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