I recorded a meeting (on a consumer cassette tape recorder using
consumer tape) and it isn't loud enough to clearly hear the speaker,
even when the volume is turned up all the way. Is there any way of
enhancing the quality of the recording?

Thank you.

"Movieweb" wrote in message
om...
Is there any way of
enhancing the quality of the recording?

Maybe, maybe not.
A long time ago, a guy came to this newsgroup and reported a problem very
similar to yours. I responded. He was very happy with my results.

But it wasn't fun, so hiring me will cost you more than I charged him.
Depends on how bad your recording is and how important it is to you.

Next time, use the best machine you can get your hands on. Use the best
tape. In advance, try various levels to see what works best.
If your machine introduces mechanical noise into the recording, DO NOT use
that same machine to play back the audio into the computer in preparation
for making a CD to send to me (this probably will add another layer of
mechanical noise!).
Listen to your original cassette, and if you hear that mechanical noise, get
a better machine for playing back into the computer!

Good luck.

Steve

"Movieweb" wrote in message
om...
Is there any way of
enhancing the quality of the recording?

Maybe, maybe not.
A long time ago, a guy came to this newsgroup and reported a problem very
similar to yours. I responded. He was very happy with my results.

But it wasn't fun, so hiring me will cost you more than I charged him.
Depends on how bad your recording is and how important it is to you.

Next time, use the best machine you can get your hands on. Use the best
tape. In advance, try various levels to see what works best.
If your machine introduces mechanical noise into the recording, DO NOT use
that same machine to play back the audio into the computer in preparation
for making a CD to send to me (this probably will add another layer of
mechanical noise!).
Listen to your original cassette, and if you hear that mechanical noise, get
a better machine for playing back into the computer!

Good luck.

Steve

Movieweb wrote:
I recorded a meeting (on a consumer cassette tape recorder using
consumer tape) and it isn't loud enough to clearly hear the speaker,
even when the volume is turned up all the way. Is there any way of
enhancing the quality of the recording?

Maybe.

First, get the best transcription you can, with the azimuth correct.
Getting the playback azimuth correct will help the top end a lot, and
get you something to work with.

Now, you have a combination of signal, uncorrelated noise, and room
tone.

Secondly, start cutting the bottom end off. How much you can cut off
depends on what sort of filters you have, but there will be a lot of
noise at the bottom end. This helps with some of the noise.

You can take it to someone with a CEDAR system to try and remove some
more of the noise. Most of the lower end magic noise boxes don't work
very well in really catastrophic cases, but you can try them too. The
Waves restoration bundle seems to have an okay broadband noise removal
tool.

There's not much you can do about the room reverb problems that you are
going to have, but it's possible just some judicious EQ and maybe some
NR will get you to the point where you can transcribe the words.
--scott


--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Movieweb wrote:
I recorded a meeting (on a consumer cassette tape recorder using
consumer tape) and it isn't loud enough to clearly hear the speaker,
even when the volume is turned up all the way. Is there any way of
enhancing the quality of the recording?

Maybe.

First, get the best transcription you can, with the azimuth correct.
Getting the playback azimuth correct will help the top end a lot, and
get you something to work with.

Now, you have a combination of signal, uncorrelated noise, and room
tone.

Secondly, start cutting the bottom end off. How much you can cut off
depends on what sort of filters you have, but there will be a lot of
noise at the bottom end. This helps with some of the noise.

You can take it to someone with a CEDAR system to try and remove some
more of the noise. Most of the lower end magic noise boxes don't work
very well in really catastrophic cases, but you can try them too. The
Waves restoration bundle seems to have an okay broadband noise removal
tool.

There's not much you can do about the room reverb problems that you are
going to have, but it's possible just some judicious EQ and maybe some
NR will get you to the point where you can transcribe the words.
--scott


--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions.

What's the best way to get cassette audio into a PC?

Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions.

What's the best way to get cassette audio into a PC?

Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions.

What's the best way to get cassette audio into a PC?

Movieweb wrote:

Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions.

What's the best way to get cassette audio into a PC?

Since PCs don't have cassette players built in, that would usually be
through the sound card.


Graham

Movieweb wrote:

Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions.

What's the best way to get cassette audio into a PC?

Since PCs don't have cassette players built in, that would usually be
through the sound card.


Graham

Movieweb wrote:

Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions.

What's the best way to get cassette audio into a PC?

Since PCs don't have cassette players built in, that would usually be
through the sound card.


Graham

Movieweb wrote:

I recorded a meeting (on a consumer cassette tape recorder using
consumer tape) and it isn't loud enough to clearly hear the speaker,
even when the volume is turned up all the way. Is there any way of
enhancing the quality of the recording?

Is it muffled and hissy ? Lots of background noise interference ?

Have you ever seen the film ' The Conversation ' ? It may give you some
ideas.


Graham

Movieweb wrote:

I recorded a meeting (on a consumer cassette tape recorder using
consumer tape) and it isn't loud enough to clearly hear the speaker,
even when the volume is turned up all the way. Is there any way of
enhancing the quality of the recording?

Is it muffled and hissy ? Lots of background noise interference ?

Have you ever seen the film ' The Conversation ' ? It may give you some
ideas.


Graham

Movieweb wrote:

I recorded a meeting (on a consumer cassette tape recorder using
consumer tape) and it isn't loud enough to clearly hear the speaker,
even when the volume is turned up all the way. Is there any way of
enhancing the quality of the recording?

Is it muffled and hissy ? Lots of background noise interference ?

Have you ever seen the film ' The Conversation ' ? It may give you some
ideas.


Graham

Movieweb wrote:

I recorded a meeting (on a consumer cassette tape recorder using
consumer tape) and it isn't loud enough to clearly hear the speaker,
even when the volume is turned up all the way. Is there any way of
enhancing the quality of the recording?

Is it muffled and hissy ? Lots of background noise interference ?

Have you ever seen the film ' The Conversation ' ? It may give you some
ideas.


Graham



Many of them are pipe dreams.

OTOH, Stevm St Croix has a company that sells a program that will extract human
voice from background very well.

Only two problems with it.

You must be afilliated with law enforcement to buy it and it costs $10,000
Richard H. Kuschel
"I canna change the law of physics."-----Scotty

Movieweb wrote:

I recorded a meeting (on a consumer cassette tape recorder using
consumer tape) and it isn't loud enough to clearly hear the speaker,
even when the volume is turned up all the way. Is there any way of
enhancing the quality of the recording?

Is it muffled and hissy ? Lots of background noise interference ?

Have you ever seen the film ' The Conversation ' ? It may give you some
ideas.


Graham



Many of them are pipe dreams.

OTOH, Stevm St Croix has a company that sells a program that will extract human
voice from background very well.

Only two problems with it.

You must be afilliated with law enforcement to buy it and it costs $10,000
Richard H. Kuschel
"I canna change the law of physics."-----Scotty

Movieweb wrote:

I recorded a meeting (on a consumer cassette tape recorder using
consumer tape) and it isn't loud enough to clearly hear the speaker,
even when the volume is turned up all the way. Is there any way of
enhancing the quality of the recording?

Hardly any that can outdo the brains ability to sort valid audio from
noise. It starts getting possible when it is only mediocre rather than
plain poor. An example of how far standard, available and payable tools
go me with an item of problematic audio is available on my site. Just
getting the tool may not do, as with any other tool, there is a learning
curve.

Thank you.


Kind regards

Peter Larsen




--
*******************************************
* My site is at: http://www.muyiovatki.dk *
*******************************************

Movieweb wrote:

I recorded a meeting (on a consumer cassette tape recorder using
consumer tape) and it isn't loud enough to clearly hear the speaker,
even when the volume is turned up all the way. Is there any way of
enhancing the quality of the recording?

Hardly any that can outdo the brains ability to sort valid audio from
noise. It starts getting possible when it is only mediocre rather than
plain poor. An example of how far standard, available and payable tools
go me with an item of problematic audio is available on my site. Just
getting the tool may not do, as with any other tool, there is a learning
curve.

Thank you.


Kind regards

Peter Larsen




--
*******************************************
* My site is at: http://www.muyiovatki.dk *
*******************************************