Best Tool for Static/Crackle Reduction

[Sarah[_8_]]

Hi,

I'm working with some old time radio clips that are riddled with
static and crackle.

I can't find get better quality versions of these files, so I'm stuck
using these mp3s as my source material. I've tried Adobe Audition's
Noise Reduction and Hiss Removal tools, and these have helped
somewhat, but I'm still left with a fair bit of crackle. I'd love to
clean it up more, without losing too much clarity.

So which programs do you Audio Wizards use for cleaning up this type
of noise?

Thanks so much,

-Sarah

[PStamler]

On Jan 28, 10:49*am, Sarah > wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm working with some old time radio clips that are riddled with
> static and crackle.
>
> I can't find get better quality versions of these files, so I'm stuck
> using these mp3s as my source material. *I've tried Adobe Audition's
> Noise Reduction and Hiss Removal tools, and these have helped
> somewhat, but I'm still left with a fair bit of crackle. *I'd love to
> clean it up more, without losing too much clarity.
>
> So which programs do you Audio Wizards use for cleaning up this type
> of noise?
>
> Thanks so much,

Two things worth investigating:

1. DC-EIGHT. It's a full editing program which includes several
different algorithms for dealing with ticks, pops and crackle. If
you're careful and conservative in applying the program, it won't
damage the audio.

2. ClickFix is a plug-in specifically for Audition. Again, if you're
careful, it can help.

Peace,
Paul

[Scott Dorsey]

Sarah > wrote:
>
>I'm working with some old time radio clips that are riddled with
>static and crackle.
>
>I can't find get better quality versions of these files, so I'm stuck
>using these mp3s as my source material. I've tried Adobe Audition's
>Noise Reduction and Hiss Removal tools, and these have helped
>somewhat, but I'm still left with a fair bit of crackle. I'd love to
>clean it up more, without losing too much clarity.
>
>So which programs do you Audio Wizards use for cleaning up this type
>of noise?

Waves Restoration Bundle is okay if you can't do CEDAR, but the CEDAR
decrackler still beats anything else made.

However.... if you have been through a couple analogue tape generations
especially with azimuth errors, the transients can get smeared to the
point where the decrackling doesn't work very well. So it is still in
your best interest to get as close as possible to the master.

Decrackling is a very different trick than pop removal and broadband
noise reduction.
--scott

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

[Norbert Hahn[_2_]]

PStamler > wrote:

>On Jan 28, 10:49*am, Sarah > wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I'm working with some old time radio clips that are riddled with
>> static and crackle.
>>
>> I can't find get better quality versions of these files, so I'm stuck
>> using these mp3s as my source material. *

mp3 is not the best format to start with. The data decimation algorithm
in the compressor might have preferred the crackle/static over
the music to get the desired "band width" (bits per second).

>> I've tried Adobe Audition's
>> Noise Reduction and Hiss Removal tools, and these have helped
>> somewhat, but I'm still left with a fair bit of crackle.

Newer versions of Audition have more tools than version 1.0 for that
purpose. I use version 1.5 and "Auto Click/Pop Eliminator" can be
useful if the parameters are set to match the needs. At least ...

[snip]

>2. ClickFix is a plug-in specifically for Audition. Again, if you're
>careful, it can help.

.... I prefer it over ClickFix. I tried ClickFix but could not find any
benefit. Pops that last longer than 15 ms are not eliminated by the
Auto Click/Pop Eliminator but can get caught by the "old" Click/Pop
Eliminator sub-function "Fill Single Click Now".

Norbert