I use Sound Forge 7.0 to clean up audio on vinyl and cds. I was just
wondering what settings are recommended to get the best sound with the
highest clarity.

Jeff Mills wrote:
I use Sound Forge 7.0 to clean up audio on vinyl and cds. I was just
wondering what settings are recommended to get the best sound with the
highest clarity.

* I would recommend doing the processing all in 32 Bit floating-point.
You can dither and reduce the bitrate as the final step.

* If there is a knob for the quality (as in the graphic EQ), always use
best quality.

* Be prepared to keep some noise if more noise reduction sounds unnatural.

Johann
--
Geh, und sauf die Güllegrube auf, Du erbärmlicher Wicht,
und heul hier° nicht rum.
("Unternehmensberater" Klaus "Diego Alfredo Unada" Ketelaer in
)

It has been a while since I used SoundForge. I think I had version
4.5 when I stopped using it.

I started out using the "Graphic Dynamics" module set as a limiter
then ran the "Normalize" function to get it as hot as possible (about
-0.01 dbfs).

I don't know about 7.0, but in the version I had, there was a "Scan"
button in the Normalize window that would give you the peak and RMS
levels. I found it was better to run the Scan function, note the peak
level, cancel the Normalize window, then use the "Volume" window to
bring the Peak level up to -0.01 dbfs or so. I don't know why this
method sounded better than Normalizing but several people have agreed
in listening tests.

Also, another cool thing you can do with any DAW is the following EQ
trick:

First, determine the EQ settings you want to use. For example, say the
track needs some bottom and you want to add +6 db @ 125 Hz.

Apply a +3db boost @ 125 Hz. Invert the track (so it plays backwards).
Then apply another +3db boost @ 125 Hz. Invert the track again and
have a listen. You should be hearing almost transparent EQ. You have
your +6 db boost @ 125 Hz, but you have canceled the phase anomolies
caused by EQ's.

Good Luck.

Bulldog


(Jeff Mills) wrote in message om...
I use Sound Forge 7.0 to clean up audio on vinyl and cds. I was just
wondering what settings are recommended to get the best sound with the
highest clarity.

I use Sound Forge 7.0 to clean up audio on vinyl and cds. I was just
wondering what settings are recommended to get the best sound with the
highest clarity.

The Sonic Foundry noise reduction plug is quite good, pressumably the same
dsp code as Digidesign's BNR. Never use it for more than -7dB reduction, if
you need more you can use it twice, works much better than doing -14dB in
one pass.

Often older recordings can benefit from some compression, especially if your
usual listening environment is noisy. To keep things simple, T-Racks is a
great sounding program with analog-like controls, and if you're ambitious a
multiband compressor offers more precision, but with a considerable learning
curve. With T-Racks you can simply play with the knobs and adjust to taste
quite harmlessly, but a multiband compressor is probably doing more harm
than good if you're getting results that are substantially different from
T-Racks, and is only recommended if the original recording is flawed and you
really know what you're doing.

Unfortunately T-Racks plug-ins don't play nice with Sound Forge, but the
stand-alone version works well. The problem there is that there's no batch
processing for CD tracks...

"Sugarite" wrote in message ...
I use Sound Forge 7.0 to clean up audio on vinyl and cds. I was just
wondering what settings are recommended to get the best sound with the
highest clarity.

The Sonic Foundry noise reduction plug is quite good, pressumably the same
dsp code as Digidesign's BNR. Never use it for more than -7dB reduction, if
you need more you can use it twice, works much better than doing -14dB in
one pass.

Often older recordings can benefit from some compression, especially if your
usual listening environment is noisy. To keep things simple, T-Racks is a
great sounding program with analog-like controls, and if you're ambitious a
multiband compressor offers more precision, but with a considerable learning
curve. With T-Racks you can simply play with the knobs and adjust to taste
quite harmlessly, but a multiband compressor is probably doing more harm
than good if you're getting results that are substantially different from
T-Racks, and is only recommended if the original recording is flawed and you
really know what you're doing.

Unfortunately T-Racks plug-ins don't play nice with Sound Forge, but the
stand-alone version works well. The problem there is that there's no batch
processing for CD tracks...

Okay, here are the current settings I use on Sound Forge 7.0:

First thing I do is select "Normalize" RMS to -6 dB, Average RMS power,
use equal loudness contour, with Attack time and Release time at 200. Then
I convert to 24-bit using High Pass Triangular and High Pass Contour for
Dither and Noise Shaping. For EQ I select the Parametric envelope using
High frequency shelf for Filter style. For Accuracy I select High. Cutoff
frequency is 6,000 Hz and Transition width is 0.5

For Smooth/Enhance I move the taskbar to +3 on the side of Enhance. Then I
select Noise Gate with Attack time of 1 and Release time of 5,000 Threshold
level is set at -40 dB Finally I select "Dynamics" and check Auto gain
compensate and Sync stereo gain. Attack time is set at 1.0 and Release is
set at 5,000.0 Output gain is set at 0.0 dB

Any other recommendations? BTW thanks to all who responded.

In article , Sugarite
wrote:

The Sonic Foundry noise reduction plug is quite good, pressumably the same
dsp code as Digidesign's BNR.


I don't know about it being the same as the Digi software. I'd bet Digi
would be in their face if they'd ripped it.

The full Digi product is called DINR.

I've owned it for years and it pretty much sucks for a 2004 offering. I
got the iloked version with out PT HD hardware and it still hadn't
changed from what I got on floppies years ago! They haven't updated the
damn product in ages except to keep it working on their platform. What
hubris.

DINR should have grown and been updated into an incredible piece of
software by now. Instead, it's been frozen it time since the mid 90's.




David Correia
Celebration Sound
Warren, Rhode Island


www.CelebrationSound.com

On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 06:25:39 GMT, david wrote:

In article , Sugarite
wrote:

The Sonic Foundry noise reduction plug is quite good, pressumably the same
dsp code as Digidesign's BNR.


I don't know about it being the same as the Digi software. I'd bet Digi
would be in their face if they'd ripped it.

The full Digi product is called DINR.

I've owned it for years and it pretty much sucks for a 2004 offering. I
got the iloked version with out PT HD hardware and it still hadn't
changed from what I got on floppies years ago! They haven't updated the
damn product in ages except to keep it working on their platform. What
hubris.

DINR should have grown and been updated into an incredible piece of
software by now. Instead, it's been frozen it time since the mid 90's.



Hubris is right. I thought there would be some kind of improvement in
ten years. I was mightily disappointed in it. I've used it since my
NuBus system was in fashion and am sorry I bought it for LE. I much
prefer the Waves Restoration Bundle. It sounds less like an aviary at
higher settings and helps me put criminals in jail.



Kurt Riemann

Jeff Mills wrote:
First thing I do is select "Normalize" RMS to -6 dB, Average RMS power,
use equal loudness contour, with Attack time and Release time at 200. Then

Don't use normalization. You can apply some compression as one of the
final steps.

I convert to 24-bit using High Pass Triangular and High Pass Contour for
Dither and Noise Shaping.

From what I know you don't need to apply dither when setting the
bitdepth up.

Johann
--
Sie sind doch nicht ganz richtig unterm Pony, wenn sie Nazisprech auch
noch mit Usenetjargon gleichsetzen moechten. Einfach nur zu verachten.
(*Tönnes in )

(bulldog) wrote in message . com...
It has been a while since I used SoundForge. I think I had version
4.5 when I stopped using it.

I started out using the "Graphic Dynamics" module set as a limiter
then ran the "Normalize" function to get it as hot as possible (about
-0.01 dbfs).

I don't know about 7.0, but in the version I had, there was a "Scan"
button in the Normalize window that would give you the peak and RMS
levels. I found it was better to run the Scan function, note the peak
level, cancel the Normalize window, then use the "Volume" window to
bring the Peak level up to -0.01 dbfs or so. I don't know why this
method sounded better than Normalizing but several people have agreed
in listening tests.

Also, another cool thing you can do with any DAW is the following EQ
trick:

First, determine the EQ settings you want to use. For example, say the
track needs some bottom and you want to add +6 db @ 125 Hz.

Apply a +3db boost @ 125 Hz. Invert the track (so it plays backwards).
Then apply another +3db boost @ 125 Hz. Invert the track again and
have a listen. You should be hearing almost transparent EQ. You have
your +6 db boost @ 125 Hz, but you have canceled the phase anomolies
caused by EQ's.

Good Luck.

Bulldog

Bulldog, I just wanted to say that I took your advice and my cds sounded
awesome. I've never heard them sound as good as they did. Thanks to you
and everyone else who responded. You guys rock!

On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 07:25:39 +0100, david wrote
(in article ):

I've owned it for years and it pretty much sucks for a 2004 offering. I
got the iloked version with out PT HD hardware and it still hadn't
changed from what I got on floppies years ago! They haven't updated the
damn product in ages except to keep it working on their platform. What
hubris.
---------------------------snip---------------------------

About a year ago, Digi privately admitted that DINR was on the way out, and
they did a big promotion allowing DINR users to purchase Sonic Solutions'
NoNoise plug-ins for half price. NoNoise is much more difficult to use than
DINR, but I find it much more effective, particularly for hiss reduction.

--MFW

Whenever I play the cds I burn from Sound Forge 7.0 in the car, it
takes almost a minute for the cd to start playing the first track.
Yet other cds in my car play right away. Why is that?

Whenever I play the cds I burn from Sound Forge 7.0 in the car, it
takes almost a minute for the cd to start playing the first track.
Yet other cds in my car play right away. Why is that?

Are your other CDs also burned on the computer? Maybe its a pressed CD versus
CDR thing in your car's player.

Just a thought,
-lee-

In article m, Marc
Wielage wrote:

About a year ago, Digi privately admitted that DINR was on the way out, and
they did a big promotion allowing DINR users to purchase Sonic Solutions'
NoNoise plug-ins for half price. NoNoise is much more difficult to use than
DINR, but I find it much more effective, particularly for hiss reduction.

--MFW



Ya, what was it, a grand instead of the usual two grand?

What else does NoNoise do well besides hiss reduction?

How does it compare to what the Waves Restoration bundle does?

What is the best Mac software for getting rid of record tics and pops?



David Correia
Celebration Sound
Warren, Rhode Island


www.CelebrationSound.com

david wrote:
Ya, what was it, a grand instead of the usual two grand?

What else does NoNoise do well besides hiss reduction?

The decrackling is pretty good, but I think the Cedar decrackling is
better. The NoNoise broadband reduction beats the Cedar a little, I
think.

How does it compare to what the Waves Restoration bundle does?

I dunno.

What is the best Mac software for getting rid of record tics and pops?

Any editing. It is MUCH easier to just edit them out by hand than to
deal with any of the pop removal systems. Decrackling is much better done
in software, but single transient clicks and pops are still better done
by ear and hand, I think.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."