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Gear / Technical Help => Post-Processing, Computer / Streaming / Internet Devices & Related Activity => Topic started by: rumbleseat on March 09, 2016, 07:43:21 PM

Title: Correcting Wind Phasing in Post-Processing
Post by: rumbleseat on March 09, 2016, 07:43:21 PM
Hi Everyone!

I'm interested in removing "Wind Phasing" from recordings.  As I understand it, gusty wind literally blows the directional high frequencies away from your mics, giving a dull sound.  But when the wind pauses for a second, you get a clear, sharp signal.  The fluctuating levels of high frequency content give the so-called "swirling" effect.

There's a 2012 thread on this site that says nothing can be done to correct this.  Four years later, I am wondering whether there's anything new that we can use??

I'm thinking that it wouldn't be that hard for a skilled someone to create a plugin for Audacity that would dynamically control the high frequency content.  Using a "lookahead" algorithm, the plugin would dynamically boost the high frequencies, where needed, to compensate for them being blown away.  Might need some rules to ratio the HF boost to the mid and bass frequency strengths (so you're not over-boosting high frequencies when the song gets the the quiet part...), etc.  Should work like a charm.

Does this already exist?  Anyone care to take a stab at it?  I'd be happy to offer sample files and encouragement!

Thanks!
Title: Re: Correcting Wind Phasing in Post-Processing
Post by: stevetoney on March 13, 2016, 03:53:37 AM
If EQ was as simple as separating a range of frequencies through some kind of notch filter and then normalizing that range of frequencies to a specific gain, then it might seem do-able in theory.  But have you ever played around with EQ or a notch filter on one of your aud recordings before? Pretty rare to be able to isolate on a specific instrument or vocals and have it sound right, what with dynamics of a live recording, whether that be reverb, harmonics, subharmonics, or other factors.  I imagine that the better and cleaner the source, the better the chance you could work with it.  But the reality is, if you're far enough away so that you have wind phasing on a live ambient recording that's highly imperfect to start with, you probably just arent gonna have a good enough sounding file to be able to work with to where it sounded decent even if there was such a tool (Im not sure whether one exists or not).  That says nothing about how difficult it would be to dynamically counteract the constant transients as the sound is shifting here and there, in and out, left and right in the stereo image.
Title: Re: Correcting Wind Phasing in Post-Processing
Post by: opsopcopolis on March 13, 2016, 08:31:13 AM
Almost positive that doesn't exist and is not on the list of anybody attempting to make plugins.  Just not really an issue for other people.  As the others have said, it is way more complicated than simply high shelving when needed