Topic: editing out crowd noise

[porphyry]

ok this question is more about editing than computer hardware/software but i couldn't find a better category for it....

does anyone have any good editing tips for reducing* crowd noise, in particular bastards who talk during the show, in the recording?

[*now i know it is very very difficult to reduce crowd noise without affecting the quality of the music because it falls in the same frequency range as instruments, vocals etc. but what i'm after is any special tips or tricks that work really well in reducing the impact of crowd noise, especially talking.]

i've been using cool edit pro but obviously the same principles used in one program can be applied to another.

special tricks? anyone?

[Simp-Dawg]

that would be tough...what software are you using?
i have never tried to reduce crowd noise, but i have been able to reduce wind and real heavy bass, though i don't have a special trick for it, per se.  i looked at the frequency analysis of the wave form and noticed certain frequencies were more pronounced during times of wind or bass, and i used a filter in cool edit to lower that frequency.  if you can isolate the affected frequencies and then attenuate them that might help, but you may also remove one of the instruments from the mix if it falls on that same frequency!  other than that...tell the people around you to shut the hell up!

[Sean Gallemore]

that would be tough...what software are you using?
i have never tried to reduce crowd noise, but i have been able to reduce wind and real heavy bass, though i don't have a special trick for it, per se.  i looked at the frequency analysis of the wave form and noticed certain frequencies were more pronounced during times of wind or bass, and i used a filter in cool edit to lower that frequency.  if you can isolate the affected frequencies and then attenuate them that might help, but you may also remove one of the instruments from the mix if it falls on that same frequency!  other than that...tell the people around you to shut the hell up!

get yer mics up as high as possible, thats all I can say

Simp, what do you do to minimize wind noise? I had a hell of a time with wind at my last 2 outdoor experiences

[Simp-Dawg]

minimize it during the show?  one answer - windscreens.  i'm liking the dpa screens i got from sonic sense, they are worlds better than the dust covers that came with the oktavas, but there are better ones out there.
as for post-show editing...i have used both cool edit and sound forge to do it, cool edit was a little friendlier to me.  basically i pulled up a frequency analysis window while it was playing and looked for spikes in a certain frequency band during wind, then i lowered those frequencies with a eq filter or something...i don't have it in front of me right now so i can't tell you what i used exactly.  play around with it and see what you can do...

[sygdwm]

bumpage. so there really isnt any way w/ wavelab5 or the like to reduce loud talkers? i wish people would just stfu at rock concerts.

[jbraveman]

If the talking is uniformly during the music and is louder than the music, compression can be applied to increase the volume of the music therby decreasing the impact of the talking.  I'm no expert with using the function but it works well when the applause is louder than the music.  In Goldwave there is a preset which does this.  I don't think anything can be done to talking without losing the background musical information.

[sygdwm]

im from the school of no post-production besides resampling and dithering (read: i really dont know how to apply compression w/ wavelab5), so i guess ill deal. thanks. +t

[greenone]

bumpage. so there really isnt any way w/ wavelab5 or the like to reduce loud talkers? i wish people would just stfu at rock concerts.

Not unless you buy the boxed version, bring it to shows with you, and use it to clobber people over the head.

[sygdwm]

bumpage. so there really isnt any way w/ wavelab5 or the like to reduce loud talkers? i wish people would just stfu at rock concerts.

Not unless you buy the boxed version, bring it to shows with you, and use it to clobber people over the head.

+t for making me spit cinnamon toast crunch on my screen.

[rerem]

tranquilizer darts are effective and a good blowgun is cheap and silent-at pygmy.com you can buy one with seashells

[rerem]

seriously you can reduce between song applause but human voices are midrange-as are the singers you are taping and most of the instruments-making it tough,in theory IF it was one person speaking in a monotone a very narrow notch could help but it would be VERY difficult. Compression reduces the Dynamic range-the gap between loudest and softest,expansion,which increases DR might help a little,but either would probably give more side effects than results. Shotguns or fairly directional Cardiods reject more side-rear signal than omnis