Topic: Feedback squeals on recordings, how to fix?

[jagraham]

Subject says almost it all.  I'm talking about the high pitched squeal when instruments/mics/other equipment are close and produce feedback.  I've got a couple shows with horrible feedback that I need fixed.  For both shows I ran in the audience, onstage and from the SBD and all have the feedback so I can't simply bump up one source at the occurances.  Has anyone had any luck fixing this issue?  I know it cant really be fixed but maybe there's a way to make it "less terrible."  Of course I could also go ahead and upload them with a disclaimer but I'd like to do what I can.  Any help is appreciated.

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I made a post in this forum probably a year ago or so with screenshots on how to do it in both izotope rx and audacity. The gist is you find the section which has offending frequencies, find what those are, find the harmonic siblings (e.g. feedback at 500hz? check 1k, 2k, 4k, etc for lesser reproductions) and then do a notched EQ filter for just those frequencies for just that time period. Knock off say 15db or so and while you'll still hear feedback, if it's just a 1 or 2 second blast, the listening shouldn't hear distortion where you did the EQ.

and yes, this works, I've done it before. I have to really want to salvage something, but it's very doable.

[yousef]

Another vote for Izotope Rx here.

Don't do what one helpful uploader did to the Led Zep O2 show - edit in a repeat of a previous section in place of the feedback afflicted section. And thus edit out a change of key 

[jagraham]

^ I'll check into this isotope program.  Would never misrepresent the music like that.  I seem to recall some old dead shows that had a cut in Playin' and were patched with another show...

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The main advantage of RX is that it will help you find & select the harmonics very easily, but the overall process is the same regardless of where you do it.