Topic: Removing dropouts and diginoise (w/Pro Tools or whatever)

[DAT grl]

I have two digi-gremlins in my recording that I want to get rid of.  This track was the only one with major diginoise (it sounded like static, like maybe the power cable rubbed the mic cables). 

I'm using Pro Tools 5.1.3 and got rid of the static with Audiosuite's X-Crackle plug-in using the "normal" preset.  I didn't want to use the "extreme" preset because I was afraid it might deteriorate other portions of the sound file.  I'm still left with these two spots - a dropout (8b) and diginoise (7b):




Here are audio samples of each.  The diginoise is where she sings the "k" in "broken" and the dropout is at the word "Tennessee":

http://www.comebackdownload.com/diginoise.QT.aif
http://www.comebackdownload.com/dropout.QT.aif

I've tried copying and pasting an adjacent piece of the waveform, but you can still hear the edit even when I crossfade at the edit points.  Should I rewrite the waveform at the edit points instead, to make it match better, then crossfade?

Someone told me this was caused by jitter, and to set my sync mode to "digital" rather than "internal" so that Pro Tools is the slave and the DAT recorder is the master, but I'd never had to configure that setting.  I've just been setting up the PT session to use the same bit-depth and sample rate that I'd used on my DAT to record the show.

Even if you're not using Pro Tools, I'd be interested in learning how you guys have solved a similar problem.  Thanks!

[Sparge Master]

one track or both tracks?

[bluegrass_brad]

That recording looks like it has phase issues.  Was it windy?

[DAT grl]

It was only on the left track.  It wasn't windy unless you count air-conditioning (which I don't think was on) b/c it was indoors in a small club. 

[bluegrass_brad]

Air conditioning could do it if it was strong enough. There are definitely issues with that waveform though

[cleantone]

Was that one on top from a V3 source? I get that same thing on occasion. The missing waveform for a fraction of a second. I think it is something to do with using AC. When the pins in the power input get too close together. I just emailed grace about it. It was always very rare and random but an Apollo Sunshine (4/29) recording had a bunch. Great fucking recording too. I have only scanned the first song but found four or five of them so I am worried. Only the left waveform is shown in your pic, the problem I have happens on both channels precisely the same. So this might be different. Could be a transformer thing on that left mic. Ever had that before?

The bottom one looks like it was having trouble reading the data. Sometimes you can re record that section a few times and peice together a good section. Probably depends on how flaky the data got on this DAT. Did you try cleaning the heads? For that second file I would first try replaying that section a time or two to see if you can get more of it to read properly.

Good luck

[cleantone]

Okay. I now have actually d/l those clips and loaded them up in DP. The top one is not the issue I thought it was. When you zoom in a bit it looks like this attatchment (in DP4). I also hear some of the diginoise/static on the dropout sample. Right channel gets static. I want to guess that your heads are just showing thier age and it might be time for servicing or at least a quick head cleaning. Is this something you recorded? 2005? How has the rig been since?

The problem I thought it might have been looks like the second attatchment.

[DAT grl]

Cool!  Thanks for all the good advice.  The last time I had the mics serviced and cleaned was before I made this recording on 4/13/05 so it could be time for a good cleaning.  I'll also try cleaning my DAT transfer deck's heads and redigitizing that one track to see if I can get a better read.  Thank you, cleantone, brad and sparge.  +T's all around.

[momule]

hey DAT grl

Sorry to hear about your troubles.

I was able to polish up the digi static with the same plugin and wavelab.
here is a wav sample of the "fixed" version.

[DAT grl]

OOooo sweet!  Thanks Momule! +T!