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Gear / Technical Help => Ask The Tapers => Topic started by: wommer on June 08, 2006, 02:59:55 AM
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I am new to this recording lark and need some advice, Is there anyway I can remaster a recording, someone as sent me a live recording and the sound quality is not that good. Is there any way I can improve this using my PC, are there any programmes out there that can improve the quality.
Many Thanks
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SoundForge is a favorite around here, but is very expensive. Likewise for Cake Walk. Both are also a bit confusing and take some trial and error to figure out, but are VERY powerful and can save some crappy recordings.
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I use Sound Forge with Waves plugins.
Unfortunatly they are very expensive. I think retail on both is around $4000.
That being said a recording still needs to start out decent to make it possible to improve it to "listenable" quality. If it sounds like the mics were in someone's pocket or they are overloading then theres not much you can do.
Best of luck!
MIKE B
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Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net), Soundforge, Wavelab, Adobe Audition (was Syntrillium Cool Edit), Sound Studio, Samplitude, Cake Walk, Bias Peak, Goldwave, and others are all used by people here. Most are not free, and many are very expensive, so if budget is a concern, consider freeware like Audacity.
Post production work like this is very difficult to do well unless one has:
<1> the proper software / toolset
<2> the proper monitoring equipment
<3> the appropriate skill level (granted, gotta learn sometime / somehow)
<4> the ears
That said, give it a go - doesn't hurt to try. Good luck!
an excellent book that is full of good information on mastering recordings :
Mastering Audio (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240805453/002-3378238-0500069?v=glance&n=283155) by Bob Katz (http://www.digido.com/User/Assets/Active/PDF%20files/00495-Bob_Katz_Bio.pdf)
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the programmes wont magically improve the quality, and you wont either unless you know what you are doing. Mastering is a science, and unless you have the equipment, listening enviroment, and most importantly, the EAR do work with the audio...you could very well do more harm than good.
"is there any way I can remaster a recording?" that is a very vague question...I suggest researching, reading, listening, and repeat until you have a basic idea of what mastering is about. there are so many factors into what effects a recording sonically,,your question is unanswerable. I seriously doubt you could do much with a 2 channel file set anyway, even with all of the above, it isnt much to work with.
I am new to this recording lark and need some advice, Is there anyway I can remaster a recording, someone as sent me a live recording and the sound quality is not that good. Is there any way I can improve this using my PC, are there any programmes out there that can improve the quality.
Many Thanks
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an acceptable re-mastering can be done with the uad card. nice processing.expensive though.
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IMO crap in = crap out. Some things just can't be fixed.
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You CAN'T fix distortion (especially analog distortion due to mic overload - digital distortion can be "smoothened")
You CAN improve sound imbalances (e.g. muddy, tinny, bassy, boomy recordings).
You CAN fix level issues.
Bad recordings cannot be made great, but they can be made *better*.
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a favorite tool i use often, actually very often is HARBAL, do check this program, i have achieved stellar resaults on some of my studio stuff @ stealth recordings, check it out at http://www.har-bal.com . did i mention i think its brilliant, if you spend alot of time tweaking sound, you must try this progrram.......let me know what you think ?????.....boyacrobat
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IMO crap in = crap out. Some things just can't be fixed.
If that were true then recording a SM-57 amplified through a paper woofer and horn tweeter with Schopes microphones would be a huge waste of money. ;D
Thankfully there's more to it than that.
peace, chris
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Another vote for Adobe Audition. :coolguy:
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;D
IMO crap in = crap out. Some things just can't be fixed.
If that were true then recording a SM-57 amplified through a paper woofer and horn tweeter with Schopes microphones would be a huge waste of money. ;D
Thankfully there's more to it than that.
peace, chris