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Gear / Technical Help => Ask The Tapers => Topic started by: mrblister on February 15, 2009, 05:09:08 AM

Title: Heavily Distorted recording - anything to ease the pain
Post by: mrblister on February 15, 2009, 05:09:08 AM

Hi - I tape with a modest set up of a minidisc recorder and a clip on Sony ECM719 mic (better gear coming soon!).  It normally works fine for my needs but my last show the sensitivity button on the mic was, for reasons unknown, set to 'voice' rather than 'music'
Hence - a distorted recording, heavily distorted at the peaks only, but fairly unlistenable unless you 'squint' with your ears a lot.

There is no way I will be able to share this recording  BUT is  there anything I can do which will help me make it more listenable for my own use.  I use Audacity for any 'post production'.  Are there any effects on there that could help?  Any standard procedures that people have got working before?  I realise it is probably ruined - but anything that can help just a little would be most appreciated.


Thanks

Title: Re: Heavily Distorted recording - anything to ease the pain
Post by: Liquid Drum on February 15, 2009, 06:02:01 AM

Short answer: No.

I had the exact thing happen to me when I used the ECM-719. Button slipped to 'Voice' mode and I came home with a distorted recording. Good news is I never made that mistake again lol, plus I changed mic shortly after.

I've read you can use clip restoration to minimize the damage but when I tried it, it just didn't do naff all.

Title: Re: Heavily Distorted recording - anything to ease the pain
Post by: mrblister on February 15, 2009, 06:06:13 AM

Thanks for the answer - you are right it won't happen again - especially when my Church Audios arrive.

What is 'clip restoration'?

Title: Re: Heavily Distorted recording - anything to ease the pain
Post by: digifish_music on February 18, 2009, 06:25:01 PM

Quote from: mrblister on February 15, 2009, 06:06:13 AM

Thanks for the answer - you are right it won't happen again - especially when my Church Audios arrive.

What is 'clip restoration'?

If you post a sample of it here I will see how well it can be clipped.

Essentially the process lowers the gain of the recording and invents peaks based on the samples it does have...works best with digital clipping, which is probably not what happened to you?

digifish

Title: Re: Heavily Distorted recording - anything to ease the pain
Post by: mr qpl on February 18, 2009, 10:23:15 PM

Post a sample, I'll try my Cool Edit tricks on it. Sometimes they work well.

Title: Re: Heavily Distorted recording - anything to ease the pain
Post by: stevetoney on February 20, 2009, 01:24:45 PM

Word

Title: Re: Heavily Distorted recording - anything to ease the pain
Post by: firmdragon on February 24, 2009, 12:40:09 PM

happens to almost all of us at one point or another.  pretty much the only thing that eases the pain is the notion that you'll never make that mistake twice. (hopefully)