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Gear / Technical Help => Post-Processing, Computer / Streaming / Internet Devices & Related Activity => Topic started by: Gawain on April 20, 2006, 05:38:25 PM

Title: Help with a recording
Post by: Gawain on April 20, 2006, 05:38:25 PM
A friend of mine did a recording via mic-in (with a MD) without any battery box or preamp...and the result is distortion as soon as the sound turns a bit bassy (in the quieter parts is not too terrible, but still bad). What's the name for this, brickwalling?
The mics were cheap ones (don't know exactly what).
Well, the question is: can this be fixed with SoundForge or any other program?

thanks!  :)
D.
Title: Re: Help with a recording
Post by: Wiggle on April 21, 2006, 08:35:02 AM
The simple answer is.... no. Once you've reached the point of distortion there's no way (that I know of) to go back.
Title: Re: Help with a recording
Post by: RebelRebel on April 21, 2006, 10:14:23 AM
It depends on how bad and the duration of the clipped samples. Some programs have a "clip restore" natively.



Quote from: Gawain on April 20, 2006, 05:38:25 PM
A friend of mine did a recording via mic-in (with a MD) without any battery box or preamp...and the result is distortion as soon as the sound turns a bit bassy (in the quieter parts is not too terrible, but still bad). What's the name for this, brickwalling?
The mics were cheap ones (don't know exactly what).
Well, the question is: can this be fixed with SoundForge or any other program?

thanks!  :)
D.
Title: Re: Help with a recording
Post by: Gawain on April 21, 2006, 11:40:27 AM
that big "NO" is what we were afraid of...distortion is almost always there (I've heard just one song but my friend told me all is the same)...anyway any suggestion about any software will be great  :) (though I guess you were talking about almost Pro programs...)
and thanks for the answers!!  ;)
Title: Re: Help with a recording
Post by: RebelRebel on April 21, 2006, 01:12:20 PM
audacity has a noise/clip removal tool.
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/


Quote from: Gawain on April 21, 2006, 11:40:27 AM
that big "NO" is what we were afraid of...distortion is almost always there (I've heard just one song but my friend told me all is the same)...anyway any suggestion about any software will be great  :) (though I guess you were talking about almost Pro programs...)
and thanks for the answers!!  ;)
Title: Re: Help with a recording
Post by: Brian Skalinder on April 21, 2006, 01:18:18 PM
Quote from: Gawain on April 20, 2006, 05:38:25 PM
A friend of mine did a recording via mic-in (with a MD) without any battery box or preamp...and the result is distortion as soon as the sound turns a bit bassy (in the quieter parts is not too terrible, but still bad). What's the name for this, brickwalling?

Sounds like either the mics were overloaded, or the MD pre was brickwalled.  Neither is very fixable in post production.  Clipping at the ADC can be fixed sometimes, but I don't think that's what's happening here.
Title: Re: Help with a recording
Post by: Gawain on April 21, 2006, 02:22:08 PM
got Audacity a few days ago and it's not installed yet, I'll give it a try, nothing to loose :)...but I think Brian is right: brickwalling or more probable mics overloaded, that was my first impression (those cheap mics were tested later with batt box and they got no distortion, so...)

...pity, I wanted that recording  :-[