Topic: Is it possible to remove echo from a recording?

[chateaudano]

I'm working on an old audience recording with a lot of echo - I think it was recorded in a gymnasium.  Does Sound Forge (or any other application) have the ability to filter out and remove the echo? 
I'd appreciate any help.
Thanks
Dano

[sexymexi]

don't think so.  its hard to take things out of you recording, but very easy to add different things via a computer. 

[Brian]

yeah probably nothing without seriously degrading the audio.  you might be able to use some sort of "gate" to remove some of the low volume echo, but like i said, too much gate or anything will turn the whole recording into trash.

 

[BobW]

Would be much more possible if there were tracks that had the echo information., as in back of house(gym) mics.

The best way to avoid echo in these situations is to get close enough to the source that the echo is much lower relatively.

If you have a very priceless and rare recording (ie.- Jerry playing solo at an unknown/unscheduled event with no other known sources), there are folks that might give it a go.  (Jay Serafin ?)
The echo spectrum would be analysed, and noise canceling(phase-inverted) sound  mixed in to correct it.
Much more likely on a multitrack than a two-track remote recording.

I have never heard of it being done successfully, except on liner notes from a Grateful Dead "From the Vault" recording.

[cleantone]

I'm not sure the phase canceling would really work here anyway. I do know the concept and it's a great trick. My only suggestion would be to try a compressor with a fast "attack" setting. With the right settings for the "attack" and "threshold" you may be able to duck the room sound out a big.

If you not an fairly experienced engineer it might be hard to dial it in right but try it out. Do you have any compressor plugs?

[chateaudano]

Yea, Sound Forge does have a compression plug in where I can specify the attack speed.  I'll give it a try this afternoon.
Thanks for your help!