Strip out specific noise?
 

We videotaped an outdoor community festival earlier this month using a Canon GL2 and are now editing the footage in Final Cut Pro. The sound and music came out great -- except that when the music isn't playing, the mics picked up the background noise of generators positioned to one side of the stage.

Question: Since the generator noise remains consistent through the recordings, is it possible to remove it without damaging the musical performances?

Note: The noise is only objectionable when performers are talking and not singing or playing. During musical performances, the generator noise is drowned out.

Leigh

Grab a demo of SoundSoap Pro from Bias Inc. It will get rid of most of the generator noise, if not all. If the generator is revving/changing frequency, it's a cautious process, don't get overly excited and try to remove too much at one pass.

You can use the freeware program called Audacity. It's one of the Open Source Project applications and I have used it for a few years now. It will also do noise removal, supports VST plugins (there are many free VST plugins on the net also). Just do a Google search on Audacity and you'll find it. I use one of its other neat effects, called tempo change, for slowing down music without changing its pitch when I am trying to learn certain intricate guitar and keyboard solos.

-gb-

Thanks, Greg and Douglas, for the tips -- I appreciate it!

Leigh

If you've got FCP 5, there's a new audio filter to duck problem frequencies. I'm guessing it's something like a side chain compressor setup (I haven't had a chance to try it.)

I should have specified that was Soundtrack Pro not FCP5.

Hey Jim,

I have used that one a lot recently. Works very well. Good to hear from you again.

=gb=

Likewise Greg. And I'm glad to hear that.

I just got some tapes in from summer training (for the winter Olympics) in the Alps today. I really wanted to be able to cover that segment - for obvious reasons, but scheduling didn't allow.

I wanted a rolling segment on this athlete so I did something totally expiremental and had her trainer/coach, armed with a new GL2 (I had him shoot anamorphic and frame so I could tweak it and cut it with the rest of the program all done on the XL2) shoot her and working from my notes

Anyway it was my only option to get 10 days of travelling Europe and training. So the tapes arrived today...some priceless candid and panoramic stuff. Some camera man on mushrooms stuff. And, as requested, my interview done outdoors with the evening alps in the background - and of course with only the on-camera mike...and apparently a Bradley fighting vehicle idling slopeside.

Hey, it's cinema verite and a great chance to check out the new Soundtrack Pro filter in audio post.

Hehe, yep it sounds like you're going to get to put Soundtrack Pro to the test pretty good. You can kiss the Bradley fighting vehicle good-bye in post.

-gb-

I was working on the soundtrack for a film where the band was playing on a boat out in the water. They had setup 2 mics, 1 next to the generators that were powering the sound system. I used waves restoration bundle and was able to take that generator out. a bit pricey but works well.