Removing hiss/noise (1 Viewer)

[crackRockSteady]

I recorded a track a little while ago on a really old shitty 4 track. The things aboot 20 years old!(low cash)

The sound is quiet good(in that you can hear each instrument)
but theres a horrible static overlying noise.

I've got sound forge 7 and abelton live but fuck all experience in using them.

I tried using things like a noise gate but it just cut out parts of the track.

Any body know if I can use these tools to remove the hiss?

Cheers

 

[RayRay]

Tried to get rid of the same thing myself ages ago, i used coolpro and it just made the recording sound like it was recorded through a drain pipe, so good luck...

 

[Thumbelina]

try using a graphic EQ on it (one in sound forge), use the 20 band faders. its not perfect but you may find it helpful.

 

[plug]

if you use any p2p software, like limewire etc., have a search under any of the following:

sound forge
direct x
noise reduction

there's a soundforge noise reduction plugin that's quite useful for this sort of thing. it may or may not be part of a direct x plugin bundle called XFX or something. it's been a while since I used a pc... memory's a little hazy.

anyway, the noise reduction plugin is a little tricky to use at first but once you get the hang of it it's great. you can do things like sample a noise 'footprint' from the start of a track, (before the music starts or whatever), save that and then selectively apply it to the rest of the track. in other words there's a volume slider and you can reduce the sampled noise to taste!

 

[crackRockSteady]

Thanks for the advice

 

[Charlie Bucket]

I recorded a track a little while ago on a really old shitty 4 track. The things aboot 20 years old!(low cash)

The sound is quiet good(in that you can hear each instrument)
but theres a horrible static overlying noise.

http://www.thumped.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=28464

 

[McGonagles]

I recorded a track a little while ago on a really old shitty 4 track. The things aboot 20 years old!

If you want to process it in the analogue domain before sampling to digital, you could try an
Aphex Systems Aural Exciter.

They can be got secondhand for 100 euro or thereabouts, and are great for reducing
equipment background noise and tape hiss.

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

A noise reduction plugin is the way to go.. I've heard it's best to do a few passes of slight reduction rather than one pass of big reduction. Try both and see which works best.
One way to minimise hiss is to do it at source by making sure you record pretty hot levels going into the 4 track - make sure those meters are reading pretty high without totally fuckin up the sound of the instrument.
Also, use Type II cassettes, preferrably 60 minute ones and buy one of those head cleaner cassettes and use that regularly.

 

[Wilbert]

You'll never get rid of it completely and you can't get rid of some of it without affecting the quality of the music that is on the tape. The hiss is a part of the sound as much as the drums or guitars are. You can't get rid of the hiss any more than you could get rid of the drums. Anything you do would be minimal.
Sad but true.

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

One way to minimise hiss

....

 

[Wilbert]

....

Yes, but the original question was about removing the hiss, not minimising it.

 

[plug]

semantics, semantics... yeah, but you can partially remove unwanted noise innit? the thread ain't called "completely removing hiss/noise". in my experience, even a small amount of noise reduction can noticably improve the quality of a recording. succeed in lowering the noise level just a little, and let the listener's psychacoustic processes do the rest.

of course, that's never an excuse not to check your source and make sure it's as clean as possible!

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

Yes, but the original question was about removing the hiss, not minimising it.

So you reckon I should have started a seperate thread, or what? Jeez.. trying to help the dude reduce the NEED for noise reduction in future. What a c-razy idea.

 

[Pantone247]

when I had a 4 track I used to stick my zoom 505 in the efx send with a phaser on it and send a bit of everything thru is... that way you had hiss, but it was all swishy and 'interesting sounding'

demented really....

 

[kings lead hat]

get a free 30 demo of waves restoration bundle and youll REMOVE all the hiss

www.waves.com

pm me for good news

 

[Wilbert]

So you reckon I should have started a seperate thread, or what? Jeez.. trying to help the dude reduce the NEED for noise reduction in future. What a c-razy idea.

No, but you were the one who posted a reply with "minimising" in huge letters as if I had gotten the wrong idea. I was replying to the first message in the post which asked about removing it. Your advice to him was top notch and indeed the right thing to say but I wasn't replying to your post, just to the first post in the thread. Although, looking back over the thread I can see that it would seem like I was replying to your post and not the first one.

Now, who needs a hug?

 

[McGonagles]

Aphex Systems Aural Exciter.

They can be got secondhand for 100 euro or thereabouts.

Just to clarify: what I've seen for around 100 euro is the Aphex 104, an older and simpler
unit that isn't even on the manufacturer's website. It doesn't do bass processing,
but it's still great at minimising the perception of hiss and other noise.

It works by enhancing some harmonics, and apparently does it all analogue.
For someone with a lot of old and hissy analogue recordings, it would be worth it.

Or are digital plug-ins so good nowadays that it's not as important to get as clean a signal
as possible before sampling it (and forever slicing the music up into 44.1k little bits)?

 

[madame swankee]

Also, use Type II cassettes, preferrably 60 minute ones and buy one of those head cleaner cassettes and use that regularly.

where can i get some of these pesky little tapes these days??

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

Which, the 60 minutes or the head cleaners?

 

[madame swankee]

both please.....