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Improvement example | Improvement processing example of outdoor live recording where wind noise is a concern
Live sound source for auditions
A repeater who is active as a singer requested to improve the outdoor live sound source used for auditions. In cases where singing ability is judged, the live sound source is more persuasive than the created work.
The performance recorded by the linear PCM recorder is a duo of vocals and guitar. I did not know what location it was recorded in, but when I applied for it, it was clearly stated that it was a "slightly difficult sound source", and when I listened carefully, a low-pitched noise called "Boo" was mixed in periodically. Was there.
"Wind" that you want to be careful about in outdoor live recording
I was wondering what was the cause of the noise, but I learned from the greeting after the performance that it was the stage of the "Summer Festival" event.
Indeed, the true nature of the noise "Boo" is the "blowing" of the microphone by the wind. There are cases where this kind of air-recorded sound source is difficult to handle noise, such as the rustling of the audience seats, but since it is outdoors, there is no response, so it did not matter much.
The mic blow by this wind is not strong to the "distortion" level, but rides in the band around 30-100Hz. Since there are no instruments that are likely to affect the band, you can make some improvements just by adding a light low cut.
However, the low range is the band with the power of sound. The wind that blows periodically feels strange as if it goes into a "different gear" each time it is regenerated. (A level that does not bother you with a low-volume smartphone speaker)
Audio repair, not just plug-ins
In order to eliminate the sense of incongruity, not only low-cut but also the audio repair tool RX will be used to repair the mixed parts. Momentary "petit" and "sizzle" noises can be handled more easily by using a compatible plug-in, but for noise that lasts for a few seconds like the wind, look for the place where the sound is contained and search for the place. Add processing with pinpoint.
RX spectrogram meter (L-Ch) The selected "wind" blown bass
As shown in the figure above, the sound components are visualized and strong sounds are displayed in bright colors. Musical instruments and songs with pitches are linked to the scale and expressed like lines. The noise component of the wind this time is the part selected in the image. If there is no wind, the color will look a little dark like the left side of the selected part. (Pure black is silent)
RX can perform various processing on the selected part on the meter, but you can also use a module called Spectral Repair that analyzes the top, bottom, left and right components and obtains a blurring effect, but this time I decided to simply control the volume.
If this noise part is processed to reduce the volume by about -18dB, it will change as shown in the graph below. It's closer to what it was when the wind wasn't blowing.
After volume processing of the "wind" blowing component (-18dB)
Processing in the bass range, which does not easily affect the performance of songs and guitars, such as the "wind" mentioned in this example, can be improved relatively easily, but there are various techniques for processing noise that is overwhelming in the playing band. will become necessary. To improve the recorded sound, such tools are used, and sometimes fine sound processing is performed, such as analysis with a microscope.
(Addition 2017) A plug-in dedicated to wind countermeasures has also appeared
Until now, I think that there were many engineers like me who repaired finely by hand, but the latest (as of 2017) RX-6 Advanced automatically handles the wind blow "De-Wind"・ A module called "Wind)" has been added. Please listen to the above sample video. The wind blow can be improved at once.
The parameters can be finely adjusted, but they can be extremely scraped, and if delicate processing is required for the production of environmental sounds such as movies, it is better to do it by hand.
Due to these needs for restoration technology, there are an increasing number of cases where we are requesting sound adjustment work for the entire work such as dramas and documentaries that accompany outdoor locations .
You can't increase the brilliance of music just by eliminating the noise
Not only does it remove problematic noise, but it also corrects the overall sound quality to make the recorded performance more attractive as a musical piece. In some cases, detailed processing such as adding a thin reverb is added to compensate for the feeling of air that is inevitably diminished by sound pressure processing or recording.
Since there was no clear request for sound output this time, we propose two types of sound sources with slightly changed vocal processing. The customer was also very satisfied and the product was delivered safely. The RX image data used in this article is a read of the requested data, but the music itself is not released at the request of the customer.
Trivia | "Wind measures" essential items recorded outdoors
When recording an outdoor live, prepare a wind screen (jammer) that suits your recording equipment.
Please contact HybridSoundReform.com for sound adjustment and sound quality improvement after recording . HybridSoundReform.com is a unique sound quality improvement service that combines cutting-edge noise removal and voice editing. Please feel free to contact us for anything, whether for commercial or private use, such as seminars with broken sounds, presentations of musical instrument performances, and improvement of sound quality related to videos . There is a free trial that you can try with the actual sound source of your worries . Click here for how to use it .
Movie sound adjustment
Responsible for the sound adjustment and effects of the short movie produced by the Shizuoka Youth Conference Center. Now available on Amazon Prime .
