Getting rid of hiss on a clip

Hi:

what is the best filter in FCP X to get rid of hissy background noise? i have a clip that looks great but was recorded in mono, which resulted in poor quality and low volume. when i changed it to dual mono in FCP X i got a hiss. i applied the hum reduction pass on it and this helps a bit but not enough.

any ideas?

thanks!

nicolle

The best audio de-noiser by far is made by "iZotope". It's called RX-2 and it costs about $350. There is a free functional demo version.

[www.izotope.com]

Best

Harry.

PS. If you can't afford RX-2, they have a little program called "Music and Speech Cleaner" for $30. It's not nearly as good, but it may serve your purpose. There's a demo version which will do tests on 30 second chunks. It's a lot easier than messing around in Protools or Soundtrack Pro. Like all noise reduction tools, you must be extremely careful not to overdo it.


Best,

Harry.

Another option is one you probaby already own. In Soundtrack Pro there is a noise reduction process. It is a bit of bother to use, but can do a pretty good job, especially on consistent noises like hiss, air-conditioning and the like.

You send your clip or project to Soundtrack Pro. Then look for Noise reduction in the process menu. First highlight a short bit of the noise that has no other sound. This is what you use for the "set noise print" menu option. Then you select the part of the file that you want to clean, go back to the same menu and select "reduce noise". You get a pop up window with a few handles to make adjustments. The idea is lower the noise without affecting the part of the signal you want to listen too. You will know when you have gone to far if you start to hear a "robot" like distortion in the voices in your track.

Finally you will have to export the track, import and edit it back to your timeline.

thanks for the ideas--the soundtrack pro sounds like the best option, though i don't believe i have it. i have final cut pro x, which doesn't come with this--right?

nicolle

Sorry, I didn't consider the idea that you might not be using the "classic" version of the program. There is a handle in X that might help. Your original post mentioned using hum removal. There is a control right above that in the Audio Enhancements called background noise that might be useful. Unfortunately I have very limited experience with X.

yes, i've already applied that. didn't cut it it. looking for something more robust. might have to try one of the demos suggested...

i second what harry323 says - be careful not to overdo it. it's easy to go blind by paying attention to how wonderful the vanishing noise is whilst ignoring the fact that your signal is gradually being destroyed.

for the record, in response to your original post, i want to add that recording in mono does not result in poor quality and low volume any more than it does in stereo if you have the same setup.

stefan

--
macpro 2x3 ghz dual core intel, 10.6.8, FCS 2

stefan, it had something to do with the fact that i had to use a lapel mic on my dslr mic input, which can only capture audio mono; the gain was set at +20 on my mic--because it had been set that way for when i was using the mount, which works perfectly, btw (and captures in stereo). i didn't know to make the adjustment for the lapel.

is there a way in X that i can play with the gain? what i'm getting is a hiss feedback at the start of the clip which levels out as the clip progresses. it happens again when there's a transition into another clip with the same footage. luckily, it only happens 2x. but it's pretty noticeable and i want it to go away!

re. the demos, i checked them out and you can try them but saving is disabled. the music and speech cleaner looks to have less capacity then what X has in the audio tools.

nicolle

not sure what a lapel mic is, but boosting 20db might certainly add hiss. if you stick a mono mic into a stereo jack, you should either wire a proper connector or use an adapter, otherwise you might short out one channel to ground.

unfortunately, i can't give you any X-related tips as i'm an fcp kinda guy.

stefan

--
macpro 2x3 ghz dual core intel, 10.6.8, FCS 2

lapel: lav, a clip mic.

20db is what rode recommended for the mounted mic. not sure what the adjustment would be for the label. i work with a rebel t3i, which is very limited in terms of sound; in fact, you can even monitor it, except via an external monitor (connected via hdmi).

i'm talking final cut pro x--or is that not considered fcp anymore? : /

Goggle the rebel t3i and Rode and you'll find websites that talk about hissing.

. . . i actually had success with the FCP low-pass filter (to dampen/lose the noise) then i bought up the mids and highs slightly using the 3-band equaliser, although this was for web-only audio . . .

Bluey,