Constant error since upgrade to Audacity 2.1.2

Audacity Help Forum macOS
1

Hi, I’m hoping you can help figure out this mystery error. I never got it in older versions of Audacity or before installing El Capitan. I deal with a lot of MP3 files (people talking, not music) that have droves of white noise and such that I try to reduce. But now, when I go to “noise reduction” and define to get the noise sample, I constantly get the following error message: “selected noise profile too short.” It’s exasperating. Is there something new and different I’m supposed to do with v. 2.1.2 or is there a bug in the software? Any help you can provide with circumventing this error would be most appreciated.

2

How old? Noise Removal in the older versions of Audacity had some serious issues and was in my view, “use free,” although some people loved it in limited application. The newer Noise Reduction, besides having a name that more accurately reflects what it does, actually does work. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the things it did to improve the way it does its job is force you to get a good, solid, appropriate profile.

So where did you come from?

The solution may be to use the older version. Current Noise Reduction works so well, I don’t see anybody returning to the older software.

Koz

3

Thanks for your answer, but I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean about how old it is. I am using the newest version of Audacity (v. 2.1.2), as noted in my subject line. I never had any problems with the noise reduction function until this release.

4

So 2.1.0 and 2.1.1 worked perfectly?

Koz

5

You must select a longer section for the noise profile. The minimum selection is 2048 samples, which is about 0.05 second at 44100 Hz sample rate. See the Noise Reduction page in the manual.

In the Selection Toolbar select “Length” above the second box, then select “Samples” from the ‘format dropdown menu’. Make sure your selection is at least 2048 samples.

If you can’t find a section that is long enough, select what you can and do Effect > Repeat to make a longer sample, select the extended noise section and do Effect > Noise Reduction > Get Noise Profile. This will allow you to get a sample and do the noise reduction.

– Bill