YO KOZ can you tell me how to get rid of that background whirr?? Ive attempted noise reductions several times, each with what would normally be an excellent profile, but the whirr remains no matter how I configure the parameters…
https://1drv.ms/u/c/7750e9f83849881f/EYacuGAzS7ZFq-4statHliIBGhd1M9ntOzofgPfSRRQTiw
p.s. sorry to call you out like that, I just like you best (Shhh…)
In this case a notch filter is required, as noise reduction is too blunt a tool to remove a tone
https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/spectral_selection.html#example
Thanks! Ive never used that tool before, can you offer any advice about how to set the parameters? At the risk of sounding like a moron, I struggle to understand a lot of the manual…
I’m not too heavy with the Spectrogram View. Not that I don’t know what it is, it’s that I have no hands-on with its tools.
Try this.
Effect > Eq and Filters > Notch Filter
The tone isn’t gone, but it’s so far down in volume the work may be useful.
Do you have any idea what that is? It might be a tiny ventilation fan in the same room. Or my favorite bug-bear, the laptop ventilation fan?
Koz
Now that the tone is mostly gone, I applied gentle noise reduction.
Drag-select some of the Noise-Only to the right of the performance. Effect > Noise Removal and Repair > Noise Reduction > Get Noise Profile.
Select the whole clip. Effect > Noise Removal and Repair > Noise Reduction > 6, 6, 6 > Reduce > OK. I call that Noise Reduction of the Beast for obvious reasons.
Koz
Nice voice. Texas, right?
Koz
Set up your system as normal, except instead of performing, set your phone to record and move it around. I’m guessing it’s going to pick up that tone louder or softer as you wave the phone around.
If you have an iPhone, the microphone is on the bottom edge.
This is me recording my voice in my super quiet bedroom. I recorded Lossless VoiceMemo, applied 36Audiobook-Mastering-Macro, and it passes ACX-Check.
That cable is battery charging. The tape is 3M/Scotch Blue #2090 Multi-Surface Painters Tape.
Koz
Oh Koz, this is why i love you. So the tone was nearly inaudible feedback that If i recall, resulted from a cord or something of that nature? It just took a moment for me to catch onto it. I re-recorded the chapter but i guess i was extra hungry or tired or something that day because it sounded like shite. I also had already edited well into the chapter and didn’t want to lose that, so since the two weren’t splicing together right, i was hoping to salvage that first run since it was the best performance. And funny you should ask about Texas- the character is from Texas, I’m not sure if you are recalling that from another time you listened to a previous chapter, or just based on my accent, but I’m from Charlotte, N.C. Do I remember you being in the UK? Or am i home and need to go drunk… ?
Remove as little as possible: a notch will inevitably damage speech to some degree.
I always use aggressive reduction because I’m just heavy handed AF, but your affinity for this noise reduction of the antichrist has my interest piqued… when you finish this process do you palm your screen and yell out “Saved!”? Because I think I’d have to…
Or was it L.A.?..
Awww, bless. You know how they have badges on the forum for certain roles or milestones? I didn’t think they’d have one of these so I made you one.
I’ll take it. I love an accessory!
But who can blame me? Everyone loves Koz, he’s immensely helpful and patient and honestly, treats issues others are having as if they’re his own. Not saying no one else on the forum does, I’ve just not yet seen or experienced it to the same caliber as Koz. I’m a little jealous I’m not as efficient at being of service to others.
My favorite Noise Reduction was designed as an antidote to the common misconception that Noise Reduction was supposed to reduce noise … to Zero. As your experiences have illustrated, it won’t do that without destroying the show.
The tool used to be called “Noise Removal.” That was a mistake.
My goal was to audibly reduce background noise without affecting the show. Juggling reduction settings gave me those three numbers. I understand the latest Audacity versions are using default 6, 6, 6 now instead of the older settings. I could never get the older settings to sound right.
There is still a trick to it. If you need a little more Zot (technical term), you can increase the first number as far as 12. That’s the limit. If you know where to look you can hear 12, 6, 6 working.
Sometimes a good compromise is 9, 6, 6.
I moved to Los Angeles from Washington, DC. Yes, I know the Pentagon is in Virginia. I was there when the Palm-90 Jet hit the 14th St Bridge.
Koz
Oh. Well. I’ve been quite naughty then because i DO in fact usually successfully eliminate all audible noise… but she’s older than 12… as a matter of fact she’s almost always at least old enough to drink… give me a few and I’ll share a sample to show you how boss i can be… most of the time anyway…
Im old enough to remember the attack on 9/11… was the year i graduated actually. Who is it that’s from the UK then? I know i didn’t dream one of you audiobros being from across the pond…
Here you can listen to my current project. I also have some other stuff on my page if you get bored or, more likely, should you find yourself captivated by my talent. (My VA and composition talents… maybe not so much my audio engineering talents… but i can still NR like it’s my job… oh… wait…)
Steve The Fiddle is in the UK. At its peak, most of the forum support troupes were from England. I got to be really good at “feeling” the time difference.
Koz
Did it not link? Hold on now… let me try again
https://audio.com/m-r-fahrenheit/collections/treacherous-heavens
Oh it did but you have it twice now 
I have Treacherous Heavens. I like the way you shift the sound between the performers and the Presenter/Narrator.
We do have a warning that you can’t advertise or sell anything on the forum…
Koz
