I’ve done some quite sucessful live recordings that I’m trying to mix in Audacity 2 on a Windows Vista laptop.
I’m trying to reduce overspill between tracks, eg vocal monitor onto the bass drum mic. I can get rid of most of the problem manually but it’s taking a LOOONG time.
The noise removal tool doesn’t seem to work. Is there a noise gate available?
Mike
If you download the LADSPA Plug-Ins, there is a gate.
I’m trying to reduce overspill between tracks, eg vocal monitor onto the bass drum mic.
Usually, with close micing and directional mics, you can get enough isolation to get a good mix. i.e. There should be far more vocal in the vocal mic, than in the drum mics, so the leakage should be insignificant in the final mix. Now, if you need to re-record the vocals separately because there are pitch or timing issues, it’s going to be difficult (or impossible) to remove the leaking “bad” vocals from the mix.
And, if it’s a “live studio” recording, you usually, you want the singer to turn-around facing the band, so that instrument sounds are hitting the back-side of the vocal-mic. (And, you need sound-absorption so that the sound doesn’t reflect back into the vocal mic, etc.)
Also, the vocals should be monitored with headphones rather than through a PA or wedge monitors, sot there shouldn’t be that much vocal-sound in the room.
If you really need isolation, you really should be isolating during recording… Recording the different instruments/vocals in different rooms or at different times. Because, you can’t un-mix sound…
Steve made a noise gate plugin … http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Nyquist_Effect_Plug-ins#Noise_Gate
Thanks for the help,
The recordings weree made in a “live” live situation with vocalist facing away from the band and vocal wedges etc. Given that it’s quite surprising just how good the results are.
I’ve spent time and “cleaned up” the bass drum and snare drum tracks and the difference is very noticeable. The next time we record we intend to do it in a “live” studio situation using headphones for monitors, putting down a guide vocal with the rhythm guitar / bass / drums then adding pedal steel / fiddle / guitar then vocals.
I’m finding that the best way of working for us is to use my Zoom R16 to capture the audio then transfering the files in Audacity for editing / processing.