Help pulling out the background noise~

[thataznkid]

I'm volunteering as a research assistant for a lady who needs help with a few audio files. Basically, she has these audio files that are in WMA format and needs them to be converted to MP3. I found a free program on download.com that converts the file to MP3, but it takes a long time. For a file thats about 45mb in WMA format, it takes a bout 15 minutes to convert to MP3. Is there a program that might be quicker in coverting over to mp3? Secondly, the research lady wants me to find a program that can help her get rid of the distortions in the audio files and amp up the background. She gave me a sample to listen to, and the audio was so low! I can hear her fidgeting more than the person talking in the background. (She records her professor in a lecture hall, so I need make the professor in the background LOUDER) But, I need to find a program that can make the person in the background hearable. I think audacity can help with this, but I don't know how I would make the background louder and filter out the outside sounds?

[kozikowski]

<<<audio files that are in WMA format and needs them to be converted to MP3.>>>

First, you're not converting between two things. You're converting between three. Windows Media is, or can be, a very aggressive processor and data compressor. I don't mean that in a bad way. Windows Media was very well designed.

[scene changes] MP3, or MPEG1, Layer III, is, or can be a very aggressive processor and data compressor--only not as aggressive as WMA. So the first thing software has to do is uncompress the WMA back to a normal audio file and then recompress the show into MP3 which uses different tools. You will find this process goes enormously faster on a rock-crusher computer with huge hard drives and tons of memory--using the software you already have. If you're trying to do this on an underpowered laptop with a weak battery, you could be there for weeks no matter whose software you use.

Got your umbrella? I'm going to rain on you.

Noise suppression software doesn't work [pause]. Every manufacturer has a package and the software always does exactly what it was designed to do, but by the time most people realize they need it, it's too late.

You're too late.

-------- - --------

Don't try to noise suppress the whole 90 minute lecture until you get used to the tools. Pick a short segment of "Room Tone" (room noise without the lecturer).

The software memorizes the room noise without the speaker and then tries to subtract it from the performance.

Effect > Noise Removal

Follow the instructions to capture the "Room Tone" Noise Profile.

Open a segment of actual lecture and apply the filter.

You will find that if the room is evil enough, you will not be able to separate the lecturer from the room, or the lecture will sound like it's from Mars. The control in Audacity 1.2.x is ratty and awkward to use. You might want to try using Audacity version 1.3.x. That Audacity version uses a much better noise suppression. You can have both Audacities on your machine as long as you don't try to open both at once.

You will probably find that the time and effort of doing this in post production (after the fact) more than pays for you showing up at the actual lecture and arrange the guest to wear a proper microphone.

Koz

[comcon]

If you need to pull the files into Audacity to work on reducing noise anyway, this won't help you timewise...

However... for the absolutely best (and free) audio converter out there... try dBPowerAmp.

It has downloadable codecs for just about everything, and it offers right click capability so that when you right click on selected files, you can choose "convert to" and presto!


http://www.dbpoweramp.com

It's shareware... with plenty of free features. If you pay the $15 shareware fee, there are tons of great additional features. I consider it to be one of the most valuble pieces of audio software I have.

[steve]

Another good format converter is "SUPER" http://www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html
It can convert a huge number of media (audio and video) formats, and it's free. (Downloading the program is a bit of a pain as you go through several similar web pages before you find the actual download link, but IMHO it's worth it.)