Audacity Forum

I have a long (5-hour) mobile recording. It's got a bit of background noise, which I'm trying to cut down, and voices that I'm trying to amplify and sharpen up, a lot of the words are hard to understand. I'm sure it's possible, but I've tried with audacity based on a few tutorials and I've had little luck... if the voices get louder, the spots that were quiet become harder to understand even though they're now audible. If the background noise decreases, the voices get too quiet to make out in a lot of places. Anybody out there able to offer some advice or want to take a crack at it? Thanks for any help you can provide.

cmeakin wrote:... a lot of the words are hard to understand. I'm sure it's possible ...

It's possible in Hollywood movies, but in reality processing the sound rarely makes incomprehensible parts understandable.

As it's gone through a phone-network anything above 4kHz is noise and can be removed, (using the equalizer), but that's just going to make it less hissy, not necessarily comprehensible.

Trebor wrote:

cmeakin wrote:... a lot of the words are hard to understand. I'm sure it's possible ...

It's possible in Hollywood movies, but in reality processing the sound rarely makes incomprehensible parts understandable.

As it's gone through a phone-network anything above 4kHz is noise and can be removed, (using the equalizer), but that's just going to make it less hissy, not necessarily comprehensible.

They're almost understandable, but they're not quite loud and clear enough. It didn't go through network, just recorded off a recorder app. chance that will still help me?

The Equalization effect to remove low bass and high hiss is probably your best bet. Try the "AM radio" or "Telephone" presets. http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/equalization.html

It's possible in Hollywood movies

I keep telling the writers, "You know if you put that in the script, somebody in real life is going to want us to do that."

"That's what the Producer wants."

"Right."

Koz

kozikowski wrote:

It's possible in Hollywood movies

I keep telling the writers, "You know if you put that in the script, somebody in real life is going to want us to do that."

Koz

Indeed, I'm still waiting for my first hover board...

Robert

And Star Trek Communicator. Take this little thing out of your pocket, flip it open and talk to people hundreds of miles away.
...
Oh, wait....

Koz

kozikowski wrote:And Star Trek Communicator. Take this little thing out of your pocket, flip it open and talk to people hundreds of miles away.
...
Oh, wait....

Koz

"Bones, on the Enterprise, we calculate with parsecs, not miles..."

The communicator technology would at least solve any latency problems forever...

Robert