Podcast improvement and removing clicks

[Nodira]

Hello,

We are encountering a problem with clicks during the podcast that I can't remove as they are audible during the talk. I tried several methods that people recommend online to no avail.

Can someone advise me how can I remove those clicks without ruining the audio and also through in ideas why these clicks actually generate?

I am attaching a test audio with the clicks.


Much appreciated. Have a nice day.

Nodi

[steve]

The clicks can be repaired with the Repair effect (https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/repair.html), but this can only repair one click at a time, so if there's a lot of clicks it'll take forever.

Here I've used the Repair tool on the three most obvious clicks:

test-repaired.wav

(172.11 KiB) Downloaded 21 times

ideas why these clicks actually generate?

How are you recording? What equipment are you using?
Full size computer or a laptop?

[kozikowski]

How are you recording? What equipment are you using?
Full size computer or a laptop?

Just that.

A majority of problems like this are caused by you using a computer. They are not audio recorders. They are general purpose computing machines and could, at any time, decide they have something more important to do than record your voice. Or worse, they are hosting a task that decides it's more important than you are. Skype comes to mind.

So as a fuzzy magic wand, clean shut down the machine with Shift-Shutdown. When you start it, don't let anything else start. I used to get one of the managers at work out of trouble by simply closing all the billions of applications he left running in the background while he worked.

If your podcast is between geographically separated performers, that's a serious problem because chats and communications are difficult to capture as a recording. At work I used to do it with a separate computer.

Koz

[Nodira]

Guys hi,

Thanks a lot for your comments. I will try using repair function. We are recording using a laptop with Rode NT-USB mic. I cant seem to figure out what is the best way to set up its knobs to make sure clicks are not arising. For example, using high mic level and low volume or other combination to prevent it picking up clicks.

Any advice?

I have been using Audacity and very happy with the quality of the audio I am getting apart from clicks.


Thanks a lot,


Nodi

[steve]

We are recording using a laptop with Rode NT-USB mic.

Try taking the kit to another location (preferably a different building) and make some test recordings. That could confirm or rule out the possibility of the clicks being caused by environmental interference.

[Trebor]

Can someone advise me how can I remove those clicks without ruining the audio ...

I've used this de-clicker plugin on it ...

suggested settings.png (20.82 KiB) Viewed 564 times

''test for Koz'' Before-After DeClicker settings shown.wav

(379.44 KiB) Downloaded 25 times

... why these clicks actually generate?

The clicks could be occurring in their mouth : wet mouth noises.

[Nodira]

Thank you!


There is one big beep during the cleaned audio. What is it?

Have a nice day.

Nodira

[Trebor]

There is one big beep during the cleaned audio. What is it?

The beep separates the before from the after.

[Nodira]

Hello Trebor,

MANY MANY thanks for your help with the de-clicker and de-esser. I followed your advice and did the clean. I attached a cleaned version. It is much much cleaner, but I still hear some audible mouth clicks. Do you know how can I further improve it? I tried to reapply the effects, but it did not help much.

Everyone, thanks a lot for all your generous help.

Nodi

[Trebor]

... Do you know how can I further improve it? I tried to reapply the effects, but it did not help much.

Another pass with different DeClicker settings is required to detect&remove other clicks ...

other settings.png (23.01 KiB) Viewed 489 times

Before-After.wav

(467.39 KiB) Downloaded 26 times