Cassette question

[Tufunuf]

Is there a software program that is available that is able to remove the hum and hiss out of a cassette tape that has been uploaded to computer hard drive. Or, I could upload it directly to the software program.

I have recently transferred some audio cassette (voice) tapes to computer. But, the quality of the converted data is terrible! I went back to the cassettes and found that they were bad before the transfer!


Thanks.

[alrakis]

Re: Cassette question

Audacity has a noise reduction tool, Nero Wave Editor also if I remeber right...
By the way the reduction cannot be complete and applying a too strong filter you'll probably get a loss of quality.

[neilthecellist]

Re: Cassette question

Yeah, you can't just "take the hiss" out. Taking this hiss out also makes the overall sound quieter...which means when you listen to the song later on say, a CD player, you would have to overkill the volume dial just to hear the song!

[Tufunuf]

Re: Cassette question

Thanks for the information.

I did a search on the internet for "cassette transfer to CD". Several of the results showed companies that guarantee to be able to transfer "bad" cassette media to CD's. They say the end result (CD) is clear with no hum, hiss, background noise. Have you any opinions on this type of operation? It is pretty expensive to have done. I was just wondering if they can actually remove all the bad stuff and come up with a clear recording.

Thanks.

[neilthecellist]

Re: Cassette question

Uh, we already told you how. Audacity or Nero Wave Editor.

Audicity here: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/
Nero Wave Editor: Part of Nero 6, get here: http://www.nero.com

[alrakis]

Re: Cassette question

Things can always be done better, and many are in development.
If you want play a little, you can also try this

http://www.dei.unipd.it/ricerca/csc/CSC_Restoration_Tool/index_ekf.html

I can say nothing about these companies, I never tried by myself nor heared from someone else that tried... probably they have proprietary tools that could be more andvanced and give better results.
But remember that companies are companies so I find normal that they say to reach a clean recording... there are in fact very degrees of "clean recording".
If you think that your cassettes worth your money you can try, but first try other ways no?

[neilthecellist]

Re: Cassette question

Well I'm an open source believer so I provided the link for Audacity and Nero comes with a 15 day trial so that's why I made my post above

[alrakis]

Re: Cassette question

Well I'm an open source believer

me too

[Tufunuf]

Re: Cassette question

Thanks for all your help. I will check out the software.

Tuf

[petriburg]

Re: Cassette question

Tufunuf: The same old caveat - I haven't tried this software, but I have had discussions about it with the Australian importers. Sound Soap Pro sounds like the application I would like to be using myself were I able to afford it. You might care to check out the manufacturers claims at: http://www.bias-inc.com/

[adaywayne]

Re: Cassette question

Thanks for the information.

I did a search on the internet for "cassette transfer to CD". Several of the results showed companies that guarantee to be able to transfer "bad" cassette media to CD's. They say the end result (CD) is clear with no hum, hiss, background noise. Have you any opinions on this type of operation? It is pretty expensive to have done. I was just wondering if they can actually remove all the bad stuff and come up with a clear recording.

Thanks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Removal of clicks and pops from LP/78 transfers can be accomplished very successfully by many low-cost (US#50 or so) programs. However, removal of hiss, hum, and other background noises is far less successful, unless you are willing to accept a removal of a substantial part of the frequency spectrum of the music itself. I just tried the Soap thing, removing mains hum from a file, and it certainly removed it. However, signal level at 130Hz was reduced from -9dB to -53dB. In other words, all frequencies below 130Hz were essentially eliminated.

[petriburg]

Re: Cassette question

Prompt reply, Adawayne! Were you able to test the Pro version? I had no success in obtaining a trial version of it. Not even the Aust. distributors were able to help me there. Sure, any hum removal will remove 60Hz artifacts, the primary frequency of (U.S.) electricity supplies, and, it would seem, knocks out the first harmonic as well. I guess this is, as has been mentioned so many times on this forum, the price you pay for "cleaning up" audio. I had been hoping that, since it claims to be the answer to everything, Sound Soap Pro would provide a better solution to cleaning up vinyl transfers (? quicker), but with me, it's definitely a no try, no buy situation. So far, I have found nothing to equal the performance of Sound Forge's 'Vinyul Restore' feature. Anything this doesn't remove can be done by scanning the wave file and manually deleting the worst of the 'nasties'.

Edit: I just re-visited the Bias site, and checked the price of this thing - exorbitant, to say the least. I'm sorry I mentioned it in the first place. For that kind of money (599 bucks) it would need to do the whole recording job for you!

[ChristinaS]

Re: Cassette question

For that kind of money (599 bucks) it would need to do the whole recording job for you!

Better yet: a live performance right in your own home I'd say :D

[Tomb]

Re: Cassette question

I use Audiograbber with the dedicated Algorthimix plug-ins, from the Sound laundry people, for that application for recording cassettes and vinyl. They have some dedicated presets and the results are pretty good.

Audiograbber is free whilst you can download a trial of the plug-ins to try it out.

Total outlay about £21 ($39).

I remember putting on the wishlist sometime ago plug-ins to work with the Auxilary input butb I don't think Spoon found any he could use.

[adaywayne]

Re: Cassette question

[QUOTE=petriburg]Prompt reply, Adawayne! Were you able to test the Pro version? I had no success in obtaining a trial version of it. Not even the Aust. distributors were able to help me there. Sure, any hum removal will remove 60Hz artifacts, the primary frequency of (U.S.) electricity supplies, and, it would seem, knocks out the first harmonic as well. I guess this is, as has been mentioned so many times on this forum, the price you pay for "cleaning up" audio. I had been hoping that, since it claims to be the answer to everything, Sound Soap Pro would provide a better solution to cleaning up vinyl transfers (? quicker), but with me, it's definitely a no try, no buy situation. So far, I have found nothing to equal the performance of Sound Forge's 'Vinyul Restore' feature. Anything this doesn't remove can be done by scanning the wave file and manually deleting the worst of the 'nasties'.

I had an old copy (or the setup file rather) of Sound Soap 1.1. I gave up using it sometime ago.