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Re: after workshop question

Subject: Re: after workshop question
From: Rob Danielson <>
Date: Tue, 25 May 2004 22:30:22 -0500
At 4:03 PM -0400 5/25/04, Eric V. Schmidt wrote:
>Rich & Rob or anyone.
>
>On my way back home I had a question pop into my mind.
>
>It had to do with editing unwanted noise.
>Lets say I am recording a location and there are (among others) two sounds.
>One is at100hertz and the other at 200 and the 90 is louder.
>
>Does the 100 hertz mask the 200 hertz sound or over-ride it completely.
>
>I take a notch filter and eradicate the 100 h sound.  Does the 200 h one
>come out in all it's glory or is it modified by the 100 h sound  "stepping
>on it"?
>Thanks.
>
>Eric

Hi Eric--
No general rule to apply to your example. I'd make narrow Q's at 90, 
100, and 200Hz and listen to the effects of a variety of adjustments. 
Correct, attenuation at a bandwidth can lessen the audibility of the 
harmonics above it -- cutting at 100 Hz can make a 200 hz component 
seem softer. The "right" EQ is a matter of  the overall balance 
created by all of the tones in the recording. Sustained tones are 
often not from natural sources and the ear is keen to them, making 
the recording dense, less transparent.  These tones are good 
bandwidths to start experimenting with. Try to lessen the volume of 
the first tone heard when using the raised volume knob trick.  I find 
it easier and more effective to lessen the audibility of a pronounced 
tone rather than try to remove it. Make it seem "nestled-in" beside 
the adjacent sounds-- still there but not as attention-grabbing. 
These adjustments will often make another tone audible and in need of 
attenuation. In bringing out the space in a field recording, 5-10 or 
more bands of attenuation can work wonders if done carefully in 
stages. In cases when deep attenuation is a must (like road sounds, 
compressors, etc) , close mic'd recordings of the offensive sound(s) 
can be more pleasantly eq'd and mixed back into the recording in the 
holes created by the deep attenuation. Rob D.



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