At 01:55 PM 11/30/2004 -0600, Fernando wrote:
>The program I have been using, Cubasis VST, doesn't have any
>fancy noise filters, but it does have a parametric equalizer. I
>have found this equalizer to be pretty good at reducing unwanted
>noise. In case someone out there doesn't know to use a
>parametric equalizer, here is a basic example of how I use it.
>
>The other day I went out to a local, urban wildlife area to test how
>well two Shure183s sound as steroe in a parabolic dish - I
>recorded some chickadees and some other small birds, maybe
>bushtits, in a small oak tree.
><http://groups.yahoo.com/group/naturerecordists/files/041121a.mp3
>As you can hear, there is a lot noise from the surrounding roads
>- low rumbling and howling.
>The parametric equalizer I use has two sets of three adjusting
>knobs: Gain, Frequency, and Q.
>With the gain knob you can cut or boost; with the frequency knob
>you can center on a particular frequency; and with the Q knob you
>can adjust the bandwidth affected.
>The first step is isolating the frequency of the noise. To do this, I
>set the Q for the narrowest bandwidth, boosted the gain up, and
>swept through the frequencies until the noise comes through
>loudest. In the recording, the rumble is loudest at about 72Hz.
>Next cut the gain and abracadabra the rumble disappears.
><http://groups.yahoo.com/group/naturerecordists/files/041121b.
>mp3>
>
>Now the rumble is better but the howling is still there. The
>equalizer in the program I am using allows two sets of
>adjustments for each pass. So, on the second set of knobs I go
>through the steps again: boost the gain, isolate the frequency,
>cut the gain. The howling seemed to be centered at around
>254Hz.
><http://groups.yahoo.com/group/naturerecordists/files/041121c.
>mp3>
>
>Well, is that any better? Do the birds still sound good?
>This just a rough example, thrown together pretty quickly. It
>usually takes more messing around to get it right, and if I tried it
>again I'm sure I would do it a bit differently.
>-John Hartog
>
>
Terrific description, Fernando. Thanks.
In practice, the continuous curve which COOL lets you manipulate at each
point apparently proves to be too much intellectually for most nature sound=
users, anyway, judging from the total lack of follow-up on these
discussions, so your parametric equalizer probably works better for most
users. And yes, I do seem to be making a very snobby point, here, so let's=
please hear some responses. [Any response would be better than those I
have received on the last three questions I have asked. . . .=3D none whate=
ver.]
I just got back from a week's (computer) absence, more or less. The answer=
to your earlier question about COOL: "Why not be able to decrease the
sounds at ZERO frequency", is --- there really IS no zero frequency.
Logically, this would be DC =3D direct current, with no variations in volta=
ge
ever - at least for a very long time -- several millennia?! So the COOL
software realistically sets the lowest frequency it can reasonably control=
to 20 Hz -- mas o menos. Practically, 20 - 30 Hz means zero to you and
me. Not to worry.
My oft-repeated rule I hereby reiterate and develop: The final files sound=
best, at least for bird recordings to most laymen, (I don't know about
frogs or loud roaring beasties files) when the lower frequency realm
closely approximates equal sound energies for every octave, with no single=
dominating tone or set of overtones. If you do have a loud hum, then
reduce it to EQUAL the other sounds, on average. But if you leave a file
with missing frequency ranges between 20 and 2000 Hz, laymen will notice a=
"hollow" sound, which often seems to bother normal listening.
-- best regards, Marty Michener
MIST Software Assoc. Inc., P. O. Box 269, Hollis, NH 03049
http://www.enjoybirds.com/
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