Audio Restoration

jimingo wrote on 3/5/2012, 7:14 PM
I shoot a lot of weddings and about a year ago I switched over to digital audio recorders from wireless mics. I use the Tascam DR-2d and the Sony PCM-M10.
For about 35 weddings, everything worked flawlessly but recently I mic'd the Pastor with the Sony and when he put it in his pocket, he turned the level almost all the way up and my audio is now way too hot (there's no way to lock the settings on the Sony..it's not that easy to accidentially change the levels but it can happen). The limiter was on so that saved it a little bit but it still sounds like crap. I've read on this forum before that some of you were successful at restoring a hot signal but I can't find the posts.
Can anyone recommend a program or plug-ins that would make it sound a little better?

Comments

rs170a wrote on 3/5/2012, 7:27 PM
Sound Forge Pro 10 has Declipper and Clipped Peak Restoration tools built into it.
My go to tool for this though is iZotope RX 2.

Mike
jimingo wrote on 3/5/2012, 7:31 PM
I've used clipped peak restoration before but that won't work for this situation.
Never used Declipper though.
I'll give iZotope a try...thanks.
rs170a wrote on 3/5/2012, 7:40 PM
Good luck with it. iZotope is considered by some folks to be almost magic in what it can do but, if your audio looks like a square wave, it might be too far gone to be saved :(
In the future, I highly recommend a strip of tape around the recorder so that the the line input pot can't be accidentally adjusted.
Your local drug store carries a wide range of medical tape (safe to stick to your skin - I use it if I have to run a mic cable up a body and tape it down) that won't leave a sticky residue on the unit.

Mike
johnmeyer wrote on 3/5/2012, 8:14 PM
The declipper in iZotope RX2 is the best tool for this problem, AFIK.

The settings are very important. I haven't seen a sample of your audio (I'd be happy to restore a minute or so, if you'd like), but if it really is clipping hard to the point you have large square tops, you'll want to make sure you set the threshold almost to the top. Also, there are three different "quality" settings, and sometimes the lesser settings produce better results. I can't explain it, and I've corresponded several times with their engineering team about this, and they don't have a full explanation either. The point, however, is that you should try all three settings and play the same section over and over to see which produces the best results.

Your audio WILL sound better, but it unfortunately is not going to sound pristine. Some of the restoration modules in RX2 are in fact magic; this one is better than just merely good, but definitely not quite real magic.

jimingo wrote on 3/5/2012, 8:27 PM
Good point about the tape...I've actually been gaffer taping it ever since.

I downloaded the trial of iZotope and it definitely helps a lot. I don't want to spend the money to purchase it though, so if anyone is willing to run it through iZotope's declipper I can pay you $20 via PayPal or check.
Let me know if anyone is interested and I can upload it and post a link.
jimingo wrote on 3/5/2012, 8:31 PM
Just saw your post Johnmeyer
Would you be interested in running it through iZotope for $20?
johnmeyer wrote on 3/5/2012, 8:36 PM
Sure. Click on my user name and send me a PM.