Reducing Echo effect

readw wrote on 10/23/2004, 12:48 AM
I recently recorded some audio in a very hard room. The result of this is some audio that has a very distinct echo. I have tried messing around with the various filters and the like but have not had much success in bringing up the quality. Does any have some pointers on what specific filters I can use to correct this?

Thanks


Warren

Comments

adowrx wrote on 10/23/2004, 11:04 AM
There's not much you can do to remove ambient room acoustics that occur during the program material. You might try using an eq to try and notch some of the more offensive frequencies, or if spoken word, use a gate to drop level of ambient room sound when there is no program material (although neither method tends to sound "better" and often using a gate set to too much reduction is Far more annoying than the original problem......

perhaps others have better suggestions.

Good luck,

-jb
musicvid10 wrote on 10/23/2004, 7:04 PM
Here's a technique that might give you a little improvement. Use it sparingly.
http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=140867
adowrx wrote on 10/23/2004, 7:29 PM
musivid, nice technique! Thanks! Does multi-band compression work any better/worse? Or is it a Pandora's box?

-jb
musicvid10 wrote on 10/23/2004, 8:56 PM
**Does multi-band compression work any better/worse? Or is it a Pandora's box?**

Interesting question, haven't tried it.
I think that in cases of echo reintorced by room resonance, or low-level acoustic feedback, it might be a worthy investigation. Of course, you have to be somewhat a musician to identify the specific frequencies and harmonics involved. I think you would want to reduce the amount of compression slightly at the offending fundamentals/harmonics, not increase it.

If you run some tests and come up with reproduceable results, feel free to post back here.

Thanks for thinking.
R0cky wrote on 11/4/2004, 10:53 AM
not sure if this will work, would have to dig up old textbooks to see.

Go back to the live room and record an impulse response to use in acoustic mirror.

Time reverse the impulse response and then use acoustic mirror on it.