Overview

One of the quite common problems in the daily business of the audio engineer are noisy signals. Therefore there is a need for solutions how to extract desired signal from the accompanying noise components. The standard method of extracting signal from noise is to design an appropriate filter which removes the noise components and at the same time lets the desired signal go through unchanged. This sounds plausible, but in typical cases in practice does not work. If the signal and noise spectra overlap there is no traditional filter technology which can perfectly extract the desired signal. In such cases we need to compromise; the noise reduction can be only done at the expense of distorting the signal we want to preserve.

One of the classical method to prevent noise before it arises are complementary system like the famous tape noise reduction system from DOLBY™ Lab. The recorded signal is processed in a special way before recording to the tape. Then after playback an inverted operation is applied to the coded signal. The idea behind is to reduce the noise, but keep the signal unchanged.

But what is to do if we get noisy recordings which have not been processed that way. Does exist any chance to reduce or remove the noise without substantially changing the original signal?

The Algorithmix^® DeNoiser PlugIn belongs to the so-called single-ended noise reduction systems. This means it does not need any special coding procedure before recording, like the DOLBY™ Lab system mentioned above. It is a tool that efficiently removes any kind of broad-band noise from pre-recorded audio tracks. The DeNoiser PlugIn is a weapon against tape hiss, noise from telephone-call cuts, background noise from live recordings, and residual noise from old records after processing with the DeScratcher PlugIn. The DeNoiser PlugIn is very useful in forensic applications, too.

If you have to remove clicks and impuls-like disturbances you absolutely need to treat your signal first with the DeScratcher PlugIn and then subsequently use the DeNoiser PlugIn to clean your signal from the remaining broad-band noise. Applying the DeNoiser directly to heavy clicks will create significant, singing-birds type artifacts.