After selecting DeClick Plus, DeHiss Plus, DeNoise Plus or DeHum you are asked to set several renovation parameters and/or to choose the mode of processing. If you are a true beginner, you might simply accept the default values of all parameters provided by the system. However, we encourage you to experiment with different program settings to improve the results and get a better feeling of how the system functions.
Instead of trying to tune DART XP Pro using the whole recording (which may be very time consuming for large soundfiles), you may consider performing several quick tests on short representative fragments of the original material.
If your computer is too slow to perform tuning in the on-line mode leave the On-line box localized in the Audition group unchecked. In cases like this all experiments will be performed off-line on a selected fragment of the recording.
In order to preview results in the off-line mode proceed as follows:
1. Use the overview strip, placed at the top of each dialog, to choose a representative fragment of the source soundfile due to be processed. The local processing area is marked with a black strip centered around the cursor - you can change its position (by clicking on the overview strip) and size (by adjusting the local processing time). When selecting the local processing time remember that the excerpt should be short enough to guarantee quick processing but at the same time long enough to make the audition test comprehensive - pieces lasting 5-15 seconds usually fulfill this requirement.
2. Set the renovation parameters.
3. Click the Play result button. DART XP Pro will restore a selected fragment of a soundfile and play the result.
4. Compare the obtained results with the original recording by using the Play source and Play result buttons (as long as you don't change the renovation parameters the restored fragment will be played immediately after pressing Play result).
5. If the results are satisfactory press the Process button to start processing, otherwise return to step 1 above.
If your computer is fast enough to carry out various renovation tasks at the input sampling rate check the On-line box in the Audition group. Working in the on-line mode DART XP Pro will allow you to change and evaluate various program settings during the playback.
In order to preview results in the on-line mode proceed as follows:
1. Choose the processing range. You can process the entire recording starting from its beginning (entire file) or from the current position of the cursor (from cursor). If you choose block processing (block), all tests will be confined to a block of data, and if you select local processing (local) - to the local area around the cursor (you can change the width of this fragment after switching to the off-line mode). In all cases listed above processing is performed in a loop. At any time during processing you can change position of the cursor by clicking on the overview strip displayed at the top of the dialog.
2. Click the Play result button to start restoration.
3. Optimize renovation parameters while listening to the results. Each time you modify any of the settings the green Ready light situated next to the On-line box will go off - it will be switched on again as soon as the results obtained under the new settings are available. At any time during the test you can press the Play source button to bypass processing and listen to the original recording.
4. If the results are satisfactory press the Process button to start processing, otherwise return to step 1 above.
Some important renovation parameters (such as detection threshold in DeClick Plus, gain, frequency carving, smoothing range and frame size in DeHiss Plus or weight, frequency carving, smoothing range and frame size in DeNoise Plus) have to be assigned numbers. Until you gain enough experience to tune them freely and competently, which may take a while, consider using the lists of standard parameter values associated with the corresponding sliders. Each parameter is represented on the list by five possible settings : normal, small, large, very small and very large. This makes your choice easier, and since the values of the system parameters associated with different categories are also displayed in the dialog, you gradually learn how to translate your wishes into numbers.
When tuning different renovation procedures, you have to rely on your own subjective evaluation of the results. Even though, as the Romans used to say, "De gustibus non est disputandum" ("There is no accounting for tastes"), we beg you: please, do not forget about the signal in your pursuit of removing noise. Forcing noise attenuation that is too strong may result in a signal, which is noiseless, but sounds DEAD.
NOTICE
When modifying program settings, try not to introduce too many changes at a time, otherwise you may have problems figuring out which parameters are responsible for specific (favorable or unfavorable) effects.