Help - Sound quality

[obiscoito]

Ok so I'm starting a podcast. And well some of the first things I'm doing is recording skype interviews. I had my first today, after extensive testing, I thought I had everything just right. Well I left the level too high for the person I was talking to. So now his voice is distorted badly, though he still is understandable. I've looked everywhere for help, and I found this forum, eithr this is the one I should post in or maybe someone knows a better one.

Anyways, I'm using Audition, and I just need to know what might I do to try to save this interview. I can post more details if there is something someone needs to know. On the other hand maybe someone has a trick I can use. I know very little about sound. So please speak in simple terms. I figure this has happend many times and someone has a trick for at least making it understandable...

Any help? Thanks, Ryan

[pwfenton]

I'm sorry... but you have figured wrong. There is a lot of amazing things that can be done to audio after it has been digitally recorded, but removing distortion from a "clipped" audio signal is not one of them (nor will it ever be). Such a repair would truly involve magic. The problem is that "clipping" occurs when a signal is too loud and the tops of the sound waves are "clipped" off at their maximum level. The information that was above that level is gone forever, so there is no way to restore it.

It is always better, in the digital world, to record with levels "too low" than to record them too high. Low levels can nearly always be boosted. Levels so high they are clipped... remain clipped and distorted even when they are lowered.

A technique used by professionals is to record two tracks of one signal. You set one track at the level you think is best... and then you set the second track much lower. If you ever have a situation where the first track is momentarily too loud and therefore distorted... you can go to the second track as a source for your repair.

[ElNacho]

like fenton said...
if it's clipped, it's clipped. that means the data that was too loud (above that top line) is gone. all that's left is that max top line. so yeah, ya'aint got nuttin. sorry bout that. make absolutely sure you have everything just rite before you start

[JohnnyWB]

Make sure Skype isn't adjusting your level for you. Had that happen to me once.

Go to the Skype control panel then - tools/options/sound devices.

There is a box there that you'll want to uncheck.

Good luck.

John

[roadrageradio]

It is always better, in the digital world, to record with levels "too low" than to record them too high. Low levels can nearly always be boosted. Levels so high they are clipped... remain clipped and distorted even when they are lowered.

A technique used by professionals is to record two tracks of one signal. You set one track at the level you think is best... and then you set the second track much lower. If you ever have a situation where the first track is momentarily too loud and therefore distorted... you can go to the second track as a source for your repair.

I was amazed the first time I worked as a recording assistant to a professional sound guy at an outdoor music festival. The sound guy wanted the average input level on the DAT recorder at -12 dB, which I thought was pretty low.

The sound guy explained that the mix had plenty of performer level, and he could add 9 db on playback, so why should he worry about clipping on the recording?

Then he said something like "shut up, kid -- just watch the levels on the tape deck"