Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Depending on the length of the sound fi le, it may take a few seconds. After the fi lter is done, listen to the
processed sound. Too much noise removal can add a muted, tinny cast to it, making the recording seem to
come from underwater. If you hear something like this, Undo the fi lter, then run it again, this time reducing
the Noise Reduction (db) value. Do this until you have a good balance between background noise removal
and foreground sound quality.
NOTE
“Background noise” in this context refers to the constant low level of noise that we mentally
remove from our own hearing every day: the electrical and mechanical hum of nearby appli-
ances. The Noise Removal fi lter was not meant to remove occasional background sounds like
someone closing a door or dropping a topic. When your take is interrupted by something like
that, the fi lter will not help you. You will need to rerecord the take.
The other simple trick you can do to your sound fi le is to run it through a compression fi lter. Compression
amplifi es softer parts of the sound and reduces the volume of louder portions, giving a more even dynamic
range. You may or may not prefer the effects of compression, so be sure to play your sound a couple of times
both before and after you use the fi lter for comparison.
To run the sound through the compression fi lter, double-click the sound to select the entire thing and choose
Compressor from the Effect menu. Although there are a number of options and settings available, accept
the default by pressing OK .
When the fi le sounds good to you, choose the Export command again to resave the WAV fi le. (Choosing
Save in Audacity creates an Audacity project fi le, not a playable sound fi le.)
NOTE
If you want to know more about editing and sweetening your sound, there are a multitude of
Audacity tutorials available on the Internet. Some other simple Audacity fi lters that are fun to
play with and can enhance your sound are Bass Boost, Echo, and Change Pitch .
With background noise removed and the dynamic range compressed, your dialog tracks are ready to use.
Previewing the Recorded Sound
The odds are that you don't have the professional equipment available to properly preview your sound fi les
before using them. If you do . . . well, lucky you. For the rest of us, here is a low-tech way of getting an idea
if your recording session has you at least in the right ballpark.
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