jbsl Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 Does anyone know software that will let you doctor bad recordings to sound a little better. I have so many cds that sound okay as long as the volume is low but turn up the volume and they sound very bad. Is there a way to record the bad cds onto my computer( I use Nero) and then doctor the songs and rerecord them. Nero media player has a equalizer function but on my little comp speakers I never use it. I can not figure out if you can use it while recording cds. So what software lets you improve the sound quality of bad recordings or is there such a thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 Sound Forge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest " " Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 I have heard a few vintage tracks after they were re-mastered and was amazed at the results. Not sure if there are any off the shelf packages intended for home use, but it would be intresting to follow up on this. Google searches for Precision Mastering will return some intresting reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbsl Posted July 11, 2006 Author Share Posted July 11, 2006 Thanks for the tip on Sound Forge!! It looks like what I need. They have Sound Forge Audio Studio for $69.95 the home version or the studio version for 299.95. I think the home version will probably work for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 Whoa, Nellie! Save your money. I have SoundForge pro and it is *not* going to fix bad recordings. It can help on certain specific things, but it sounds to me like this could be equipment/room issues, if it sounds good at low volume but not when turned up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 I didn't think it was possible to up sample a recording. I know the print industry has software to upsample images but if there is something like that for audio please share. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest " " Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 I got the impression that only certain CD's sounded bad when turned up. Is this the case, or do they all sound bad when turned up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 I don't know of any software that can accomplish it, but there are audio components available that can. If your sound card has RCA inputs/outputs you can use a DBX 3BX-DS 3-Band Dynamic Range Controller and 120X-DS Subharmonic Synthesizer in tandem and correct a great number of deficiencies. If you want to remove up to 40db of hiss and background noise use a DBX SNR-1 Single Ended Noise Reduction unit as well. They are a great investment and could always be resold after you are done remixing the music, I see it all the time on eBay. I still use a DBX array in my system to improve the often highly compressed digital audio signals from my DirecTV satellite dish, I have no trouble bringing it back to life. If you have really bad recordings use the older DBX 3BX-III (Series III) it has more oomph to it, it was geared more towards vinyl use however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbsl Posted July 11, 2006 Author Share Posted July 11, 2006 You might be right about the "equipment/room issues" but why is it certain cds sound great to me and other ones sound bright or harsh? I mean they can go from one extreme to the other. If it was "equipment/room issues" all my cds should sound bad or good and they don't. I agree that "equipment/room issues" can take the sound of a system to the next level but the quality of recording on cds or even vinly can make a huge difference also. I don't expect this software to be the cure all but if it makes the cds that I feel are badly recorded listenable then great. If not I'm only out $70 and not $700 or more for a new piece of equipment. When I say low volume I mean background music when you are talking to someone. So it is not very loud in my living room. My living room is 15 x 15 x 8 so my medium volume is probably your low volume in your large living room. I deffently need a bigger room for my La Scalas but that would not improve the sound of some cds drasticly. Have to pay off some bill the rest of this year so maybe I can play with some new gear next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbsl Posted July 11, 2006 Author Share Posted July 11, 2006 Sometimes I miss when I was 16 in Laredo, TX and going to listen and see the KHorns, La Scalas, Mac, Nakamichi, Luxman, etc at the local audio store. Everything was much simpler then. I wasn't worried about all this stuff we discuss and haggle about. All I wanted was a pair of KLIPSCH SPEAKERS!!! Did not care about what amp or preamp or turntable or cd player all I wanted was a pair of KLIPSCH SPEAKERS!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 SoundForge does have all kinds of digital EQ in it, but that's going to be an awful lot of work for you. You'll have to determine how much of the higher frequencies to roll off, and if you make this decision through computer speakers, it won't be the same through your main system speakers. Plus, your decisions will be good only for that particular volume. Then you'd have to make a CDR of your altered-frequency recording. If you get new equipment or move somewhere else, you may find you don't like any of the adjusted CDRs anymore! If it's basically a bright/harsh issue, you'd be a lot better off with an amp or receiver that had tone controls. Then you could adjust to whatever you like best in a moment, and not have to bother with any digital EQ processing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 Sometimes I miss when I was 16 in Laredo, TX and going to listen and see the KHorns, La Scalas, Mac, Nakamichi, Luxman, etc at the local audio store. Everything was much simpler then. I wasn't worried about all this stuff we discuss and haggle about. All I wanted was a pair of KLIPSCH SPEAKERS!!! Did not care about what amp or preamp or turntable or cd player all I wanted was a pair of KLIPSCH SPEAKERS!! I know exactly what you mean. You should keep it simple and forget about processing, be it in the computer or dbx. A simple treble control dropped a notch or two from default will do you the most good, especially on the cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbsl Posted July 11, 2006 Author Share Posted July 11, 2006 Good point! That is going to be more time and effort I have available to me right now! Maybe later in the year but at least if I want to try the software I know what to try. I figured I would ask the question and see what answers I get. Thanks for all the info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 I grew up in Laredo, TX and the audio store you mention was Audio Systems owned by Peter Leyendecker which is no longer in business. He had the best of the best for car audio and home audio in there. The entire Klipsch line at the time was on the showroom floor. It was the end shop in that Plaza were a Wal-Mart Superstore now resides. I forget what it was before it has been many years. Metex International had whatever you could not find at Audio Systems, that place was pricey but they carried the best stuff. Jett Sales also had a huge selection of car audio at great prices back then. My uncle was the DA in Laredo, TX for awhile and my grandfather was a real estate lawyer there, and my dad was a dentist. I still go back and vistit every 2-3 years, the place has grown insanely since my early days there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcmusic Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 The best one that I know of is: Exact audio copy. It is by far the best one out there period. Jay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemihorn Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 I have DC Millennium it is easy to use and many effects or if you just want to clean the recording up.The latest software is DC6 It is the most powerful audio restoration/enhancement/editing product on the market.DC6 has a demo you can try and also a video you can watch on line.It also has Virtual Valve Tube Emulation, Reverb Effect, Dynamics Processor, Paragraphic Equalizer, Audio Compressor, Audio Expander,and Graphic Equalizer http://www.enhancedaudio.com/dc_six.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbert Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 Sometimes I miss when I was 16 in Laredo, TX and going to listen and see the KHorns, La Scalas, Mac, Nakamichi, Luxman, etc at the local audio store. Everything was much simpler then. I wasn't worried about all this stuff we discuss and haggle about. All I wanted was a pair of KLIPSCH SPEAKERS!!! Did not care about what amp or preamp or turntable or cd player all I wanted was a pair of KLIPSCH SPEAKERS!! Whooa, that's a blast from the past. CB is correct, that store was called Audio Systems, and they carried on the show room floor, the Best of the Best audio components. If it was Audiophile grade, they had it. That place turned out to be quite the hang-out for many a teenager. It was operated by Peter and William (aka Boy). Audio Systems was actually owned by all of my uncles 4 children. It's a sad story, because after their mother died, it turned ugly, and the kids fought each other and went to court over the whole mess. Peter ended up buying his siblings interests out, at a price established by the judge. No one in the family ever thought the store would last. But last it did, (around 20 +yrs). Thanks largely in part to the filthy rich in Mexico, they were his numero uno clients. What a great store it was, and once it closed down, nothing like it ever came back. And that's why I left good ole Laredo...[] I sure do miss those 115 deg. 6 month long summers --NOT. Thanks for the memory lane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbsl Posted July 11, 2006 Author Share Posted July 11, 2006 When were you in Laredo Gilbert? I was there from 1976-83. Audio Systems brings back a lot of great memories!! I joined the Air Force left Laredo and came back the first time and my best friend had a pair of La Scalas he was using to DJ at parties. He was the one who got me really hooked on La Scalas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 If you're looking for free software check out "Audacity". It is compatible with VST plugins and there are all sorts of them available for free on the internet. I stumbled across a website with a huge list of them, but can't seem to find it... But I don't think spending forever with remastering your crappy CDs is the way to go. I'd wager that what you're experiencing is a complete lack of low frequency extension and the typical intermodulation distortion that was present in the studio that is essentially part of the music. The solution? Get cornwalls. [] You might also consider messing around with the ported lascala mod. For what it's worth, our ears aren't very sensitive to bass shy material at low volumes as can easily be shown with Fletcher-Munson equal loudness curves. It is also very common for crappy recordings to be very bass shy for all sorts of reasons pertaining to drugs, listening fatigue and crappy equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.