Removing clipping from audio?

happyman81

Hi, my band played a gig recently and a friend recorded one song on his camera (good quality one, by the looks of it). We are happy with both the video and our performance, but unfortunately some of the audio clips, particularly around the bass kicks.

If I split the audio from the video, is there a way of fixing the audio?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KQcCmYPozw

krd

The simple answer - unless someone has a better answer - is no.


Digital clipping is the worst. On something analogue - like tape - if you dropped the gain/volume you might still have the original signal there - digital clips tend to take big chunks out of the sound.

If you strip the audio, you could try noise removal in a sound editor. Some editors allow you to take a sample of the noise (which you'd select the clip point) and then you remove it - you will not get what is meant to be there back - but it will sound less annoying. But the clips/empty spaces might be so short you don't notice them that much.

I'm sure there's a little more trickery you could to to remove the clips and fill the gaps. Some bits are a bit bad - in that if you remove the clips you'll lose your rhythm.


Next time, you'll be aware of the potential problem clipping poses.

shayleon

izotop's RX has decliping tools. not sure it will help, but you can try it for free.

SonasRec

I used isotope rx a few months to help clean up a wedding video that was destroyed with clipping. It made a great difference.

mike65

There is a programme designed for "de clicking" vinyl called Wave Corrector
http://www.wavecor.co.uk/ which I have used to clean up digital audio with some success there is a free version if you want to give it whirl.

happyman81

Awesome, I will give it a go and report the results.

happyman81

Tried both, not much effect unfortunately.

madtheory

You need a declipper, not a declicker.

Izotope RX is the only thing that is remotely capable of this feat. Be warned- the declipper doesn't always work. You've a slightly better chance with spectral repair- doing it by hand, clip by tedious clip. I've only ever done it for a clipped piano recording that was part of a multitrack recording, never on a complete mix. I shudder to think of the amount of time required for an entire concert.

goatboy1000

I'd imagine Izotope could make a difference if used correctly. But I don't think the de-clipper is the right tool for the job. Those clips sound more like clicks and it sounds like if you tried the de-clicker or one of the other tools in Izotope then you might be able to salvage something.
Izotope's de-clipper is handy for sustained vocal notes that are distorted and I've often used it for broadcast dialogue when somebody clips and we couldn't get ADR but I doubt it will do much good in this situation.
I cleaned up some archive music footage recently using Izotope's de-clicker and it came out OK. The original didn't sound too different to that, but it's hard to say, a solution that works for one problem won't necessarily work the same for another.

happyman81

goatboy1000 wrote: »

I'd imagine Izotope could make a difference if used correctly. But I don't think the de-clipper is the right tool for the job. Those clips sound more like clicks and it sounds like if you tried the de-clicker or one of the other tools in Izotope then you might be able to salvage something.
Izotope's de-clipper is handy for sustained vocal notes that are distorted and I've often used it for broadcast dialogue when somebody clips and we couldn't get ADR but I doubt it will do much good in this situation.
I cleaned up some archive music footage recently using Izotope's de-clicker and it came out OK. The original didn't sound too different to that, but it's hard to say, a solution that works for one problem won't necessarily work the same for another.

I tried all of the tools in Izotrope, using various presets and trying my own adjustments. Maybe it's my lack of experience, but I couldn't fix even a little segment of audio.

peter05

You could try reNOVAtor. I've used it a fair bit this weather seems to do the job. If Izoptope not working try that.

goatboy1000

happyman81 wrote: »

I tried all of the tools in Izotrope, using various presets and trying my own adjustments. Maybe it's my lack of experience, but I couldn't fix even a little segment of audio.

It's hard to say really. I've had Izotope do fantastic things to some badly damaged audio but then not come anywhere close on another piece that sounds similar. If you have dropbox or any means of sending it then pm me and I'll give it a go if you want.

old gregg

A point comes when you wonder whether it would be just as easy to overdub a new audio track and be a little creative abstract with the video editing to mask the occasional sound/video sync lapses.

happyman81

goatboy1000 wrote: »

happyman81 wrote: »

I tried all of the tools in Izotrope, using various presets and trying my own adjustments. Maybe it's my lack of experience, but I couldn't fix even a little segment of audio.

It's hard to say really. I've had Izotope do fantastic things to some badly damaged audio but then not come anywhere close on another piece that sounds similar. If you have dropbox or any means of sending it then pm me and I'll give it a go if you want.

Thanks, I will put it in Dropbox this evening when I get home.