Audio Filters in FCP

Got a few minutes of a passenger on a liveaboard who's chowing down while we're in transit and he's giving me some great soundbytes for the video I'm working on. Trouble is, the hum of the diesel engines is just overpowering.

I'm working in FCP - does anyone have any suggestions as to which of FCP's audio filters might help me cut this down considerably? I've tried a few but to no success.

Hey there...you can use the noise reduction feature in Soundtrack Pro or use the graphic equalizer in Apple Audio FC filters. It might take awhile to specify the frequency you are targeting so start with the lower frequency sliders and work yourself up. This is not always an easy task so good luck.

Steve B)

hey peace,

Check out my North Sulawesi Ocean Rover video on their website..... I had to take exactly the same problem off myself (inside a tight deadline aswell!) and you'll hear the (sometime dubious - due to my tight deadline) effect of using the AUGraphicEQ filter and then throwing the AUPeakLimiter underneath it......

Using the built-in Equaliser alone, you can lower the base tones - human frequencies fluctuate between (google that cos I can't remember!). In this instance, you'd be aiming to deaden down the basey tones lower than those that the human voice can produce (actually some of them blend across and you must be careful in that zone... approx. 100KHz is the tricky area...... if I remember correctly!?!?!?)

This is something that you'll have to play with, as of course, different locations on a vessel will give you different acousitcs.... I could send you my filter settings from O.R. but it most likely won't help....

Just keep twiddling the knobs and activating / deactivating the filter to check its progress.....

The point is to get the voice across. If it doesn't sound like the person's original voice - but you've removed enough background noise, and they sound legible, clear and human - then so be it... if it sounds like a robot then keep twiddling....

If you then have further soundbites to effect - and if they have a background rumble closely resembling the first clip's - then simple copy and paste the effect over to the next clips....

Good luck!

chris