Audio file editing software/skills

[Marvin Humphrey]

On Jun 14, 2006, at 6:34 AM, Jess Robinson wrote:

> I have a piece of self-recorded audio, (of a talk), that I'd like  
> to remove some clicks/crackles from.. Has anyone got any software  
> recommendations or appropriate advice?

/me .oO( Wow, those brain cells haven't fired in a while. )

If you want to do this yourself, you'll probably need more than  
Audacity's drawing tool unless the clicks are simply flipped bits.   
Proper decrackling is a gnarly little adaptive DSP task.  You can do  
it with plugins (http://www.sweetwater.com/store/category/c713), you  
can do it with standalone units (http://www.mercenary.com/ 
weentwoch96d1.html), but it's generally not bundled with editors  
because it's too esoteric and difficult to be part of a core distro.   
For stuff that works with Audacity, I'm sure that you'll get good  
suggestions if you post to the Audacity forum.  Back when I made my  
living as an audio mastering engineer (c. 2000), there weren't any  
free restoration tools out there, but maybe the situation has changed.

If this material is important to you, you might consider sending it  
to a mastering studio somewhere.  Audio restoration is bread and  
butter for mastering engineers.  Probably the most rewarding project  
I ever worked on was a restoration gig: a Marcel Marceau CD that  
needed drastic action.  (no lie: <http://xrl.us/nd6y>.)  Rates are  
generally not exorbitant because the marketplace is extremely  
competitive.  Which is one reason I'm no longer an audio mastering  
engineer.

Marvin Humphrey
Rectangular Research
http://www.rectangular.com/