2024 Clean Audio Lab
Old   recordings   can   be   very   precious.   Unfortunately,   some   of   them   were   recorded   terribly wrong.   Here   is   an   example   of   a   restoration   work.   Originally   recorded   on   a   cassette   tape, the   sound   is   so   distorted   that   you   want   to   cover   your   ears.   We   managed   to   significantly reduce the distortions. Have a listen to.

case#9 Distortions

Sometimes,    recording    a    location    sound    is    an    impossible    task,    or    you    end    up    with something   unusable.   Like   in   this   excerpt   from   Lightning   Ridge   (director:   Duncan   Morgan). The   only   option   is   a   sound   design,   later   in   audio   post.   Here   is   an   example   of   the   sound created from scratch.

case#8 Sound design

Frequently,    when    filming    onto    a    consumer    camcorder    (whose    microphone    doesn’t typically   have   a   wind   protection),   the   wind   noise   can   be   an   issue.   Fortunately,   it   can   be fixed.

case#7 Wind noise

In   this   case   the   major   source   of   a   noise   was   a   drone   (much   louder   than   sea   waves).   A classic   noise   reduction   approach   won’t   work   here   as   the   noise   is   changing   over   time   (the drone   is   moving   around   remember).   Thus,   we   had   to   work   on   every   syllable   individually. Check out the result.

case#6 Drone

Can   you   record   a   clean   sound   in   a   restaurant   with   5-7   fridges   working?   Well,   the   truth   is   - you    can’t.    Your    only    hope    is    the    quality    audio    post    production.    In    this    video,    we demonstrate what you can count on.

case#5 Restaurant fridge

The   noise   of   a   fog   machine   is   constantly   changing.   Every   new   burst   sounds   different   from the   previous   one,   and   because   of   that,   a   classic   noise   reduction   approach   is   not   going   to work   here.   One   has   to   carefully   work   on   every   single   burst.   It’s   difficult,   but   it   can   be done. Have a look.

case#4 Fog machine

Filming   in   a   public   park   can   be   challenging.   Sometimes   nature   just   doesn’t   want   to cooperate   :)   On   this   occasion   it   was   parrots   flying   around.   Taking   out   such   a   noise   is   very difficult as its character is not static, and yet it is possible.

case#3 Parrots

In   this   video   we’re   dealing   with   air-plane   noise.   If,   you’ve   filmed   in   big   cities,   you’ll   know that   an   air-plane   inevitably   appears   straight   after   the   “Action!”       There   is   probably   no other type of noise that causes so much frustration, and yet it can be defeated.

case#2 Airplane

Here   is   an   example   of   a   typical   indie   film   scenario.   A   crew   was   allowed   to   film   in   a   cafés toilet   provided   that   its   air   conditioning   equipment   stayed   working.   Unfortunately,   it   was located   right   behind   the   wall   and   was   making   a   huge   noise,   yet   we   managed   to   get   a decent dialogue sound out of that recording.

case#1 Air conditioner

NOISE CLEAN UP

Some   interviews   cannot   be   re-done.   You   are   given   one   attempt   and   you   hope,   that everything   will   go   well.   This   interview   was   shot   not   far   from   a   train   station.   And   in   a middle of the interview, the train blared its horn. So, we had to clean it up.

case#11 Train horn

This   is   an   excerpt   from   a   beautiful   L'Autre   Inconne   by   John   Chatwin.   The   film   is   heavily filled   by   a   sound   design.   Here   is   just   a   short   part   of   it,   but   you   can   easily   see,   how   the sound defines the impression of the film.

case#10 Sound design

Here    is    one    more    example    of    a    restoration    work.    This    time    it    was    an    old    record. Remember gramophones? That’s the one.

case#12 Old record

NOISE CLEAN UP

case#1 Air conditioner

Here   is   an   example   of   a   typical indie   film   scenario.   A   crew   was allowed   to   film   in   a   cafés   toilet provided   that   its   air   conditioning equipment       stayed       working. Unfortunately,   it   was   located   right   behind   the   wall   and was   making   a   huge   noise,   yet   we   managed   to   get   a decent dialogue sound out of that recording.

case#2 Airplane

In   this   video   we’re   dealing   with air-plane   noise.   If,   you’ve   filmed in   big   cities,   you’ll   know   that   an air-plane       inevitably       appears straight    after    the    “Action!”      There   is   probably   no   other   type   of   noise   that   causes   so much frustration, and yet it can be defeated.
Filming   in   a   public   park   can   be challenging.     Sometimes     nature just   doesn’t   want   to   cooperate   :) On   this   occasion   it   was   parrots flying   around.   Taking   out   such   a noise   is   very   difficult   as   its   character   is   not   static,   and   yet it is possible.
The    noise    of    a    fog    machine    is constantly    changing.    Every    new burst    sounds    different    from    the previous    one,    and    because    of that,    a    classic    noise    reduction approach   is   not   going   to   work   here.   One   has   to   carefully work   on   every   single   burst.   It’s   difficult,   but   it   can   be done. Have a look.
Can   you   record   a   clean   sound   in   a restaurant      with      5-7      fridges working?   Well,   the   truth   is   -   you can’t.    Your    only    hope    is    the quality   audio   post   production.   In this video, we demonstrate what you can count on.

case#6 Drone

In   this   case   the   major   source   of   a noise   was   a   drone   (much   louder than   sea   waves).   A   classic   noise reduction    approach    won’t    work here   as   the   noise   is   changing   over time   (the   drone   is   moving   around   remember).   Thus,   we had   to   work   on   every   syllable   individually.   Check   out   the result.
Frequently,   when   filming   onto   a consumer      camcorder      (whose microphone   doesn’t   typically   have a     wind     protection),     the     wind noise       can       be       an       issue. Fortunately, it can be fixed.

case#3 Parrots

case#4 Fog machine

case#5 Restaurant fridge

case#7 Wind noise

 2024 Clean Audio Lab

case#8 Sound design

Sometimes,    recording    a    location sound    is    an    impossible    task,    or you     end     up     with     something unusable.    Like    in    this    excerpt from    Lightning    Ridge    (director: Duncan   Morgan).   The   only   option   is      a   sound   design,   later in   audio   post.   Here   is   an   example   of   the   sound   created from scratch.
Old     recordings     can     be     very precious.   Unfortunately,   some   of them     were     recorded     terribly wrong.   Here   is   an   example   of   a restoration       work.       Originally recorded   on   a   cassette   tape,   the   sound   is   so   distorted that    you    want    to    cover    your    ears.    We    managed    to significantly reduce the distortions.

case#9 Distortions

case#10

In   this   case   the   major   source   of   a noise   was   a   drone   (much   louder than   sea   waves).   A   classic   noise reduction    approach    won’t    work here   as   the   noise   is   changing   over time   (the   drone   is   moving   around   remember).   Thus,   we had   to   work   on   every   syllable   individually.   Check   out   the result.
Some    interviews    cannot    be    re- done.   You   are   given   one   attempt and    you    hope,    that    everything will   go   well.   This   interview   was shot   not   far   from   a   train   station. And   in   a   middle   of   the   interview,   the   train   blared   its   horn. So, we had to clean it up.

case#11 Train horn

case#12 Old record

Here   is   one   more   example   of   a restoration   work.   This   time   it   was an       old       record.       Remember gramophones? That’s the one.