Some of you may have seen my post a few months ago:

[forums.macresource.com]

in which I asked about how to go about restoring a record that my paternal grandfather made in probably the early 1940s.

My dad sent the record to a company called "Digital Pickle," and today he sent me the digital files that they returned to him. He wasn't particularly pleased, because (as you'll hear), the audio quality is very "scratchy" and distorted.

It's better than nothing, which is what we had before, but I'm wondering if anyone here has the ability to try to "clean up" the file(s) at all, to maybe remove some of the hiss/static/etc.

If so, I would greatly appreciate any effort you can put forth, as would my father, and the rest of our family.

Here's a link to side one of the record:

[www.dougdavis.net]

and side two:

[www.dougdavis.net]

My dad thinks side one may be a recording of him and his father talking.

He thinks side two may be a recording of one of his father's songs (his father was a composer, among other things) played by a band he was in, or possibly just a recording of a radio program.

Thanks, in advance, for any help anyone is able to provide.

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[www.zeemaps.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/06/2012 12:58PM by The UnDoug.

Did they sprinkle sand over the records before they played them?

Do they know about playing wet?

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San Antonio, TX (in the old city)


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maybe a company that has one of these?

[www.elpj.com]

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!#$@@$#!

proofraed by OwEn the c@t.



Nobody remembers their first download, but everyone remembers their 1st LP.

There are software solutions such as Audacity and Amadeus.

Years ago, many people had hardware solutions as well.

I think that removing pops and clicks is a lot easier than general noise levels since your equipment can time when the pop occurs and then try to remove it. In trying to reduce overall levels of noise, you also degrade your desired signal as well. It gets worse the more aggressive you are. I did not use any noise reduction with cassette tapes until the dbx noise reduction system came out. I thought that both Dolby B and C both sucked. It was better living with the tape hiss than to suffer with what Dolby B and C did to the music.

Gimme some time, Doug. I can change it and maybe for the better. But "fixing" it completely won't likely happen. Spectral view shows it to be mostly noise.

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Fritz
maybe a company that has one of these?

[www.elpj.com]

Maybe they've changed it? The ELP never caught on because it can't discriminate between music and noise/pops/clicks. On the other hand, some traditional cartridges do a pretty good job of suppressing them naturally.

Thanks, all!

deckeda, please take your time! There's no urgency, but it would certainly be wonderful to have an improved version--even if only slightly!

Thanks!

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[www.zeemaps.com]

this cleaning method might shock you:
[home-audio.wonderhowto.com]

a number of high-end vinyl enthusiasts use this before they capture to digital.

[www.clickrepair.net] also does a pretty good job.

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a pro declicker/depopper than, like a Waves plug or Izotope

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!#$@@$#!

proofraed by OwEn the c@t.



Nobody remembers their first download, but everyone remembers their 1st LP.

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The UnDoug
It's better than nothing, which is what we had before, but I'm wondering if anyone here has the ability to try to "clean up" the file(s) at all, to maybe remove some of the hiss/static/etc.

Wow that sounds like crap.

Do you still have the original record (did they return it). Is it like regular vinyl or are the grooves cut into that waxy substance mentioned above? If it is like "vinyl" did you try the wood glue trick?

Cleaning a Record With Wood Glue

I'm a DJ (that played vinyl for years) and that was the "go to" method for "deep cleaning" records. Also soaking the records in distilled water helped to loosen gunk from grooves.

Another video on cleaning methods: alcohol and distilled cleaning

Then maybe re-submit to that company or buy a USB turntable.

You could also try something like Platinum Notes on those files you posted, I think the demo will do a few files for free (which is all you need).

Let me know if Platinum Notes - works, I frequent a DJ forum and some guys say it works while others say it is a total waste (garbage in - garbage out). If it cleans up that file of yours, you should write the company and they can use it as a testimonial.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/06/2012 01:58PM by ArtP.

I used Audacity and an Ion USB turntable and had pretty good results. I believe that Audacity includes a filter to remove pops and some of the hiss as well, but again, that does impact the overall sound too. It is hard to automate the process of separating the signal from the noise.

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MacResource User Map: [www.zeemaps.com]#

So far, I've looked at previewing/applying the declickers in iZotope RX but the noise is mostly constant, not pops and clicks actually. The declick algorithms are doing almost nothing for it.

The denoise functions have a profound effect -- strips away much of it and reveals a rotational swishing that occurs with each revolution of the record. You can hear it on the original but it's mostly masked. If I can zap that periodic "swish" that'll be key.

The hard part is retaining as much of the vocal as possible, and of ensuring the filters don't introduce too many artifacts. Right now there's a crunching and a munching and a swirly aspect I've introduced that's more objectionable than the original noise.

Gotta run --- you won't hear from me again until tomorrow.

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ArtP

Do you still have the original record (did they return it). Is it like regular vinyl or are the grooves cut into that waxy substance mentioned above? If it is like "vinyl" did you try the wood glue trick?

Cleaning a Record With Wood Glue

That was something else! I think I'd get a cheap turntable at a thrift store to use for cleaning records instead of your nice ones...

I'm sorry folks, the glue may work for vinyl LPs, but I'm sure what The UnDoug has is a shellac record (maybe even Acetate), possibly needing a specific stylus. Any cleaning technique needs to not be reactive with the shellac.

[vinylville.tripod.com]

Cheers!

speaking of cleaning records, anyone tried this?

[baybloorradio.com]

care to recommend or not?

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As I recall, those records weren't very good when they were first made either. Still, I think you could have expected better.

Undoug, this is quick & dirty ... Clickrepair and Audacity

See if you can hear it any better

[dl.dropbox.com]

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I haven't done post production in a while, so maybe there are some more advanced tools available, but. listening to the sound you linked, I don't think you are going to get far. To me, it didn't sound like a matter of pops and clicks, but a worse problem, too low a signal that is buried in a much higher noise level.

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“There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in."

Yeah, same issue w/ our grandfather's late-1930s 78RPM records.

Storing them where mold grew on them probably didn't help.

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August West
I haven't done post production in a while, so maybe there are some more advanced tools available, but. listening to the sound you linked, I don't think you are going to get far. To me, it didn't sound like a matter of pops and clicks, but a worse problem, too low a signal that is buried in a much higher noise level.

deckeda, thank you!

I do think the audio is a bit more discernable on the file you posted.

I really appreciate your effort!

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[www.zeemaps.com]

'tweren't me, Magee!

I really like the wood glue method. I have an original DiscWasher cleaner that's always done a fair job.

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Grateful11

Damn! Sorry about that, decay. Thank YOU very much!!!

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[www.zeemaps.com]

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Grateful11
I really like the wood glue method. I have an original DiscWasher cleaner that's always done a fair job.

Yup, I still have my B&O linear tracking turntable, and a stash of DiscWasher kits. Great company. When the brush wore out, you could send it back to them, and they would mount a new pad and cloth on your walnut handle.

I'm not a professional and don't do this sort of thing for a living. I'm sure a pro could have done better especially if serious time had been spent on it in a few obvious situations like as the reoccurring "shushes" and other rotational/repetitive background issues.

Best I could do:

both sides zipped into a folder

They are Apple Lossless file but more about that below.

Each were trimmed slightly at the beginning. For both record sides I folded them down to 1 ch. in Amadeus Pro, applied both hi and lo pass broad EQ cuts (albeit fairly conservatively) in order to chop off the frequency extremes I knew would be irrelevant.

I then applied generous amounts declick in one and decrackle to the other in iZotope RX. The first file, with the child/man conversation, also got insane amounts of careful denoise applied. I realize the voices are muffled but don't believe any greater definition exists or if it does is masked so completely by the noise as to be irrelevant and unrecoverable. So getting rid of the noise served only to reduce that as a distraction.

The second file had only a small amount of denoise applied. I could have made it quieter but the music would have been harmed.

I then made each track a "stereo" track so that if you wanted to burn them to CD it would work (Redbook standard demands each "song" be stereo but of course dual-mono is OK, too. ) The practical impact of that is if you convert them back to AIFF they will unnecessarily balloon to double in size because when you initially ALAC or FLAC something, the compression's lossless magic happens by ignoring what's common to both channels, which in this case is everything.

deckeda,

THANK YOU!!!!

That is much improved over the original!

I shared them with my dad (the little boy voice on side one), and he, too, was quite impressed with what you were able to accomplish.

My dad was only 10 when his father died, so I think this probably means a lot to him.

It also means a lot to me, since I never knew my paternal grandfather. Being able to hear his voice from almost 75 years ago is really, really meaninful to me!

Thank you.

If there's even any way I can return the favor, let me know.



Doug

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[www.zeemaps.com]