Audio salvage help. Wizard needed.

[tomteriffic]

I just got the video from my dippy little folk 'n' roll trio's final performance back. I wasn't expecting it but a friend shot the whole thing. And, as seems to be the norm, the dreaded "auto level control' or input limiter or whatever was on. So, of course, most of the performance sounds like it has a blanket thrown over it with the occasional quiet bits sounding pretty good.

I'm at a loss as to how to undo or at least salvage this. Always have been in cases like this. The totally muffled, bass-heavy frequency response is one thing, but the squashed dynamics are another thing entirely. I've gotten the closest with regard to this using a more or less tweaked by ear inverse compression curve with a very mild ratio, but really I'm just compressing it again with different characteristics.

In a perfect world there would be a magical "de-compressor" or expander plug-in that I could use in conjunction with some corrective EQ, but I don't know of anything like that. Any suggestions, tools, techniques, tips, etc?

[mathman]

There are some audio plugins that can help somewhat. I've been working on a similar problem with a video from our reunion session. Fortunately I also had a second recording with a microphone. There are various "expander" plugins that work somewhat. They can improve somewhat.

What type of software do you have to work on the audio with?

When I am trying to working with recordings like this I use a multi-band compress/expander and eq. What I also do is duplicate the track or work on the stereo tracks separately to create a slight stereo effect by enhancing the bass and high frequencies on one channel and the midrange and high freq. on the other channel on recordings of my three piece band. Generally our stereo recordings have a channel that is more for guitar and the other the bass sounds more pronounced. So I eq those differently. Also the multi-band compressor/limiter lets me choose the eq band to change the dynamic range or at least the perception of it by expanding the frequency ranges differently.

I use Ik Multimedia plugins in Adobe Audition and Logic. They have a few that work for this.

Waves makes many useful plugs too. http://www.waves.com/plugins/c4-multiband-compressor#vocal-multiband-compression-with-C4

is on sale now. (be careful if you have any older waves plugins when buying new ones)

I got these on sale from IK http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/trmultiband/

I've used these to improve many of my old recordings and iphone recordings. Not a magic bullet but it can be make better. I'll see if I can post a before and after example.

[mathman]

Here are two files from this iphone video linked below:

This video isn't real bad except when the Snare Drum comes in around 33 seconds and you hear the compression kick in and lose the bass and guitar. Below is a short part of the audio from the above video at the point the snare comes in.

unmodified audio except for trying to match volume level with modified file.

http://kirkpitts.com/music/TTexampleunmod.mp3

Modified version.

http://kirkpitts.com/music/TTexamplemodified.mp3

I did this fairly quickly so it could be better but it depends on how much time you want to spend.

[tomteriffic]

Thanks Kirk. Doubling the track and schmoozing each one around separately is a nifty idea. It sounded like the expander did some good, anyway. I have the IK Multimedia stuff, namely the T-Racks Classic suite and a couple Custom Shop things, although they tend to be more vintage type compressors. I run 'em in Reaper. I hadn't thought to poke around in there for an expander. But then again, I only got the video back yesterday. I could see where a multi-band dynamics processor and some EQ could go a long way, especially with the doubled track idea.

Now there's only about six hours of video with erratic "now it's squished, now it aint" audio to sort through. If I don't emerge from Buzzard Gulch by next Labor Day, send the cadaver dogs down. Thanks!

[mathman]

The multiband effects are on sell right now.

[tomteriffic]

Thanks for the tip. The original shooter is going to rip the audio as the highest possible quality .wav files he can get and we'll go from there. I need to get those plug-ins while i can, though.