Make an analogue recording less 'muffled?'

Subject: Make an analog recording less 'muffled?'
From: katlaughing
Date: 28 Jan 08 - 01:09 PM

I am helping my brother get his music ready for a CD for his new site at CDBaby. I have tapes of a live concert, pre-digital, made with broadcast quality tv camera; pulled the audio off it. We've sold tapes and CDs of it for years with no complaints. Now that the digital age is here, it sounds REALLY muffled. Is there a way to clean that up?

Also, I have a digitally recorded later live concert, but it was during a difficult time in his life. There are a couple of minor mistakes in his playing, one might not notice if one doesn't know the piece. So, I could use some of the digitally recorded stuff, but my feeling is the performance quality is better on the old recordings.

Any preferences when you go to listen to a one off? Does "historical" count for anything? We also have a symphonic recording, Ode to the Rockies, which will have to be analogue as we have no other recording of it.

I have been working on getting him to dip his toe in, so this doesn't have to be a fancy/humongous project.

Thanks,

kat

Subject: RE: Make an analogue recording less 'muffled?'
From: GLoux
Date: 28 Jan 08 - 01:22 PM

kat,

This company, Diamond Cut has a software package that reduces noise on very old recordings. I've heard the results on some scratchy old Ed Haley home recordings and the difference is remarkable.

I don't know it the software would accomplish what you're looking to do, but you might contact them and ask them.

-Greg

Subject: RE: Make an analogue recording less 'muffled?'
From: Bill D
Date: 28 Jan 08 - 01:25 PM

"muffled" is kinda vague. Perhaps, after copying digitally, it is just not properly 'equalized'....the various parts of the sonic spectrum emphasized and balanced. I know my PC didn't come with a sound card that permits control over anything but volume.....planning to fix that.

Subject: RE: Make an analogue recording less 'muffled?'
From: Peace
Date: 28 Jan 08 - 01:34 PM

Worth reading.

Subject: RE: Make an analogue recording less 'muffled?'
From: Amos
Date: 28 Jan 08 - 01:47 PM

THere are several products that make it a LOT easier to clean up, emphasize, balance and color an audio file. One is called SoundSoap which takes out hisses, rumbles, augments voice. But most of what you want can be done with a Graphics Equalize which allows you to emphasize certain frequuencies and deemphasize others. There are manty different filters in any sound-editing program to improve the quality of a sound file, including reverb, noise-gates, echo, low-passs and high-pass filters, and so on byut they take a learning curve to understand and apply them.


A

Subject: RE: Make an analogue recording less 'muffled?'
From: katlaughing
Date: 28 Jan 08 - 01:48 PM

Thanks for the input fellahs. I do have the cassette deck hooked up to the PC so I can play it directly to my hard drive. I have a couple of programs on my old PC which I could download onto the new one and do some editing. If I use the digital recordings, though, I don't think there'd be much to do, so I think I will have to give them another listen and see how they sound to me now. It's been a while since I've listened to the newer recording.

I think my problem is I don't want to do a lot of volunteer editing work.:-) (May be a job for wilbyhillbilly!)

Subject: RE: Make an analogue recording less 'muffled?'
From: katlaughing
Date: 28 Jan 08 - 01:49 PM

Cross-posted, Amos. Thanks. I think it's that learning curve I don't want to take.:-)

Subject: RE: Make an analogue recording less 'muffled?'
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 04:04 AM

Does anybody have any tips on playing squeaky tapes which have been unplayed for centuries?
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Make an analogue recording less 'muffled?'
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 04:59 AM

There ahs been a thread a couple of years back about that, Jim. Not primarily about that, but it got discussed. It might have been the one about wilbyhillbilly's work (which although reasonably priced is not free!).

The problem (or part of the problem) is three-fold.

The magnetised ironoxide layer may have de-magnetised in whole or in part resulting in a "faded" or "muffled" recording. Also the magnetism inone layer may have affected teh magnetism on the next layer so that an echo or pre-echo is heard. This is called "print-through. DO NOT TRY IT TO FIND OUT WITHOUT READING ON.

The iron oxide that forms the magnetic layer may no longer be very attached to the tape. It may fall off on one playing. So whatever you do make sure that your first "pass" of the tape is recorded. It may be your only chance. Once it has fallen off, there is no cure. I believe there are some very expensive ways of treating tapes to reduce the risk (I'm sure I've seen methods) - but they may be affected by problem 3 below, since you have to unspool the tape to try to improve the oxide adhesion.

Finally the tape itself may have become brittle or too fragile to take normal playing tension. I don't think there is anything you can do about brittleness. It may be the case that you can reduce stress on fragile tapes by using a direct drive tape deck rather than a conventional capstan and pinchwheel one, but I wouldn't bank on it.

Csharp House may have experience. Or the British Museum.

Subject: RE: Make an analogue recording less 'muffled?'
From: Bernard
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 10:57 AM

The only real solution with 'squeaky' tapes is to find a machine they don't squeak on...!

Domestic and low-end pro machines have a felt pad to push the tape into contact with the head, and this is often the cause of the squeak.

Running the tape at a different speed (usually slower) from the original recording may sometimes work, but be careful for the reasons Richard mentioned above.

My 'safe' method is to use a pro 4-track (Teac 3440) which doesn't have felt pads, and will provide a signal from all four tracks simultaneously. It's also very gentle with the tapes, as the reverse bias (feed spindle trying to spin in the opposite direction to playback) can be adjusted.

This is especially good for tapes produced on a domestic machine, as you only need to spool the tape through once to get everything - admittedly some of the audio will be played backwards, but that's easily sorted digitally.

Subject: RE: Make an analogue recording less 'muffled?'
From: Darowyn
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 03:44 PM

There are also software packages which can analyse a track and add the missing top harmonics.
They are generally called Exciters, or Harmonic Exciters. Only professional mastering engineers will have the proper, top quality versions, though plug-in collectors and gear freaks might have the freeware versions.
I do very often find that I need to use one when transferring Cassette tracks to CD. Otherwise they do sound dull, usually because there are no frequencies above about 12kHz.
Cheers
Dave
(Confessed plug-in collector and gear freak)

Subject: RE: Make an analogue recording less 'muffled?'
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 04:53 PM

Here is the circuit diagram for the Aphex Aural Exciter B if you care to build one. I did and it's very good for adding sparkle to muffled recordings!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v317/StephenGiles/aphexB_grey16.gif

Subject: RE: Make an analogue recording less 'muffled?'
From: oggie
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 05:24 PM

There's a number of articles in the Sound on Sound website about dealing with old tapes. School of Scottish Studies had the same problem (decayed tapes) and their policy was no tape was played without being recorded at the same time, if it's shot it's the one and only chance. Also clean the tape heads between plays.

Steve