Filtering breathy sibilance in recorded audio

[Davidk]

I have a project with some voiceover recorded as a .wav file by a softly spoken lady. Because she's softly spoken, the recording needs to be amplified quite a bit - to 250 on the 'music and voice' options for the selected file. But that action also amplifies a breathy sibilance sound that's occurring sometimes as she speaks. Re-recording it really isn't an option at this stage, so I have been wondering if there any audio filters in the audio filter list which may help. I've tried a few, unsuccessfully.

Does anyone have some suggestions that would minimise this sibilance effect?

Davidk

[RobertOZ]

You could try Audacity, this has noise reducing filters

[Ken Berry]

I too would recommend Audacity, which, moreover, is freeware. When you do and you look at the audio filters, just note that for what you are after you have to take a sample of the sibilance you are talking about, though without any voice in it. Just a couple of seconds if that is possible. You set that as the target then run the whole thing through the filter and it should wipe out similar sibilance.

[Davidk]

I have audacity, but using it is frankly not very friendly. Comparably, applying a filter to an audio file in VS is a users dream. << Not often I've said that about Corel >>

The sibilance effect comes I think from a mike too close to the mouth (a compensation for the soft voice?) and the result is a voice recording with periodic breathy clicks in it as the voice breathes in/changes sentences. Muted, doesn't drown out the spoken voice but its there, the sort of sound I've often heard with a gust of wind when recording video in a camcorder. Using VS, I've tried a number of filters and there is some moderating effect with one filter, but not enough to be worth spending a lot of effort on.

Using audacity, I've tried various things (bigger range to choose from), but same result. A notch filter applied to the visibly loudest click on the sound levels made basically no difference, even when the sensitivity was fiddled with. Isolating the clicks without affecting the voice is next to impossible at my level of (not) skill.

Davidk

[TroyTheTech]

Since you talk about ease of use, I am personally fond of the usability of Sound Forge (the "Audio Studio" edition is not as expensive as the other versions); although I have yet to demand anything in-depth from it these days. It has a lot of filters and almost all of them are easily customizable with sliders.

I remember using Audacity to fix noise and hiss in the past and yes Audacity isn't the easiest to use - have you tried creating Noise Profiles for the clicks/pops/hiss areas separately in Audacity, with the Noise Profile function/filtering? (I think that's what it is called)
You may have to attack it in sections, but maybe that will help clean it up for you.

If you really wanted to do a full-body-tackle of this, you could also look into the more expensive compressor microphones and put some shielding up (foam, nylon stockings stretched over a wire hanger, etc) which all may help (but not as much if the voice isn't loud enough, heh). I guess you'd have to think about how often you would be doing that sort of thing in the future, too. Regardless, good luck with it, DK.

[pepegota]

Try Wavepad free version. Just Google it.

[Davidk]

I've tried most things with audacity: notch filters, limiters, high-pass filters (its a female voice) and a few others. Even those that allow filtering small parts of the waveform. Alas, I think I am going to have to arrange to re-record the whole voiceover part using a better mic and a popping filter. On the positive side, it's material for a lesson in microphone technique . . . .

Thanks all,

Davidk