[LAU] audio interview - reducing bumps and peaks?

[thomas fisher]

On Thursday 06 December 2007 10:49:27 Kevin Cosgrove wrote:
> On 6 December 2007 at 9:34, Florin Andrei <florin at andrei.myip.org> wrote:
> > I've this WAV file that contains an interview. It was recorded with a
> > cell phone, so the quality is not that great, plus the phone got bumped
> > a few times resulting in annoying peaks.
> >
> > I was thinking to load the file in Audacity and run it through a
> > compressor and tweak the settings until it sounds acceptable. But before
> > I do that, does anyone have a better idea?
> >
> > What's your usual way to deal with this kind of records?
>
> I agree with Fons about editing out the peaks, as possible.  Make
> sure your start/end cut points are at zero crossings and the
> crossfade will be smooth.
----------------------> question for Kevin:
  Could you clarify the "zero crossings". And what does one do to know where 
that point is? Zoom function?
Thanks
Tom
> If the big peak contains sounds you need to keep, then you can
> select the offending section, again with start/end at zero
> crossings, and just reduce the gain of that section.
>
> Usually I attend to the very worst abnormalities individually.
> After that I apply a fast look ahead limiter to deal with the
> remaining peaks, if needed.  Following that I might compress the
> track, if needed, or I might try to level the volume, if needed.
> I use Audacity for all of this.
> Kevin