Please help me fix my audio recording that has the volume too high...

September 20, 2010 6:32 AM

I have a Zoom portable digital audio recorder. I recorded a live band, but the volume level was too high, and now it sounds muffled. Is there anything i can do to fix it?

It's a Zoom H2 portable digital recorder... found here;
http://www.samash.com/p/H2%20Portable%20Digital%20Recorder%20Warehouse%20Resealed_571104

I recorded a live band in 360 mp3... but i didn't use the automatic 'limiter'... and when i went to 'crop' the performance in garage band, i can see it's off the top... and it sounds terribly muffled.


i'm wondering is there anything i can do to fix this? Perhaps something in garage band or something 'built into' my new mac book pro? or is there some software product i can use to correct this?

posted by foodybat to Computers & Internet (6 answers total)

it sounds like you had the levels set too high and the input signal has clipped. (ie "its off the top"). so there is going to be a lot of digital distortion / clipping / data was lost over zero dB. as far as I'ma aware there is practically nothing that can be done to fix this. Sorry.

If the signal clipped - its gone.
posted by mary8nne at 6:39 AM on September 20, 2010

Doubtful. Clipped peak restoration software does exist (I don't know about garage band specifically) but it's not magic. I've got ok results from it on a slightly clipped sample which then gets submerged into a tune full of other stuff, but I wouldn't expect it to rescue a "terribly" clipped full band recording.
posted by Slyfen at 6:40 AM on September 20, 2010

Sorry, the others are right. The audio information simply isn't there. Take it as a learning experience and move on. If it was a particularly special performance, you could try forums related to the band in question to see if someone else managed to do a live recording.
posted by Magnakai at 6:44 AM on September 20, 2010

Echoing the above, but with a useful pointer for future reference: setting your device to record in 24bit get's you enough extra headroom that you can set your recording levels to Peak at -12dB without noticeable noise at the low end, leaving plenty of room for any unexpected loudness.

Also lot's of good advice & tips to be gleaned from the community at the taperssection.com forums.
posted by dirm at 9:45 AM on September 20, 2010

The problem with digital audio is that when it gets clipped...it's pretty much 'flattened' and gone. Feel free to send me a sample and I'll see if I have something in my toolbox.
posted by filmgeek at 10:29 AM on September 20, 2010

lots of great advice....thanks everyone!!!!
posted by foodybat at 2:32 PM on September 20, 2010