Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with audio

How do you remove background noise in Final Cut?

soma lkzx — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:54:10 -0800

What's the best way to remove background noise from a Final Cut project? I tried using the Hum Remover just by playing around with the harmonics, but I don't really know what I'm doing. Is there a good, simple way to get rid of a constant background tone using Final Cut?

Or, is there a way to export audio from Final Cut to Audacity, edit it there, and then export back to Final Cut?

(I've read that Soundtrack Pro is good, but I don't have it so it's not an option.)

Can you hear me now, you horny bastard?

Anonymous — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 18:27:05 -0800

Good examples of heterosexual audio erotica or porn, please? Doesn't matter if it's real or faked, just as long as it's good and hot. Scorching hot. Tear the clothes off your significant other, RIGHT NOW GODDAMIT, hawt.

Audio books, podcasts, CDs, whatever, we're open to various mediums. Even if there's a particular movie that sounds hot, that'll work also, just as long as it doesn't have to be watched, merely listened to.

Can I wirelessly have audio from my laptop play on another computer?

Ookseer — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:59:09 -0800

Can I wirelessly have audio from my laptop play on another computer? I have an XP laptop and media center PC also with XP. They are both connected to the same local network and both have Bluetooth. Is there a reasonably simple way (without new hardware) to have the audio from my laptop play on the much nicer speakers of my media center without several dozen feet of cable?

_{Just to clarify: Not looking to share my audio library, I want to redirect the live audio out from my laptop.

Changing operating systems is not an option.}

Best web audio/video players

avocet — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:24:38 -0800

What are the best embedded open source/free audio/video players? I'm looking at finding a flexible media player for an arts related site I'm working on. Although I'm looking for something that will handle an audio playlist (i.e. like the ubiquitous myspace player) bonus if it can also handle flash video as well. I really like Flowplayer but it is $75 for a license and while that is a fair price, I'd rather find something free and open source with an active community around it. I'm looking for something to manage .flv and .mp3 files and would appreciate some more options. Thanks!

Help improve my sound!

aladfar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:44:19 -0800

Help improve my sound! After listening to some pristine, rich & dynamic music at a friend's studio, I've decided to improve my own setup. The catch? I don't want to spend thousands and have no interest in audiophile snake oil. Recommendations? Details on my existing gear inside. Note: I should point out that I was listening to uncompressed AIFF audio at the studio. While I've no plans to get rid of my MP3 files, I want to get the most out of my vinyl and lossless digital.

My current setup:
Mac w/iTunes
Small Mackie Mixer (A glorified switcher, sometimes used for podcasting)
Pro-Ject Phono Preamp
Pro-Ject Debut III Turntable
M-Audio Stereophile Monitors

What I heard at the studio:
Mac w/iTunes
Apogee Ensemble D/A Converter
Mackie HR824 Monitors

Is there a nice spot in the middle? Should I ditch the powered monitors and pursue an amplified solution? Recommendations would be much appreciated. I'm open to anything, but would like to keep things at or below (preferably below) $1k. Thanks!

Oh dear, its the audio media server question again!

softlord — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:32:48 -0800

So, I have about 1400 CDs and I'd like to be able to listen to them at any time from a server at several locations through out the house. Whats new in the world of media servers? Ideally I'd like a storage box that I can rip CDs to that connects to some kind of base unit that transmits wirelessly to receivers connected to my various stereos. Whether this is a full computer or just a NAS is not a concern (although I'd like to avoid having to have a full machine powered on every time i want to listen to music)

Would be great if it could do DVDs as well, but thats not essential.

Is it still Windows Media Center and Soundbridge/Roku/Squeezebox in terms of solutions? Is there an out-of-the-box way to do this at this point?

The thought of ripping 1400 CDs is painful enough without dealing with any additional thoughts of complicated configuring, spotty wireless, etc.

Will my old speakers work with a new receiver?

paulus andronicus — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 20:29:41 -0800

I'm interested in buying a stereo receiver, but I want to make sure it will work with the 17 year old speakers I have. I've been given a pair of unpowered speakers. I've been led to believe that at one point they were relatively nice (I believe that in 1991 they were about $2200 total). But, I'm far from an audiophile, so I'd like some advice.

As far as I can tell, the speakers are from a company called Soundwave and the specific model is "Silhouette". I've been unable to find any information about the company or speakers, but my google-fu may be weak. Luckily, the previous owner saved a copy of the spec sheet, an image of which you can find here. You can find a picture of the speakers here.

Are these any good? Are they going to work with any receiver that I can buy these days? I'm reading about features like "50 watts x 2 (stereo) into 8 ohms (20-20,000 Hz) at 0.08% THD", but the spec sheet says the speakers are 4 ohms nominal (whatever that means) and that they're rated for 30-200 watts. Does that mean I should be looking for receivers with higher a wattage? What about the ohm difference?

I'm looking for something in the $100-$200 price range, I think, and right now I'm considering the Onkyo TX-8222. Is that reasonable, or am I way off base here?

Anything else I should be aware of

RSS to Audio in Automator

jasmarc — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 09:49:55 -0800

How can I operate on individual articles from an RSS feed in Automator? Ultimately I am trying to create audio tracks of my feeds - one track per articles. I know that you could do "Get Specified URL" then "Get Text From Articles" and then "Text To Audio File" however this will create a single audio track of all the articles. I want to bust the articles out as individual tracks.

I've never run a business before!

Spyder's Game — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 13:41:13 -0800

I am trying to start up a wedding video business. What do I need to know? I already have two Canon XL2's - a camera stabilizer - a tripod, and Final Cut Pro (I even know how to use it!).

I would like to break into wedding videos. I'm in the process of editing down the four free weddings I've done so far, and will be putting together a website when I get a good reel edited together. I'm trying to go for a more high-end artistic looking wedding video. Not the boring set-it-up-on-a-tripod-and-let-it-roll kind of video. I'm an editor by trade, and I'm learning the camera skills more and more every day.

What do I need to know about liability? What do I need to know about contracts? How do I get business? What can I do to increase business? What should I watch out for? Do I absolutely HAVE to have HD cameras? (I just bought the Canons and they have 24fps capability and can shoot 16x9) What about wireless mics? What do I do if I screw something up irreperably?

In short, I have most of what I need - how do I make this business fly? In the beginning I won't be relying on this as my sole income, so there's some wiggle room. Help me out, HiveMind, what do I need to know?!?

Business based in So.Cal, if it helps.

Fireworks Mixtape.

Del Far — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:34:35 -0800

Help me make a play list of music that has to be listened to while watching fireworks. I love fireworks, but I really don't have a good playlist to match that love of said fireworks. I'm not exactly looking for patriotic songs, since there is already an AskMe question about that, this is just looking for awesome fireworks songs. What songs have you listened to while watching fireworks that really did something for you emotionally? Do you know of any songs about fireworks? Do you feel that there are any cliched songs that still need to be listened to even if they are cliched? Any suggestions will be totally rad. Thanks a lot and have an awesome July 4th everyone.

Help a noob get a basic surround sound speaker system that will be worth the effort.

dino terror — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:55:16 -0800

Help a noob get a basic surround sound speaker system that will be worth the effort. I've never had a surround sound system but I think it could be better than just my TV speakers for things like playing PS3 games and watching Blu-Ray movies that I'm willing to throw say $400 bucks at it.
My PS3 supports DTS HD Master Audio, the latest thing in the world of stereo system upgrades, and my HDTV has these new fangled jacks for digital optical audio.
I am not an audiophile. I just want to experience the sensation of spatial audio ie. hearing the bad guys coming up behind me.
I am thinking: 5.1 channels, doesnt need to be powerful as the living room is average sized and I'm not a fan of cranking up the volume. I just want to make sure that everything will support the surroundsound instructions, ie. so that when a bad guy is behind me it actually comes through the rear speakers because this information makes it from my PS3 to my rear speakers. Whether it has to be Dolby, DTS, or analog, I dont care.

That's not logical

god particle — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 17:31:52 -0800

In Logic 8, when I try to import an audio (aif) file exported from Ableton Live, Logic slows down the audio file significantly. The track from Ableton Live was at 160bpm, and even when I set Logic's project tempo to 160bpm, the audio file plays back at less than half that tempo. I feel like I'm overlooking something really obvious, but I'm having trouble finding the solution anywhere. How do I import the audio file without Logic messing things up?

People and Quandaries

Stonestock Relentless — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:43:20 -0800

Today on the corner of 6th Avenue and 20th Street, right next to the Avalon (which used to be the Limelight), there was a burnt mattress and a pile of furniture. On a small dresser there was an unlabeled Memorex CD-R. I put it in my bag, out of curiosity. All that was on it was a single short audio track. Now, I'm not about airing people's dirty laundry, if I had found dumb party pictures, I would have just tossed it.
Now my question:
Anyone heard it before?

convert vocals only from mp3 to midi for Ultrastar import?

nolnar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 06:42:36 -0800

convert vocals only from mp3 to midi for Ultrastar import? Is there today some fairly effective program for converting only the vocals from a mp3 music file (the file contains other instrument so the vocals need to be singled out) to a midi track that can later be imported to the PC Singstar clone Ultrastar?

When searching for "mp3 to midi conversion" in general one finds many negative answers claiming either that it is impossible or that the tools available give poor results ( http://ask.metafilter.com/17312/MP3-to-MIDI ).

But I want to know if things are different when (1) only the vocal track is needed and (2) the purpose of the midi is to be imported into Ultrastar (it may not need to be as exact to work well there as for other midi purposes, I speculate).

New car stereo solution?

ObscureReferenceMan — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:37:40 -0800

Car stereo solution for someone non-technical. I have a 1990 Acura Legend with original stereo & speakers, but the 10-disc changer my brother installed is having issues (discs aren't always recognized, and the remote is broken). And the rear speakers are buzzing. So I'm in the market for something new. I don't want to spend more than $500 (for stereo and speakers). My requirements:
- Input for iPod (will be purchasing that soon also)
- Should play at least one CD (in case on a road trip, someone brings tunes)
- Some kind of equalizer (not just treble/bass control)

My question is not so much "which unit" (but I welcome input/feedback), but "where to go?". My gut tells me BestBuy. I've browsed, and they seem to have a decent selection, and installation is minimal. Or do I go to a car stereo place? There are plenty on Long Island (suggestions for/against would also be appreciated). Would $500 get me something good?

One qualification: I do NOT want to buy individual components and install them myself (I know it's cheaper). I am NOT handy. I CANNOT do electrical installation. This is non-negotiable. Sorry.

Any other suggestions (units to be aware of +/-, forums, review sites, etc.) are welcome. Thanks!!

Make some noise

skylar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:54:57 -0800

I've just bought a second-hand Shuttle XPC computer with an Nvidia sound card. One fault is bugging me: no sound through the analogue audio outs or headphone sockets on the front or back, even when the operating system volumes are set to maximum. However, I have been told that the previous owner used the optical audio out. Is it possible that he could have disabled the analogue sound somehow? If so how might I re-enable it?

Audio Technician Gear?

AltReality — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:32:25 -0800

What is included in a typical sound technician's kit when recording scenes for TV or Movies? I am looking into all the potential uses of a degree in sound engineering, and was looking at the idea of TV and Movies...I notice the sound guys who hold the boom mic's have the lines run into a belt-pack kind of thing..I'm guessing a mixer and power supply, and then I guess they lead out to the camera?

So my question:
What is included in a typical sound technician's kit when recording scenes for TV or Movies?

Thanks,
AltReality

Where has the sound gone??

globetrotter30 — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:23:15 -0800

I'm testing out video clips with my Samsung L100 digital camera. Video quality is great, but the audio sounds like it's a million miles away. Anyone else had this problem? I just bought a Samsung L100 camera, primarily because I wanted something cheap but with better video capabilities than my 4-year old Minolta. The video quality (and everything else) is greatly improved, BUT I've noticed on playback that the audio on video clips is almost inaudible. Even with all volume settings at their highest on my computer, voices that had been recorded even a foot from the camera are extremely faint; by comparison, they're blasting when taken from the same distance with my Minolta. I'm sure I'm not covering the microphone, and that it's not set to "mute" when recording. The strange thing is that I read dozens and dozens of customer and pro reviews before buying, and not a single one that I saw mentioned bad sound on the video clips. Hmmm. I guess I'm just wondering if it's potentially a faulty microphone with this particular camera, or if there's some trick I'm missing, or if this is par for the course with entry-level digicams these days - maybe my Minolta just had super-human powers? Unfortunately the store where I bought it is quite a distance a way, so I can't just pop over to test out another unit. Would appreciate any input that could help me decide whether or not to research a replacement camera before I do trek back to the store!

Digital noise recording to Mac Pro

wubbie — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 19:24:44 -0800

I'm trying to record audio on my Mac Pro from a hardware source using the digital Line In on the Mac, but am only getting "digital noise" as the recording. I'm trying to record audio from a hardware source (in this case, an Xbox 360) by hooking up the Xbox's digital Audio Out to the Mac Pro's digital Line In via optical cable.

However, when I set the Mac's Input to Digital In and record, only noise is recorded (it's a loud, fast-tempo clicking sound, like a baseball card flapping in a bicycle spoke.)

I've tried recording with a few different apps, including Audacity, Garageband, and Audio Hijack Pro, all with the same result.

The strange thing is that Audio Hijack's preview (and a shareware app like LineIn's) passthrough "preview" of the input is fine. I can hear the audio source from the Xbox 360 playing through the Mac, but the recording is still just digital noise, with no sign of the actual audio intended to be recorded.

Is there some reason this shouldn't work? Do I need to use specific frequency settings for the recording? Is there some sort of "protection" in OS X (or 360) in place to prevent this sort of recording? Or is it a bug in the Mac Pro and/or OS X?

Help me set up my new 5.1 surround sound speakers!

Effigy2000 — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 03:23:51 -0800

I just bought a 5.1 home theatre system. The speakers are Klipsch; the receiver is a Yamaha RX-V363. I'm having some (read; a lot) setup problems that I'm hoping the hive mind could help me out with. Specifically, I'm having trouble getting sound out of my PS3 and a picture and sound out of my Wii. Hope me! OK, so this is the first time I've ever tussled with a 5.1 surround system so this is a bit new for me. Normally I'm pretty good setting things up like this with a bit of trial and error but I've been at this for a few hours now and I'm at my wits end.

I'm doing some things right though. I have my iPod dock hooked up to the receiver (via the portable connection at the front of the receiver) and sound is running from my ipod through my speakers beautifully. So it's safe to assume the speakers are connected properly.

The first problem is that my PS3 isn't giving me any sound. I'm running an HDMI cable from the PS3 to the HDMI port marked 'DVD' on the receiver (see this picture of the back of my receiver for a clearer picture of what I'm talking about). From there of course I run another HDMI cable from the HDMI out port on the back of the receiver to the HDMI In (1) port on the back of my TV, which is a Sony Bravia 40" LCD. I am getting a picture from the PS3 just fine. No sound though, which is a major bummer.

I have a theory about what may be needed to fix this. As you'll see from here's this diagram of the back of my TV, there are two HDMI In ports; HDMI In (2) has audio ports next to it. I'm assuming if I had an audio cable I could run a cable from my receiver to these ports on the back of my TV. I'm just a little confused as I've always managed to run sound and video through the single HDMI cable into the HDMI In (1) port on my TV. I'd test this out but it's night where I am and no shops are open (I need to buy this cable). In the meantime I just want to ask if I'm on the right track here?

As for my Wii, it usually runs through to the TV via component cables. With the arrival of the home theater system, it had been my hope to run the component cables into one of the component cable connections at the back of the receiver. No such luck. Switching to the DTV/CBL channel on my receiver (where I had plugged the Wii cables into), I got both no sound and no picture. I have no theories how to fix this at this stage.

I've also run the auto audio setup thing the receiver has, and I've fooled around with the 'scene' settings like the manual says. No luck.

And I've told the PS3 via it's menu to run sound through the HDMI port. As you can guess, still no luck.

To help you help me (and just in case you missed the earlier links), here's some pictures of the front and back of the receiver. Also here's something of a diagram of the back of my TV. With these pictures I'm hoping it makes it easier for any tech experts out there to tell me exactly what needs to be plugged where.

Please help me!!!

Where can I find Japanese monster movie samples?

awfurby — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 21:50:03 -0800

Where can I find a good source of audio samples from Japanese monster movies? My band has recorded a song about being abducted by a giant electric flying insect and we need a couple of voiceovers to drop in to the song - something along the lines of "It's coming this way!!" or "No-one can escape Mothra/Godzilla/other monster's raging fury", or something similar. The samples can be in English, but Japanese is preferable. Does anyone know of an online resource that has something like what we're looking for?

Whether Wireless Audio?

SansPoint — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:08:42 -0800

Does anyone have any experience with Bluetooth Stereo Transmitters? I'm looking for a wireless speaker solution for my laptop. I've been looking at trying to find a wireless speaker solution for my MacBook. There are all-in-one Bluetooth speaker sets, but their sound quality is unknown. I'd rather use my JBL Creature IIs in some wireless fashion. I've seen a few Bluetooth wireless stereo transmitters, such as this one by Sony.

Has anyone had any experience using something like this to make normally wired speakers go wireless? How about on a Mac? (I know Leopard supports A2DP) Am I barking up the wrong tree? Should I just keep my laptop tethered to the speakers at home?

I know the AirPort Express does wireless audio, but I have a Time Capsule, and I really don't need/want another wireless router.

Lado A / Lado B

kowalski — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:42:48 -0800

Where can I find recordings of a voice saying "Side A" and "Side B" in Spanish, to reuse on a tape I'm making? I'll be satisfied to pull them out of larger audio if I need to, but my usually extensive capacity at google is failing me here. A tip of my hat to anyone with a suggestion!

Identifying birdsong computationally

primer_dimer — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 03:33:39 -0800

Is it feasible to identify different birdsongs computationally? So I've recently moved to a house with a big garden, and have become interested in identifying the different types of birds that visit. I wondered, since different bird songs are so well known, whether one could computationally identify birds by their songs. I was thinking along the lines of

1) stick a microphone in the garden and record a few hours of audio
2) some sort of preprocessing step; work out what frequencies are dominated by background noise, maybe cluster the individual songs in some way (since most will be repeated many times during the recording period)
3) use a neural network or such to assign a probability score for each bird (maybe take into account the location & time of year, in a Bayesian scheme)

Possible complication: if there are a lot of birds singing at the same time, their songs may always overlap - but still, given technology like this it seems like it should be possible. Or maybe you could use two mikes, and use the phase shift in the recording to distinguish songs coming from different places?

YAGFF (Yet Another Google-Fu Failure)

jpdoane — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:42:44 -0800

I read something online a few weeks ago about a new open source tool for audio recording amd processing. I have searched my RSS feeds and via Google, and haven't found it. It wasn't Audacity. I do believe its title was a single word, perhaps beginning with 'R'. I thought it was developed by the same guy(s) that did Winamp or Skype or something (but Googling with this fact hasn't helped me)