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  • Writer's pictureRichard James Newton

Removing Background Noise from Video and Audio Recordings

Updated: Jul 29, 2021

If you’re recording at home or the office, chances are your recordings could benefit from a bit of noise reduction. Read on to find out why you should be using noise reduction and how you can approach this in a few different pieces of software.

 

Contents


Why should you use noise reduction?

What software should you use?

"Voice De-Noise" in iZotope's RX8

"Noise Reduction" effect in Adobe Audition

 
Background Noise Removal in Adobe Audition
 

Why should you use noise reduction?


The very simple answer to this is "frequency masking".


What is frequency masking?


Think of it as two audio signals fighting for your attention. In this case, the background noise in your recording is hiding or “masking” the clarity of your voice.


How does noise reduction solve this?


Noise reduction increases the differences in level between the background noise and your voice. The smallest amount of noise reduction can help reveal or “unmask” the clarity of your voice.


How much is enough?


It’s important to not overdo it. While a small amount can be beneficial, too much reduction can have a very negative effect. Apply reduction in 6dB increments and decide what works best for you. Less is more!

 

What software should you use?


There's a few pieces of software that will allow you to effectively reduce noise in your recordings. Let's have a look at how we can achieve this in iZotope's RX8 and Adobe Audition.

 

Using the Voice De-Noise module in iZotope's RX8



  1. Drag and drop your video or audio file into RX8

  2. Normalize your audio to -6dBFS

  3. Select a portion of noise only. It's very important that you don't have any speech included in this selection.

  4. Open the Voice De-Noise module

  5. Load the Default preset

  6. Switch off Adaptive mode

  7. Click Learn

  8. Set the amount of reduction. Try using as little as possible to achieve the desired results. Less is more.

  9. Deselect the section of noise and select all of your audio.

  10. Click Render

  11. Double-check different parts in your file to make sure you've achieved the desired results.

  12. Make sure you don't overwrite your original file when you save!

 

Using the Noise Reduction effect in Adobe Audition



  1. Open your video or audio file in Audition's Waveform Editor

  2. Normalize your audio to -6dBFS

  3. Open the Noise Reduction Effect

  4. Load the Default Preset

  5. Select a portion of noise only. It's very important that you don't have any speech included in this selection.

  6. Click "Capture Noise Print"

  7. Click "Select Entire File"

  8. Set Noise Reduction to 100%

  9. Set "Reduce by" to the desired amount. Try using as little as possible.

  10. Click "Apply"

  11. Double-check different parts in your file to make sure you've achieved the desired results.

  12. Make sure you don't overwrite your original file when you save!

 

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