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unauthorizedrob
unauthorizedrob
Inspiring
December 14, 2019
Question

Mysterious hiss resistant to removal

  • December 14, 2019
  • 1 reply
  • 1187 views

Hi

 

I am editing an audiobook, which means extra attention to even slight flaws that might distract from the intimate connection between the listener's ear and the story.  So I am aggravated by an occasional hiss that comes up under the narration.  I have tried all the usual methods for filtering this out, and cannot get it.

 

Editing on an iMac running High Sierra, version 10.13.6, with Audition 2020 13.01.35.

I've attached a sample of where this occurs.  Any suggestions?

 

Thanks

 

Rob

 

 

This topic has been closed for replies.

1 reply

SteveG_AudioMasters_
Community Expert
SteveG_AudioMasters_Community Expert
Community Expert
December 15, 2019

To be honest, I can't hear any background in this at all, and actually, I'd like to. The noise floor in this recording is below what I'd regard as acceptable for a 'natural' sounding environment, and ACX, for instance, have a requirement for realistic levels of room tone, as much to enable successful encoding as anything. The closest I get to anything like 'hiss' is the somewhat isolated sibilants at the ends of words, and they're supposed to be there. But they sound weird in this much isolation.

unauthorizedrob
unauthorizedrobAuthor
Inspiring
December 15, 2019

Hi Steve

 

Thanks, as always, for your reply.

I am unaware of any ACX having "a requirement for realistic levels of room tone."  They do require that each file "must have a noise floor no higher than -60dB RMS," which these do (link).  This has passed their initial quality check and I am formatting the book this way, removing breaths at the specific request of the author, as well as all mouth clicks and sinus squeaks, which can be pesky.  (I am a seasoned hunter of those nasty nasal worms).

As opposed to last year, which you may recall with a wince, when we tried to record in a home-built booth, these were recorded in a professional studio, so they are relatively pristine.  I am monitoring with some very good Shure SRH840 headphones, with the volume turned all the way up and the files are all run through Match Loudness before and after editing set to the ITU-R BS.1770-3 setting with -20 Loudness, 0 LU, and Max true peak at -3.  This file is 20 LUFS, -20.94 dB, -0.300 dB, for example, which is right in the middle of the ACX requirement of between -23dB and -18dB RMS.  


I am pretty comfortable with this and only perturbed at the length of time this is taking. Editing a 15-minute chapter is taking me about 3 hours.   But based on last year's debacle, which started with faulty original recordings and went downhill from there as I tried to filter out the background and destroyed the voice, this is sounding pretty good.   

I guess, based on your reply, I will not worry about this hiss.  

Thanks again.

Rob



https://www.acx.com/help/acx-audio-submission-requirements/201456300

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