Noticed automatic noise reduction & artefacts after recording. Any way to disable this?

[Ninarama]

First of all, it's funny how many post on this forum are about how to USE and ENABLE noise reduction. But my case is quite the opposite.

I just made some recordings using my NI KOMPLETE Audio 6 interface and a good Sony condenser microphone.
First I wondered about how there was almost no noise in the silent parts. I know that even though the mike is good, it still has a some audible noise, or you could hear at least some ambient noise.
Then I took a look at the spectral display. There were "dark bands" that consisted through the whole recording, looking like there were frequency notches, one at 2.6kHz and one at about 6.1 kHz. The screenshot only shows a small portion, these notches are on every recording, regardless of the audio source. And everything above 8khz was cut-off almost completely (Yes, the recording is set at 48.000 Hz) but there you can see a tiny little spike above 8khz on the frequency analyzer.
And after all, when listened to closely, you could hear those typical "noise reduction"-artefacts that sound similar to a very very highly compressed mp3 file with a slightly metallic touch to it.
So I happen to receive a massively processed audio recording although I didn't setup anything like that (acutally, it was the very first start of the 2018 Audition version)

I tested again to record with Reaper, no artefacts or anyhting like that there. Clean recording.

So I really wonder: Is there an "automatic noise reduction" setting hidden somewhere deep in the program where I can turn that thing off?!

There are for sure no FX in my effects rack, it's just hitting the record button, nothing else.

As the 2018 releases are quite "troubled", maybe this is some kind of bug? A feature to be implemented but accidentially enabled by default?

[SteveG_AudioMasters_ · Accepted solution]

Audition only ever records what it's sent by your sound device, and that applies just as much to the current release - no hidden bugs or anything like that. But... what driver are you using with audition? ASIO or something else? This recording looks rather as though it's been troubled by Windows' internal resampling and messing about system...

And FWIW, Audition has no ability, hidden or otherwise, to process any signals at all on the way in, and record them in that state. That's been the same for ever, and always will be. Yes you can get Audition to process and spit out signals again with processing on using real time monitoring, but there's no way that ever gets recorded directly - you have to loop it back in if that's really what you want to record (although heaven knows why anybody would want to do this)

[Ninarama]

Thanks for mentioning the driver, I was actually recording through "MME". Although I couldn't find any settings in the windows "recording device" section that are related to that behaviour. At least for "playback devices" you could disable or enable stuff like "Dolby" or "Surround Sound". Nothing like that seems to be available for recording.
Maybe it has to do with my new computer - or windows 10. My last computer didn't show any difference between MME and ASIO when recording.

Using ASIO solved the problem, everything works as it should be.

I suspected Audition, because it really sounded like the built-in noise reduction plugin. Maybe Windows has implemented something similar to "help" people who're not professionally using audio to make cleaner recordings.

Thank you very much!

[aaronc77278719]

There is a simple answer... Use the noise reduction tool, but use a low setting that doesn't eliminate the entire background. Do this a few times. I find using multiple iterations of a low noise reduction introduces less "squibble" than hitting it hard all at once.

That or get Isotope RX Denoise, it's much better. You have to remember, most 3rd party plugins START at $100. If you do the math, you're paying pennies or $1-$5 per plugin in Audition. Sometimes, you get what you pay for.

[SteveG_AudioMasters_]

aaronc77278719  wrote

There is a simple answer... Use the noise reduction tool

No this is not an answer - under any circumstances. The problem is already fixed - at source, as it should be.

[Brooklyn Cooke]

Because everyone has a Whisper Room, right?

I believe the question was what to do if it's unavoidable, in which case it IS ABSOLUTELY an answer. It's all over tutorials from many top producers and engineers.

BTW - you seem like a wonderful human being.

[SteveG_AudioMasters_]

jerichok20644425  wrote

I believe the question was what to do if it's unavoidable, in which case it IS ABSOLUTELY an answer. It's all over tutorials from many top producers and engineers.

Neither those words, nor the sentiment, occurred anywhere in the OP's original post, which you've either not read, or not understood. The problem was simply that of using an inappropriate driver. It's fixed. Where does any other software enter into this? Yes, that's correct - it doesn't.

Yes, I am a truly wonderful human being - you got that bit right, anyway!