|
It seems that LOTS of people are taking their old recordings and transferring them to CD or into their MP3 player. The result is that the market is getting flooded with a large number of programs that purport to remove noise from these old recordings. Since we make the world's
best and most powerful noise reduction software, we thought it was time for us to address some of these programs and let you know exactly what the real issues are.
Today, a Google search will find quite a number of these programs. They all sound great when you read the marketing text. They are so very easy to use and just plain work wonders with old audio. Heck, they are so easy you just lift your pinky 1/2 inch and, Poof, you have
clean audio. They are all super fast and contain a user interface that a 7 year old could use. Many of them have a 46 color user interface with smiley faces for buttons (which you don't have to really use) and look too cool, dude. Unfortunately, under their "boy
racer" hoods, they have a noise reduction engine that was done in a weekend between parties in the dorm.
You'll find these program with names like Sound Bleach, Sonic Scrubbing Bubbles, etc. They really sound serious, don't they?
So, if you want to record in your audio, remove noise and enhance the resulting audio, why not do it the right way? To help you, here's a list of questions that will let you know what is really important in a top performing audio restoration program.
1. Is the program purposefully designed to do a complete audio restoration job?
This is important. The top selling audio programs out there are editors. An audio editing program is a valuable thing and there are many good ones. However, as these programs have aged, the companies have tended to add more and more
features over time. You'll find that some editors have a "feature" that includes either a built in or optional noise reduction function.
DC SEVEN is not an editor that happens to have a simple noise reduction function added - it is a purpose built program
designed from day one to do this job in the best and most efficient way possible. Rather than the one or two functions offered by other programs,
DC SEVEN offers over 25 real time tools all designed for one task - to make old or noisy audio sound dramatically better. BTW, DC SEVEN
has an outstanding editor in it. It can do all the normal editing chores on files of any size instantly. Remember,
if you buy an editor to do noise reduction, you're also probably paying for a
bunch of features that you'll never use nor care about.
2. Does the program even offer a Waveform Display?
Many of these "toy" programs are so easy to use you don't even need to have a mechanism to allow you to see the audio waveform. Here's the truth - this guarantees that the program will not be able to do a great job over a wide range of audio. Consider this - suppose
you have a record that is very bad at the beginning of a song, but much better at the end - this is common especially on the first track where it got lots of wear. Without a waveform display, and the ability to select a portion of the overall audio, you'll never be able to
successfully restore this audio. Imagine a word processor where you can only select every single word in the file. In contrast,
DC SEVEN allows you to apply any combination of any filters to any portion of the file. There is nothing more flexible in handling a variety of
audio situations than DC SEVEN.
3. What kind of editing are you doing?
Make sure you buy an editor that is designed to do
what you want it to do. If you plan on recording multiple tracks of audio
and building a music or vocal presentation, then our audio restoration products
are not for you. If you are doing restoration, make sure you are buying a
"restoration" software product. Ours are the best, but we don't
mind if you check out the competition. It just makes us look
better. If you want Multi-Tracking...go to our N-Track studio
software. It gives you multiple tracks of recording...makes it easy to
put them together, and doesn't waste your time with "Threachers!"
Threachers is short for Throw Away Features. You'll find these in most of
the bigger audio editors out there. See, these guys have shareholders they have
to consider. To that end, they release many upgrades and need many
features to fill them with. Because of this, you have a feature
overload...unfortunately, while splitting the atom is an interesting
feature...it really doesn't help you get that bass line right in your
song. It also doesn't remove that nasty hum from your favorite vinyl
recording. A software product that makes you a milkshake while you're
waiting is nice, just not practical.
4. Does the program come with a printed manual?
Remember the days when you actually got a manual with your software? You still do with
DC SEVEN. In fact, you get a 380 page printed and spiral bound manual. Yes, it will sit flat on your desk. The manual contains a full run-through for each tool, sections on audio theory, charts with lots of handy to have audio
information, and even a full and complete index. Want to know what RIAA compensation is, what phase means, or what the right needle to use with a 78 RPM record? Just look it up in our manual. In contrast, our competitors typically offer little or no manual.
Our Audio Mentor...while easy, still includes a step by step help system that
tracks right along with your work. You won't need a paper manual because
Mentor is sitting on your shoulder calling the shots as you perform the tasks.
5. Does the program offer real time preview?
This is a must for any useful program. You MUST have the ability to hear the audio while it is being filtered AND you MUST have the ability to change the filter settings WHILE you are listening. Is that enough CAPS?
Some programs only let you hear a snippet of filtered audio after a wait for the calculations to occur. In our opinion, this type of program is useless for audio restoration and it belongs in the toy box, not your PC. The plain, unvarnished truth is that even simple programs have adjustments to their filters and you must be able to hear the results of these adjustments while the audio is playing. There's no other way to do this
right.
All of our restoration products
let you instantly hear the result of your adjustments while you are listening to the audio with any filter, but also lets you hear this with any combination of filters.
DC SEVEN allows you to combine any number of filters together into a Multi-filter and preview and apply them all at one time. In addition,
DC SEVEN will allow you to preview any part of the audio. You don't have to preview the beginning of the piece.
6. Does the program offer Presets?
Remember, we stated that every program offers you at least some control of their filters. The reason is that the programmers know that no single setting can possibly handle a wide variety of noise situations. Even though the marketers will claim in bold type "Easy,
Automatic, Quick and Foolproof", the programmers know you'll need to make some adjustments. Presets are groups of adjustments saved under some (hopefully) descriptive name.
DC SEVEN
contains over 1000 presets with names like "Gentle Scratch and Crackle Remover", "LP Declick Start Point", "Late 1940s 78s", "FeCro2 Cassette Tape with (and
without) NR" and 995 more. Get the idea? There are literally hundreds of presets whose names make it obvious what they are for. Many of our presets combine two or more filters and remember, you can preview and fine tune them all while you are simply listening
to the audio. You can even trade presets with other users of DC SEVEN.
7. Which DC product is best for me?
Here is what we tell people: If you have a
medium to large collection of vinyl or tape, DC SEVEN is probably a good place to
start. It offers a ton of features that are easy to use and you have
unlimited power. If you are new to this whole category and unsure about
yourself in the ways of audio and computers...perhaps Audio Mentor is a better
choice. It is designed to walk you by the hand through the entire
restoration/enhancement/CD making process and explains each stage in easy to
understand terms. You can't go wrong with either product...they both do a
wonderful job...it's just that DC SEVEN offers more than one way to skin a cat!
8.
I can learn a program like Coolaudiodude in 2 minutes. How long for
DC SEVEN?
To use all of the
tools in DC SEVEN could take awhile, but to start doing high quality productive
work...you're looking at 30 minutes until you're up to speed. As stated above, you can be cleaning audio using EZ Clean as soon as you run the program for the first time. To really learn the ins and outs of the program will probably require that you spend a few minutes working the tutorials and referencing the
manual.
If 30 minutes is too much of an investment for
you...Audio Mentor is there to pick up the slack...how about 30 seconds to
install? The software takes it from there.
9. DC SEVEN sells for $199 while AudiomagicWhitenerBrightener sells for $14.32.
A tricycle sells for $29 while a private jet sells for $20 Million. They both provide transportation.
DC SEVEN
is light years beyond simple, cheap programs. If you pay $29 or $89 for a program that doesn't do the job, that's not a very good bargain. You bought a good receiver, good speakers, a good
turntable - DC SEVEN will make more difference than any of them so why not buy a good audio restoration program? If $199 is just too steep for you...perhaps our
Audio Mentor is more in line with your budget at $59. It includes less
tools, but a great deal of power for that price point.
10. Can I ask a question if I have one?
Remember how you used to be able to call companies and actually talk to an expert? You still can with us. Go ahead and give us a call toll free at
866-260-6376. During east coast business hours you'll get a human being answering who know this stuff
inside and out. Tech support is available at 717-764-9240. You'll never wait more than a minute or so. If can't get to you right then, we call you right back on our dime. Go ahead, we dare you, give us a call!
Before you buy any of the competitors, give them a call first to see the result there. After voice mail, and a long wait while you enjoy a repeating message threatening to tape your call, you MIGHT get thru to the newest and most junior person who'll refer to you as "Bud"
and will answer your questions by reading from the same web site you're looking at.
Or worse yet, you'll call only to find that the lead programmer is at baseball practice.
|
