Question about filtering walking sounds from audio files

[rowdt1]

Hey guys,

For my job I mostly record the conversations with clients so later on I can work it out and use the information. Most of the time this goes without any problem: when we're sitting down, I just use my iPhone and the recording is perfect. However, now and then I tend to talk a walk with clients. I also record these files. But when I relisten them and try to "decode" the information, it's incredibly hard to do. You can imagine that it also records every step I take.

Does anyone of you know how I can filter out my steps and only (or most of) hear what we're saying? I can't find any solution for this problem..

Thanks a lot!

 

[keysofanxiety]

Hey guys,

For my job I mostly record the conversations with clients so later on I can work it out and use the information. Most of the time this goes without any problem: when we're sitting down, I just use my iPhone and the recording is perfect. However, now and then I tend to talk a walk with clients. I also record these files. But when I relisten them and try to "decode" the information, it's incredibly hard to do. You can imagine that it also records every step I take.

Does anyone of you know how I can filter out my steps and only (or most of) hear what we're saying? I can't find any solution for this problem..

Thanks a lot!

There are likely better tools to do this, possibly through Logic Pro X, but you can give the free application Audacity a quick go, and then try the Noise Reduction feature. Basically you sample a bit of background audio and it digitally goes through the track to remove the sound. In my experience it's actually surprisingly good, so I definitely think it's worth you giving it a go.

If this isn't good enough, please let me know and I'll look into better applications for the feature you're looking for!

 

[milliepuppy]

use a better/ more directional external microphone .. you'll never 'easily' edit out something as irregular as foot steps .. ...

 

[Luap]

Izotope RX is very very good for that kind of thing. It's not cheap though unfortunately.

 

[kohlson]

As mentioned above, try using Audacity (free) to sample the footstep and then use that as part of the noise removal process. Also, most people's voices fall into a narrow frequency range. Try creating a filter (high- and/or low-pass) to remove audio from outside the speaker's frequency range. This is easier to do with Audition than Audacity, but the latter can be made to work.

 

[pianoman88]

Izotope RX is very very good for that kind of thing. It's not cheap though unfortunately.

Agree. That's what I use to remove unwanted artifacts.

 

[MrAverigeUser]

use a better/ more directional external microphone .. you'll never 'easily' edit out something as irregular as foot steps .. ...

YES!
That´s it!

The best "noise filtering" is always to prevent noise being recorded! because with postproduction filters you ALWAYS will filter also a part of the frequencies being the sound of interest (= in that case voice).
With an external Mic you can also easily eliminate wind distortions by using a little device covering the top of the mic (costs just some bucks…)

 

[xb2003]

Filtering can only do so much. Setting a high pass filter could help some, and it's possible that you could even EQ some of it out, though the more of that you do the less "natural" it will sound.

I more directional mic would likely help unless it was too directional to pick the voices up, and some sort of shock mount could even help some.