Is there a visual tool for cutting peaks in a wave file?

[codec_spurt]

I've just done some acoustic recordings and I need to knock them off quickly.

I don't want to dick about with a compressor/limiter, though I easily could.


I load the file into wavosaur - I have a really nice rms level still with a bit of dynamic range, but the peaks need to be lopped off severely:

Take 1:



Take 2:



This is rough as balls demo stuff. I've wondered before if this could be done - it would save so much time. Once I open a compressor/limiter, I'll start faffing about. It would be great to load it into Photoshop and just choose the 'marquee' tool and select the region et viola.

It would have no impact on the rest of the file.

Wait a minute, I'm having a brainwave - Doesn't something like Schwa's Schope do something similar?

http://www.stillwellaudio.com/plugins/s ... ns/schope/

Not like photoshop, but the next best thing - just viewing the file, making adjustments and seeing its results real time. I demo'd it a couple of years ago, I don't remember. Still it's not as good as just having a tool, selecting, cutting, saving.


Am I more confused than normal for even thinking this might be possible?





(disclaimer: yes, I know photoshop is for graphics, but the rate software is developing these days, you never know...)

[BertKoor]

Sorry, I missed the reason why yoj would not use a (soft knee) limiter, seems to do the job better than you coulx manually.
Set the threshold at -6dB or so, that's where the real peaks seem to be.

[codec_spurt]

Sorry, I missed the reason why yoj would not use a (soft knee) limiter, seems to do the job better than you coulx manually.
Set the threshold at -6dB or so, that's where the real peaks seem to be.

Ok, I'll try that. I knew I could have used a limiter to achieve it, but I thought it would have been more hard knee rather than soft knee. At least that is how I envisage the transfer function working in my mind's eye. With this particular example.

It really was just an innocent, whimsical and dilettantish 'what if' kind of thing. There is nothing in the world that does this, but it could quite easily be achieved if you had some programming chops. And I am not talking about a wizard waving his wand. I wouldn't be able to do it in a million years, but I know enough about programming to know it is possible, in theory at least. Practice is another matter of course.

I know it's a different paradigm so most won't understand it. Did you realise that I just wanted a tool in Wavosaur or whatever to just left drag and select with a mouse and then choose the 'cut all decibels from here' option from the menu when I right click?

But your answer is more valuable to me in real life rather than someone saying 'oh it can't be done'.


Thanks BertKoor. There's no rush.

Btw, is there any particular compressor/limiter you would suggest to carry out this task? One that might be quicker/easier to use?

I have quite a collection at the moment, it's quite likely that I might have one that you suggested.


cheers.

[Sendy]

I tend to use Cool Edit's envelope tool on one-off nasty peaks and spikes. A quick volume down to 50% and then back up again to the region immediately surrounding the spike. For me it's quick and sounds more transparent then compression or limiting.

Cool Edit also has a look-ahead hard limiter which I like to use in multiple passes, lowering the threshold each time. To me, it sounds great and very transparent.

[dusted william]

there is a vst that does just this, I have to find it...

this is a reminder to myself.


will look later tonight or tomorrow.


dw

[Roman Empire]

Gclip will do this for you on the fly, so while the music is playing. You can see it in action here:



Best Regards

Roman Empire

[Keith99]

Does sound like a job for a clipper, I use the recent ClipShifter

[Dean Aka Nekro]

Yes as Roman Empire mentions, A decent clipper would no doubt yield the most consistent results without it sounding peak-limited. I love/use LVC-Audio's ClipShifter 2 for the job of clipping along with the IKMM T-RackS classic clipper and vladg sound's clipper section from Limiter#6

Hope that helps and obviously I could be dead wrong mate. All the best

Dean

[codec_spurt]

and vladg sound's clipper section from Limiter#6

Hope that helps and obviously I could be dead wrong mate. All the best

Dean

Ahh yes... Limiter 6....


Didn't know about that, but I will check it out, that is a damn fine Limiter for sure.

Didn't know about that function though.


I just do it by eye these days. I say, oh that looks about 6Db under, so I'll over it by 6Db and if right, it should just clip the peaks.

Quick and dirty, but seems to work, seeing as there is no visual tool to do it as I asked about. It's not for important stuff anyway..

I just like the idea of using the mouse to draw a marquee like tool over it and lop it off. I'm sure it could be done. It would probably make quite a good first project for an aspiring developer.

Unless there is anyone that could tell me why it is totally unfeasible?


cheers.

[Dean Aka Nekro]

Wrote big reply and a refresh pages wrong button press said farewell to that codec my friend :/ Still what I was thinking and in simple terms kind of like this processing but just 'inverted'
Am I on the same page dude or different ballpark? I know where I mostly end up

Dean

[codec_spurt]

Wrote big reply and a refresh pages wrong button press said farewell to that codec my friend :/ Still what I was thinking and in simple terms kind of like this processing but just 'inverted'
Am I on the same page dude or different ballpark? I know where I mostly end up

Dean

Not only the same page, but the same chapter and book, my good man.

Like a light bulb going on over the old head.


Can't afford it at the moment. But no matter, penciled in for future purchase. Filed under 'Essential'.


I just knew some software out there had to do this.

Thank you Dean.

[Dean Aka Nekro]

So that will do exactly what you want? As in not only repair audio but shave the peaks off also? I didn't look at the complete specs and the 'invert' thing which would be the reverse of clipped peak restoration is the part I don't have a clue about/if it is implemented. Still RX2 is very powerful and demos available...etc. So I'm sure you'll find out, Happy to help dude if it is the tool you've been after

[codec_spurt]

So that will do exactly what you want? As in not only repair audio but shave the peaks off also? I didn't look at the complete specs and the 'invert' thing which would be the reverse of clipped peak restoration is the part I don't have a clue about/if it is implemented. Still RX2 is very powerful and demos available...etc. So I'm sure you'll find out, Happy to help dude if it is the tool you've been after

Well, yes it does it perfectly. I was just looking for a tool that could visually select peaks within a range and then cut them down to size. That does that perfectly. I can't afford it. But I don't really need it either. It was just a what if kind of thing.


As for RX2, it is on my radar don't worry. All those old four track tapes I got running on my Akai MG614 could use a good dose of it.

But yeah, Izotope FTW!

Seriously, that first vid you posted is exactly what I meant.


It would be worth buying for that alone. What tool is it btw? That kind of passed me by.

No matter, a tool exists to do what I wanted.


Nice one!

[Dean Aka Nekro]

The tool/module which he used is the 'declip' one, There is a lot more for other noise/corruption problems. IRRC as its been awhile since I've used it, It is spectral based a lot of the processing and why it also looks so pretty. It runs as plugin also (well each of the processing modules) and standalone with the ability to host VST plugins, Yeah a very nice package I fully agree and for any old tape archiving just the job. I'm sure there are many folks around here that are much more familiar with it than I am...I leave all the horrid noise/artefacts in all there unglory

Catch you soon mate

[codec_spurt]

Ahh, that is good to know.

Nice one Dean, I really appreciate it mate.


cheers.