# Does Anyone Here Use Audacity?



## Lenfer (Aug 15, 2011)

I'm trying to remove hiss from *Gould's Goldberg Variations* using *Audacity*. I'm not sure if it's just my copy of the CD or my ears but there is a dreadful hiss throughout the CD. Does anybody hear this when they listen to it?

I have my music on my computer as lossless files. I was wondering if I remove the hiss with *Audacity* will it still have the same sound quality as before or will I loss quality by doing this?

I know it's rather selfish of me to post this here but I don't know who else to ask.

:tiphat:


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## Dodecaplex (Oct 14, 2011)

Which recording do you have? '55, '64, or '81?


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## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

As long as you choose to export to FLAC, it will be the same quality as before, save for the noise removal.

1. Select a section of the file that contains the hiss and nothing else.
2. Go to Effect > Noise Removal and click "Get Noise Profile"
3. Select all
4. Go to Effect > Noise Removal and click "OK;" I usually use 48dB noise reduction, 0dB sensitivity, 150Hz frequency smoothing, and 0.15s attack/decay time.
5. Go to File > Export, and make sure it saves as "FLAC files."


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

Noise removal when done incorrectly can seriously affect the audio, lossless to lossless transcoding won't lose any quality in terms of numbers, but there will be severe differences in terms of the actual "listenability" if the noise reduction is applied too heavily.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

I use GoldWave, but the process is nearly identical to Audacity's. Excessive noise processing causes dullness and little (but distracting) burble artifacts. The sound is familiar to those who have in their collections early CEDAR processed-from-78 recordings of Beethoven sonatas by Schnabel. The range of tolerable-by-some noise reduction for those extends from minimal (e.g Pearl), through moderate and high-tech (e.g Naxos), to pretty heavy but few burbles (Dante). The EMI processing found on LPs and the direct transfer to CDs suffers from relatively primitive technology; lots of lost frequencies.


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## Lenfer (Aug 15, 2011)

Thanks everyone for your answers I haven't replied as I have been unable to get online for quite some time.

To *Dodecaplex* I have recordings from 1955 and 1981 perhaps I'm showing how ignorant I am but I didn't know about the 64 recording. Off to search *Amazon* thank you. 

I liked your comment in hope you'd see my reply it's been some time since I posted this question.


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