- ReaFir by Cockos (@KVRAudio Product Listing): ReaFIR features: FFT based dynamics processor (requires host plug-in delay compensation). Supports FFT sizes of 128-32768. Useful in/out frequency response display. Supports defining response curves both using any number of points, or freehand mouse. EQ - can be used as a linear phase mastering EQ, or as a super-effective.
- Wavasour is a feature rich audio editor, and is a very good free software to reduce noise from audio.Noise reduction is not a native feature on this software, however you can reduce noise from audio with the help of a plugin. The plugin is known as ReaFIR VST plugin.
- REAPER for Mac is a complete digital audio production application, offering a full multitrack audio and MIDI recording, editing, processing, mixing and mastering toolset. REAPER supports a vast range of hardware, digital formats and plugins, and can be.
- Improve your projects with quality free vst instruments & effects for download. Vst presets / patches and free synth vst plugins available for download.
Reaper audio recording software is awesome, and is what I recommend to everyone. I use it every day. And I also seem to learn something new about it every day. It has an incredible noise reduction tool built right in that I just discovered recently.
Nov 28, 2015 “TDR NOVA is a parallel dynamic equalizer. Appearing in the familiar layout of a parametric equalizer, each band also includes a full featured dynamics section allowing the processor to cover an impressively wide range of applications. ReaFIR is a EQ and dynamics plug-in that includes an FFT spectrum analysis window. Amongst other things it can be used as a precision EQ, a gate, a fast attack/release precision compressor, a noise reduction tool.
The reason I didn't know about it sooner is primarily due to the fact that reducing recorded noise is not its only or primary function. It just happens to do it REALLY well, and non-destructively (if that's not a word already, I hereby create it). The tool is called ReaFIR. I know! Who'd have thought to look for noise reduction editing chops under a moniker like that?
Review of What Noise Reduction Does
First though, let's do a quick review of what noise reduction does for us in the world of recording. There is almost always a bit of background noise in recorded audio. It is especially noticeable in recordings of just one thing, like a single voice.
The noise usually comes from a combination of stuff happening in the space/room where the recording takes place, and the electronics of the microphone and other gear involved. Recordings sound much better if you can reduce the noise, and that is what noise reduction tools are designed to do.
But since the noise and the voice are both together in the same recording, it isn't a perfect process. What noise reduction tools try to do is filter and removing as much noise as it can without also removing too much of the voice.
In order to do this, the software has to know what noise looks like so it can separate it from the signal (voice). So you have to highlight a section of the recording where there is ONLY noise, and no voice, and feed that sample to the noise reduction tool. Once it has the noise profile, it can do its thing.
Enter ReaFIR
Reaper names its effect plugins by using 'Rea' as a prefix (for Reaper), and then the name of the function after it. So ReaFIR means Reaper FIR. So what does FIR mean? It stands for Finite Impulse Response. If you would really like to geek out on what it really means, including all the scary math involved, you can read about it at the Finite Impulse Response Wikipedia page. But the simpler definition for ReaFIR itself from the Reaper manual is:
ReaFIR is a EQ and dynamics plug-in that includes an FFT spectrum analysis window. Amongst other things it can be used as a precision EQ, a gate, a fast attack/release precision compressor, a noise reduction tool.
Obviously it is that last thing we're interested in. Online auto tune converter. In the video below, I walk you through how to use ReaFIR to reduce the hiss noise that happened when I recorded a short voice over. BTW, this video was recorded several years ago (why it says from the 'upcoming' course). That course, The Newbies Guide To Audio Recording Awesomeness - Part 2, has now been around since 2012 and had been updated may times since.
How Does It Work?
So see it in action in the video above. But here is is a written summary of how it works. Once you have recorded some audio onto a track, click the FX button in the track control panel. Then select VST: ReaFIR from the Cockos collection of FX plug-ins.
Next, go ahead and click the “OK” button and then close the ReaFIR window by clicking on the red X in the upper right corner.
Now just highlight/select a section of the voice-over audio that has no voice actually saying anything. In other words, pick a small area that was only noise.
Then click on the Toggle Repeat button (down by the Play and Stop buttons). This is important because it will prevent any of the actual voice signal being played when sampling the noise for ReaFIR. With that area still highlighted, click on the FX button again to open the ReaFIR window.
In the Mode window of the ReaFIR tool, select Subtract, and put a tick into the Automatically build noise profile box. Now hit the Space bar on your keyboard (which will play the audio, which is just the noise at this point). You'll hear it for a second and then it will be gone. That's ReaFIR getting rid of the noise. Now hit the Space bar again to stop playback.
Reafir Vst Free Download Windows 7
The next part is very important! Uncheck the box that says Automatically build noise profile. Otherwise ReaFIR will try to grab your voice and anything else on the track, and treat it as noise. Once you've done that, go ahead and close the ReaFIR window. Now all you have to do is click on the Toggle Repeat button again to turn it off, and listen to the entire track.
Voila! The noise is gone and only the voice remains. Pretty darned cool huh? And I think the result is better than a lot of tools dedicated to removing noise. I didn't hear much, if any, of the weirdness that sometimes happens after noise reduction.
The audio takes on a kind of swirly, under-water-y artifact sometimes. But I didn't hear that in this example. However, there noise we got rid of was a low-level and consistent hiss type of noise.
The louder the noise and the more varied the noise (if it contains lots of frequencies and intermittent clicks, pops, etc.), the more likely you are to have that swirly artifact left over after noise reduction.
So now you know about the secret noise reduction tool at your disposal if you use Reaper. Use it wisely.
Yesterday I posted an article with some tips on how to mix guitars when using amp simulators. One of the more common tricks to get better tone involves adding an equalizer with high pass and low pass filters to the end of the guitar FX chain.
I’ve been testing the free EQ plugins referenced in the article. So far the simplicity and effectiveness of ReaEQ stands out the most. The UI is a bit outdated but everything is laid out visually and it’s easy to learn how things work—it’s not nearly as complicated as some other EQs.
The ReaEQ is part of a package of free plugins from Reaper (the DAW, not the harvester of death). You don’t have to use Reaper or register anything; you can just download the plugins for free and start using them.
The plugin package is called ReaPlugs VST FX Suite (yep, get ready for a whole lot more Rea’s with the Reaper tie-in). It’s only available in VST format and supports Windows and Wine (Windows 8 isn’t listed but they work fine with W8).
There are nine free plugins in the ReaPlugs FX Suite. One good thing about them is they are low on CPU and RAM use. You can choose which ones you want to install; you don’t have to install the stuff you’ll never use.
Free ReaPlugs FX Suite
ReaComp – A highly-configurable compressor plugin with soft knee support, sidechain filters, sidechain inputs, feedback compression mode, and more.
ReaXcomp – An unlimited band compressor with controls for ratio, threshold, knee, attack, release, makeup, program dependent release, feedback detector, RMS size, and more.
ReaDelay – Multi-tap delay plugin with lots of settings and parameters.
ReaEQ – An unlimited band IIR based equalizer with several filters, including a frequency response and phase response display.
ReaFIR – A FFT based dynamics processor with support for defining response curves both using points or freehand by mouse.
ReaGate – A highly-configurable gate plugin with sidechain filters, sidechain input, variable RMS size, etc.
ReaStream – Supports streaming from host to host of audio and/or MIDI over a LAN segment.
ReaJS – Realtime user-editable effects processor with hundreds of included effects, such as delays, compressors, limiters, convolution, distortion, spectral noise editors, analyzers, loop samplers, creative effects.
ReaControlMIDI – Flexible MIDI controls in VST format; automate CC envelopes and bank/program selection, as FX parameters.