WRITTEN BY JEFF SHIFFMAN, CO-OWNER OF BOOM BOX POST
I remember the first time I was on a mix stage, the mixer broke out a software tool that made it look like we were about to decode The Matrix. There were grainy shades of orange in crazy designs. What was I looking at?!?
That tool was the Spectral Repair module from Izotope RX and it’s a modern marvel. Yes, it’s intimidating on first glance, but trust me, it’s so powerful you’ll want to know how to utilize it. And the best part is, Izotope has built it into the basic version of their RX suite; no need for RX Advanced! Since it comes bundled alongside many other useful tools (many other potential blog posts, some of which we’ve already written) it’s a great deal.
I find this tool extremely useful in removing pops, ticks and other unwanted noises from dialogue. So let me take a few moments and introduce you on the most basic level to Izotope’s Spectral Repair and how I use it in my everyday workflow.
Step 1: Loading Spectral Repair
The module is found in the standalone version of Izotope RX, so loading it is not super intuitive. Here’s how. First highlight the audio you want to repair. Now load the Audio Suite plugin RX Connect. A window will pop up where by clicking Send RX Standalone will automatically open, preloaded with your audio. Note: be sure you have the ability to monitor RX Standalone. In my case, I need to have an aux track in my session with the RX Monitor plugin loaded on an insert.
Step 2: Fixing Your Audio
Now comes the fun part. You’ll notice that your audio appears in two forms. The blue image is the representation of your waveform and the orange is the spectrogram. You can use the slider at the bottom left to favor one or the other but I like to keep both in play for reference.
Waveform View
Spectrogram View
Play your audio back (space bar) and stop roughly around the area where you hear your audio issue. You can then use either the zoom tool or the zoom slider to zoom in on the problem spot. If you get lost, there’s a larger timeline view at the top with a box to show you where you are focused. Feel free to slide that around as you navigate.
For the purposes of this blog post, I recorded myself with a problematic finger snap in the background.
Original Audio
Problem Area Time Selection
All Cleaned Up
Selection With Time Tool
The spectrogram is very helpful here. I’m looking for a thin vertical line. Since the snap covers most of the frequency spectrum, I used the Selection with Time tool and highlighted the affected area. Click on Spectral Repair in the modules list on the right to bring up the Spectral Repair window. The default settings tend to work pretty well for me but for these purposes, be sure you are working with the Replace tab. Click Render, listen back and POOF, like magic the finger snap is gone. It’s really remarkable.
Towards the end of my sound demo is an example of something that comes up all the time in my mixes. After the word “Izotope’s” there is a pretty harsh and undesirable mouth tick sound. Let’s remove that as well.
Original Audio
Problem Area Lasso Selection
All Cleaned Up
Selection With Lasso Tool
You’ll notice that the spectrogram for this tick is a bit different than the snap. Since there isn’t much lower frequency information, this is a good chance to demo the Selection with Lasso tool for a more precise selection. Simply draw out exactly what you want to remove. When you let go, the loop will auto-complete itself. Now once again click Render in the Spectral Repair module and it’s gone.
Step 3: Commiting Your Changes
Now that your audio is all cleaned up in RX Standalone, we need to commit the changes to your region in your DAW. Simply click Send Back at the top of the plugin. The RX Connect module will show that it is storing the changes. Make sure your audio is still highlighted in your DAW and click Render in RX Connect. That’s it, you’re all set!
Note: As a workflow routine, I recommend you always keep a copy of the original, untreated audio on an inactive dialogue “X Track” just to be sure you have a fall back, if you need to go back a step.
We’ve just scratched the surface of the breadth and functionality of the Spectral Repair module, but on its most basic level, this is how I use it daily to make my life easier. Sure, you can try and cut around problem areas but it’s not always possible to get clean edits. Plus, the clients are always super impressed when you go “into the Matrix” and magically remove problem audio.