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Sound Forge - Expansion Preset

F

FredRichards

Just wondering if there are any Sound Forge users lurking here who can offer a solution.

In Sound Forge, (ver 9), there are numerous tools like compression and limiting. The one thing I have not found is some kind of overall expansion setting that will help with the following.

Every so often I'll have to rip some audio off a CD of a song. On one Beach Boys CD that I picked up, the content is so darn compressed and limited that the Dorrough meter shows only 2 dB dynamic range. If you look at the waveform on the time line it's one black band of audio, rather than the normal peaks and valleys you would see.

Has anyone come across a setting in a Sound Forge tool that will restore the audio somewhat, or at least make it sound half way decent. Is there any third party Direct-X plug ins around that might do this?

I've tried various settings in "Dynamics" and "Multiband Dynamics" but just can't seem to find the right combination.

Sound Forge tech support has been of no help. The only thing they did was refer me to a web site that explains what compression and limiting is. :-\
 
Won't happen with any real degree of success. There are a few tricks that can help some, but unless you're very skilled, you'll make it worse much faster than you'll make it better. To do this effectively with brickwall-limited audio is almost impossible. With hyper-compressed material, you must determine the original attack, release and ratio used. If a multiband compressor was used, then you must make those determinations for each band. Then you reverse the ratio and use the same attack and release.

The only time I can think of where this can be done effectively, is when something was recorded with a hardware compressor and you can look at the compression settings used. Even that is imperfect, but it can help.

Your best bet is to check amazon.com and see if you can find a copy of the CD that has not been "digitally remastered". Or find an LP and do the transfer yourself.

Emmett
 
I've been dropping back to LPs when I can. The problem is finding the same tracks. A lot of the 50s and 60s stuff is rare as an honest politician.

I still can't figure out why CD manufacturers are wanting to release songs like "Good Vibes" (Beach Boys) with all that compression and limiting. The only thing I can think of is that they are catering to the computer and IPOD people who see loudness as a good thing, or perhaps better background levels. ???
 
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