Can I add highs to parts of a track?

[mystic]

Hello all, I am new here after doing an online search for audio file processing software.

While on vacation a friend of mine had copied a tape for me back in '87 but I did not play that tape until a month after and being in another country at that time I did not bother about it until a few years ago. Seems the machine he had used had some issue as the tape was recorded with the highs cutting off and on.

I had transferred the file to wav via some software I cannot remember which one, might been Goldwave or Audition or Audacity but processing the file did not make much of a difference. I am thinking one cannot add highs to parts of a track which didn't have highs to begin with.

However, today with very advanced softwares maybe it might be possible so I am looking into this. Can anyone tell me if the LMMS Software might be able to normalize the highs on the track please? If not then any other software recommendations which I can look into? Thanks.

[musikbear]

Hello all, I am new here after doing an online search for audio file processing software.

Hi, Welcome to the Forum mystic !
Here are all important links:
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Can anyone tell me if the LMMS Software might be able to normalize the highs on the track please? If not then any other software recommendations which I can look into?

If i understand you correctly, The information is not there, so there is nothing to work on(?) If so, I doubt you will be able to do that.
But! is it more like information still there but low volume(?)
Then i can think of some methods that would at least improve the files
Can you make a short except where the issue is clearly audible ~1-2 mins or audio, then upload on a file service, and post the link here. Then i will take a look at it -No promises, but it sounds like a fun project ;)

[mystic]

Thank you very much. Will do. As I had digitized both the A and B sides of the tape the files are very long so I will need to cut out a minute or two or since it's already on my google drive, can I send you the link or would you still prefer I cut and upload only up to 2 minutes of it?

You've raised a good point. My thinking is maybe the highs is on there but at low volume since the highs were cut off and on at different points in the mix. I think that if the highs were to stay cut off from the 1st instance then it would not appear again on it's own unless there was some movement of the machine's tape recoding head.

It is a reggae mix done by a local DJ in Trinidad while I was there on Vacation back in 87.

[brandystarbrite]

I had transferred the file to wav via some software I cannot remember which one, might been Goldwave or Audition or Audacity but processing the file did not make much of a difference. I am thinking one cannot add highs to parts of a track which didn't have highs to begin with.

Did you use the Audacity's normalize effect? That thing normally boosts low frequencies.

Trinidad? That tropical country is nice.

[mystic]

Yeah the Normalize effect did not help. I would need something more powerful than that.

[mystic]

When i can think of some methods that would at least improve the files
Can you make a short except where the issue is clearly audible ~1-2 mins or audio, then upload on a file service, and post the link here. Then i will take a look at it -No promises, but it sounds like a fun project

Ok I have cut out about a one minute clip where you will first hear with little highs but then at the .29 mark you will hear the highs get to normal level.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_DchYf ... sp=sharing

Also this can be seen when comparing these 2 screenshots:

https://i.postimg.cc/SxxTnFbZ/audio.png

https://i.postimg.cc/MKWtL2HW/audio2.png

As you can see when comparing both files the 16k level is much lower without the highs in fist screenshot when compared to the 2nd.

[musikbear]

Ok I have cut out about a one minute clip where you will first hear with little highs but then at the .29 mark you will hear the highs get to normal level.

sadly this is a mp3. That is a lossy format, so the lost information is not there any more.
To be able to 'lift' the high end, we would need a wave-recording, because it would still have the hight nd, it would 'just' be at a low volume.
That is not the case for the mp3. it is wyHiwyg. No data to enhance :/
On top of that, the compression to mp3 creates 'discrepancies' That is not a big deal in a one-go, but the idea i had was to overlay the high-end data until it had same level in the frequencies as the mid-area. That mean perhaps 10 overlays, and then you can indeed hear those 'discrepancies'!
That is the issue with lossy formats like mp3. They are fine as playback-media, but useless as Master.

[mystic]

I see, what if I were to record again from the tape to wav via Audacity?

[musikbear]

I see, what if I were to record again from the tape to wav via Audacity?

Yes, wave is lossLESS, so at least the mp3- imperfections would not be an issue, when the low-end is multiplied. Try and make a test of around 2 mins of CD-quality wave recording, but do not oversample! That would again 'disguise' frequencies, and make imperfections
Have you tried to examine if it is identical parts that are flawed, if you play the TAPE twice?
If it is, then the fail was in the recording process. If NOT then its the role-player you use now, that has an issue

[mystic]

Yes, it's always on the same parts of the track.

It's definitely not the tape player as I have tried this tape on a few different players.