The Problem
Noise reduction is a powerful tool for helping to remove the air conditioners, computer hums, and unidentifiable whines that riddle the background of countless sounds. Unfortunately, to remove noise, it’s almost inevitable that the part of the sound we want to keep is altered.
The Solution
To minimize this effect, sound designers can adjust the balance between the original and noise-reduced version of the sample. However, manually adjusting this balance gets increasingly difficult when you have many recordings to sift through. Reaper’s parameter modulation system allows for automating this process, reducing the amount of noise reduction whenever the original sound increases in level. Check out the video below for a full breakdown on the process!
Test it Yourself
Here are some clips that have been processed using this technique. Unfortunately, my site only allows for embedding the compressed .mp3 format, but if you’d like to download the full quality original files to check out on your own, I’ve linked a zip folder below. Enjoy!