Description
BIAS SOUNDSOAP NOISE REDUCTION AND AUDIO RESTORATION SOFTWARE - FOR MAC AND PC
These software 'plug-in' and stand-alone versions of the SoundSoap 2 audio-restoration and noise-reduction tools are suitable for both the Macintosh and Windows XP platforms. SoundSoap plug-ins are useful tools for archiving and audio restoration work.
BIAS was founded in 1994. Their range of audio plug-in solutions for both the Macintosh and Windows platforms has grown in reputation over this time.
File Formats Supported
Compatible with software from Adobe, Apple, BIAS, Cakewalk, Digidesign, MOTU, Sony (Sonic Foundry), Steinberg, or, in fact, any Audio Units, DirectX, RTAS or VST-compatible host software.
The stand-alone version of SoundSoap 2 supports most QuickTime or Windows Media compatible audio or video files including AVI, DV, WAV, SDII, AIFF, MP4, MP4 (ACC) and more.
Platform and Hardware Requirements
RAM: 128MB minimum. Hard disc: 20MB available free space. Colour monitor, minimum 1024 x 768 resolution. Plug-in requires compatible Audio Units, RTAS or VST host application.
Macintosh Platform Requirements
G4, G5, or Intel-based Mac, 500MHz processor or greater recommended. Macintosh OSX 10.4.3 or higher required. The stand-alone edition of SoundSoap 2 requires QuickTime 6.5 or greater
Windows Platform Requirements
Intel CPU, P3 or greater, or Athlon CPU, with SSE instructions, 800MHz processor or greater recommended. Windows XP Home or Professional, Vista and Windows 7 compatible. Stand-alone edition of SoundSoap 2 requires QuickTime 6.5 and Windows Media 9 or greater.
Licensing and Support
Bias products are licensed for use on a single computer. The license entitles the user to run the software on either a Windows or Macintosh platform but not both. Software authorisation is via a serial number that is activated online. Technical support and software updates are available online at www.bias-inc.com . Educational establishments, schools, colleges and universities, may qualify for discounts and multi-user licences. Contact Sales for further information.
BIAS SoundSoap 2
SoundSoap 2 is a cost-effective, easy to use, noise-reduction tool that can be used either as a plug-in with a suitable host program or as a stand-alone utility. Reducing tape-hiss, clicks and crackles, buzzing, hum, rumble, and most other types of unwanted noise dramatically, the application has a simple and straightforward user interface.
The software has a 'learn noise' feature to identify and remove broad-band noise, which can then be fine-tuned by the user if desired. The 'wash window' gives a spectrogram view of the audio, pre and post processing, to confirm visually what is heard. Processing can be bypassed for comparison and the user can also monitor the 'noise only' to confirm that only unwanted material is removed. A 'preserve voice' mode ensures that the human voice is left untouched by the noise reduction processing whilst the 'enhance' control can restore missing frequencies to old tape recordings. Hum removal is optimised at 60Hz and 50Hz and a 'remove rumble' function filters noise below 40Hz.
The stand-alone version has transport controls and locators to navigate and isolate sections of the file being processed, as well as the capability to process audio embedded in video files.
BIAS SoundSoap Pro 2
Taking noise reduction one step further BIAS offer SoundSoap Pro. The comprehensive approach combines four noise-reduction and audio restoration tools in a single plug-in.
Broad-band noise is dealt with across 512 distinct audio bands, controlled with 12 threshold and reduction sliders. The attack and release of the noise reduction process is configurable. The 'hum and rumble' tool effectively eliminates buzzing and hum from RFI, EMI and other sources in the 20Hz to 500Hz region, with user control over frequency and bandwidth. The user can include up to ten harmonics of the selected fundamental frequency if desired. The 'click and crackle' tool is helpful for digital transfers of vinyl records, also a useful problem solver for 'pops' and other brief transient problems. The user has control over the click and crackle threshold to ensure that transients that are required are not affected. The last restoration stage is a fully integrated noise-gate. Threshold, attack and release controls are complimented by a wave-form display that aids the user to eliminate any noise that may still be present between the desired content.
Parameter settings from all four or individual elements of the plug-ins can be stored for later recall and the user can also compare easily between four settings and tool combinations. All four elements have a 'noise only' listen facility, as well as spectrogram display to aid the noise reduction process. New to version 2 is an automatic adaptive noise reduction algorithm that allows noise profiling even when there is no silence in the program material to determine a noise ‘fingerprint’.