I posted this some time ago, but now that I have a few blind friends who are involved in programming, and especially the musical side of things, I figured I would try again. To summarise. I want to see if it is possible to make pre-electric recordings sound like early electric ones. So one from 1903 might sound like it came from 1930. I doubt we could go any higher than the 1940's, if that, given the constraints of acoustic recording, but it would still be a huge improvement in sound. Perhaps, with the right software, some frequences can be restored. The trouble is that there are only a few such programs and all are inaccessible with screen readers. I explain things more fully at the below link. Normally, this is a subreddit about opera recordings and singers from the 1950's and earlier, so if you have no clue about this but like opera, feel free to join us in general.

Frequency Restoration in Acoustic Recordings

https://www.reddit.com/r/OldOpera/comments/1oqgz2k/frequency_restoration_in_acoustic_recordings/

#accessibility #AcousticRecordings #Android #AudioRestoration #blind #DigitalRecording #FrequencyRestoration #gramophone #IOS #Linux #MacOS #opera #phonographs #records #software #technology #Windows

Izotope RX is so inaccessible that I literally can't even get passed the installation screen because nothing reads! Accentize Reviver Pro installs but I can't find it anywhere on my computer, so I had to uninstall it. Basically, the two best tools for the job are completely inaccessible to the blind. i have heard of something called Reaper, which does have accessible plug-ins that work with NVDA (my screen reader) but I have no idea if any of it actually restores frequencies and such. I did, however, receive some general recommendations from Perplexity, and they seem very reasonable, so I will include them here. This is the quick version.

"Summary Table of Frequency Restoration Goals
Frequency Range
Importance
Effect of Restoration
50–200 Hz
Adds warmth and fullness
Restores body and resonance
200 Hz–1 kHz
Vocal clarity and timbre
Enhances natural voice and instrument tones
1–5 kHz
Presence and articulation
Improves vocal “edge” and attack on piano"

I also found this to be interesting.

"Practical Considerations
•
Restoration is a balancing act; too much boost in any range can introduce noise or unnaturality.
•
Analogue equalizers and cautious digital EQs are well suited to restore missing lows and midrange.
•
AI spectral recovery tools focus mainly on boosting upper frequencies and “filling in” missing detail but cannot authentically recreate absent low-end.
•
Listening carefully and comparing before-and-after versions remains the best guide.
Your focus on naturalness and historical authenticity aligns perfectly with this frequency approach: restoring warmth and clarity without over-processing the treble region is key."

To learn more about my project, you can check this link. Note that I am not a professional. This is simply a labour of love from an opera enthusiast.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OldOpera/comments/1oqgz2k/frequency_restoration_in_acoustic_recordings/

#accessibility #blind #AcousticRecording #AudioRestoration #frequencies #NVDA #opera #records #Reaper #Tamagno #technology

A real treat for Goon Geeks... Ted Kendall on restoring the Goon Shows. Ted is one of those heroes who don't wear capes that you hear about. And neither does he tear tapes... except when appropriate, and then only with a razor.

#GoonShow #AudioRestoration

https://pod.link/1569929507/episode/07f563bb6c1bbb631d60ddafd06e7a2c

Update and final thoughts - Refoaming dbPlus 440 Speaker Surrounds
1. Initial Condition

The dbPlus 440 speakers were in poor condition before the refoaming process. The foam surrounds were cracked, crumbling, and in some areas, entirely missing. The cabinets, while aged, remained structurally sound and only required minor dusting. Notably, extra screw holes were found on the driver mounts, indicating that the drivers had been remounted at some point. Since both speakers were a matched set, it is unclear whether the drivers were replaced during manufacturing or in a later repair. #VintageSpeakers #AudioRestoration #DIYAudio #Audiophile #3dPrinting [1/5]

Pretty good evening. Got the missus' new 3d printer set up and printing, made progress on my bookshelf speaker restoration, and settling in with a Moosehead and listening to a little Crime of the Century (off the server, don't have the vinyl yet).

And the temps swung 22 degrees today... so that's a win too right? :| (-22C -> 0C)

#3dPrinting #ViintageAudio #AudioRestoration #CanadianBeer #Moosehead #NowPlaying #Supertramp #ClimateChange #TooManyHashtags

🐑✨ New Video Alert! ✨🐑

We’re bringing a nostalgic gem to life with "Little Bo-Peep" from the Red Raven Magic Mirror series! 🎶📀 Watch the enchanting animations and timeless music come together in this vintage record from the 1950s, restored for the digital age. Dive into the magic with me and relive a piece of audio-visual history! 🐬💫

Check it out here: https://youtu.be/0vml96yPP8o

Don’t forget to like, comment, share, and subscribe if you haven’t already! Let’s keep these audio adventures going! 🌊🎶

#VintageRecords #RedRaven #LittleBoPeep #AudioRestoration #FinnleysAudioAdventures

🚨 New paper out!

📃 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗔𝗿𝘁: 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲-𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, by Alessandro Russo, Andrea Franceschini, Antonio Rodà, and Sergio Canazza

📚 Read all about it! 👉 https://smcnetwork.org/smc2024/papers/SMC2024_paper_id29.pdf

👀 Watch the video! ▶️ https://smcnetwork.org/smc2024/videos/SMC2024_video_id29.mp4

#GodotEngine #VR #MetaQuest #Art #Film #Projection #CulturalHeritage #Restoration #FilmRestoration #AudioRestoration

Today someone asked me what is the single most useful advice I could give them if they are starting out restoring audio. Here it is:

If you have a pesky audio signal with lots of noise and you need to reduce it via a captured noise profile, use an EQ on it first to tame the high frequencies. Higher frequency noise tends to be louder and since most noise reduction plugins work using a threshold, lots of artifacts will be added to the original audio signal, especially when the signal to noise ratio increases, e.g. when music or sound effects fade out.

This also means that noise reduction can be pushed a lot further than without using this EQ trick, with a lot less added artifacts.

Recommended mostly for tape, but also works nicely on vinyl, microphones with a high noise floor, etc. #audio #restoration #AudioRestoration