Removing Noise with SoundTrack Pro

Apple's SoundTrack Pro provides some amazing functionality when it comes to removing noise elements from clips.  You can send clips directly from Final Cut Pro into SoundTrack Pro. SoundTrack Pro will then automatically update your Final Cut Pro sequence once you save your changes.

SoundTrack Pro provides a couple different ways of removing noise.  One method involves sampling a noise print and then simply removing the buffered noise from from a selected area within the audio editor. 

To do this, navigate to the Process Menu -> Noise Reduction -> Set Noise Print.  Select an area of noise within the audio editor.

Then navigate back to the Process Menu -> Noise Reduction -> Reduce Noise.  A reduce noise pop-up menu will appear. 

Use the this box to reduce the amount of noise by adjusting the noise / threshold slider.  I've also found that by slider the Tone control all the way to the left helps bring back some of the bass into a person's voice.  Otherwise, the voice may sound a bit 'tinny' if you crank up the threshold too high.

Another excellent way to remove noise is to use the spectrum analyzer.  The spectrum analyzer button is located in the upper right protion of the editor editor window.

This will bring up the audio spectrum for that particular file.  You can actually remove specific sections of the audio spectrum without removing an entire area!

 To do this, hold down the option key and highlight areas of the spectrum where noise elements exist.  Then press the delete key.  That's it!  Now, using this method might take a bit longer instead of removing entire areas with the traditional noise-print method, but I've found this produces incredible results for those tough areas.

 GeniusDV provides a SoundTrack Pro training course as part of its 11 day Final Cut Studio training class.