BIAS SoundSoap Pro

Pro-audio restoration for digital video, digital audio, music & dialog.

SoundSoap Pro is an advanced noise reduction and audio restoration plug-in powerful enough for demanding audio professionals, yet easy enough for anyone to use. SoundSoap Pro's unique and comprehensive approach combines hum, rumble, click, crackle, and broadband noise reduction tools with a sophisticated noise gate, in a single intuitive user interface. Unlike other audio restoration tools, this streamlined, tab-based interface guides the user through the various tools in a way that yields the best results in the least amount of time. SoundSoap Pro works in practically any Audio Units, RTAS/AudioSuite, or VST host on Mac OS X and Windows XP or Windows Vista.

Hum & Rumble Removal For Low-Frequency Problems

Even the faintest hum or rumble can ruin an otherwise perfect instrumental solo or irreplaceable dialog performance. Need to remove 60Hz hum, 50Hz hum, anything in between, or anything a lot lower? This tool gives you complete control over Q (filter width), Depth, Frequency, and up to 9 Harmonics. And in case you don't trust your ears, we've included a handy Hum meter as your guide. ...more info

Click & Crackle Reduction Cleans Up Old Vinyl Or Tape

Ideal for serious vinyl noise, static-induced pops, cable connection crackles, or practically any brief and annoying transient, SoundSoap Pro's Click & Crackle tool delivers. A streamlined set of controls — Sensitivity and Threshold — provide instant, effective relief, while you monitor your work visually (via the spectrogram) and audibly (using the ABCD Compare and Noise Only options). ...more info

Broadband Removal For Noise With Components Over a Wide Range of Frequencies

The Broadband Noise Reduction tool is at once amazingly simple and powerful. Use the Learn Noise button to set the degree of reduction automatically — or fine-tune it yourself using the 12 Threshold and Reduction sliders. Attack and Release controls (plus tilt functions) further enhance the power at your command. ...more info

Make a Final Pass With SoundSoap Pro's Noise Gate

As SoundSoap Pro's last restoration stage, this fully integrated Noise Gate puts a final polish on your project. Threshold, Attack, and Release controls — accompanied by an impressively useful waveform display — let you easily eliminate whatever noise may still be present between the desired content. The display can even be frozen in time — so you can continue making adjustments at a desired location without stopping audio playback. ...more info

Global Features:

SoundSoap Pro's user interface is tab-based, with each tab containing tools dedicated to removing a particular noise type. Convenient "global" features include: A spectrogram with variable frequency ranges, A/B/C/D Snapshots for comparing results between different setups, Custom Presets for saving setups permanently, and Noise Only Mode for real-time monitoring of the noise being removed by all active tools. ...more info

Hum & Rumble tools

The type of noise known as "hum" is typically composed of a fundamental frequency (such as 60Hz) and its harmonics, and is often associated with audio equipment being used on faulty electrical circuts, or equipment that is not properly grounded. Rumble is a similar type of noise to Hum — but typically occurs at lower frequencies, usually at around 40 Hz or below.

SoundSoap's Hum & Rumble tool effectively eliminates buzzing and hum from RFI, EMI and other sources. It operates from 20 - 500 Hz w/Q (Hum and Rumble), up to 9 harmonics (Hum), and reduces low-frequency and subsonic rumble.

Use SoundSoap Pro's Hum Meter along with your ears as a visual feedback tool to help locate the fundamental frequency causing a particular hum.

The Hum Frequency Slider allows you to reduce a specific frequency. If the frequency causing a hum is unkown, the Hum Frequency Slider may be swept as the noisy media file is played, and the Hum Meter will register the activity as you approach the offending fundamental frequency.

The Q Slider determines the bandwidth of the notch filter being applied to a particular frequency. The Depth Slider will control the amount of audio being cut put by the notch filter responsible for eliminating hum, and is directly related to both the Q Slider and the Hum Frequency Slider.

SoundSoap Pro's Harmonics Slider designates how many harmonics of the fundamental frequency should be removed in either direction from the fundamental frequency. The Harmonics Tilt Knob allows you to fine-tune the relationship between how much of the fundamental frequency is cut, and how much of the signal is cut at each harmonic.

The Rumble Reduction Slider focuses on very low frequency noise, commonly known as "rumble".

Click & Crackle Removal tools

The Click & Crackle tool is ideal for digital transfers of vinyl records, it also is a great problem solver for pops and other brief, transient problems.

The Click Threshold Slider dictates how bad clicks must be to be detected and removed. When clicks are present in the media file being restored, if they fall below the threshold value, they remain unaltered — if they're above the threshold, they are removed. Similarly, SoundSoap Pro's Crackle Threshold Slider determines how bad crackle must be to be detected and removed.

SoundSoap Pro's Click meter is another visual feedback tool. It illuminates in red to indicate that a click is being repaired.

As with all the other tool tabs, SoundSoap Pro's global tools may be accessed from within the Click & Crackle tab. These buttons include Preset Buttons, A/B/C/D Compare Buttons, Noise Only Mode, Spectrogram, and the ability to monitor other tool settings with the Tool Tabs/Tool State Thumbnails.

Broadband Noise Removal tools

SoundSoap Pro is smarter than your average plug-in, whether you're looking for fully automated results, or the ability to tweak and fine-tune its many parameters. Just click the "Learn Noise" button and SoundSoap Pro's advanced DSP features instantly determine the most ideal position for each Threshold and Reduction Slider. From there, you can adjust any of the broadband controls to fine tune the results.

The Broadband Reduction Tool provides deep, sonically transparent elimination or suppression of tape hiss, tire noise, wind, HVAC noise, fluorescent lighting noise and other continuous broadband problems. It operates across 512 distinct audio bands (controlled by 12 Threshold and Reduction Sliders with grouping capability) and features attack, release, and tilt knobs for greater control. The 12 meters in the Broadband Tool indicate the level of audio contained within each frequency range.

Reduction Sliders control the amount of noise reduction being applied to a particular frequency range. The Threshold Sliders set the level that the signal must exceed for processing to be enabled in each frequency range.

The Slider Lock provides an easy and efficient way to group Broadband Sliders. Find just the right balance by grouping discontiguous sliders, or all 12 together. Attack and release controls (plus tilt functions), further enhance the power at your command.

You can customize the controls you view with the Threshold/Reduction View Slider. To the left, you're viewing the Threshold controls only; to the right, the Reduction controls; in the center you're seeing both simultaneously (as shown here).

Noise Gate Tool

Noise Gate effectively silences noise that falls between desired program material; also useful for creating a variety of extreme special effects. The Noise Gate's visual display shows the audio waveform being processed, as well as the noise gate's threshold indicators.

The Threshold Slider determines the audio level for the Noise Gate to open. The Threshold level is also represented by a pair of white, parallel horizontal lines, which appear over the audio waveform in the visual display.

The Reduction Slider provides a proportional amount of noise reduction, based on the settings of the Noise Gate's Threshold Slider. The Threshold Attack Knob determines how quickly the Noise Gate opens, and can be adjusted by the knob, or by entering a number.

The Threshold Release knob determines how quickly the Noise Gate closes and can also be adjusted with the knob or through numerical value entry.

Global Tools

SoundSoap Pro's user interface is tab-based, with each tab containing tools dedicated to removing a particular noise type. Convenient "global" features include: A spectrogram with variable frequency ranges, A/B/C/D Snapshots for comparing results between different setups, Custom Presets for saving setups permanently, and Noise Only Mode for real-time monitoring of the noise being removed by all active tools.

SoundSoap Pro's spectrogram is an essential tool, providing visual feedback regarding the state of a media file being restored. White and red graphics appear in the spectrogram to represent the original audio signal being fed in (white) and the proccessed audio output from SoundSoap Pro (red).

The Preset Load buttons recall a previously stored SoundSoap Pro plug-in — with the option to load either a tool-specific preset, or one that reflects the overall state of the plug-in. The A/B/C/D Compare buttons lets you preview different tool settings. These four unique settings can be compared instantly, before committing to any file processing or saving presets.

The bottom portion of SoundSoap Pro holds the "tabs", each of which contains a specific noise reduction tool. Each tab also contains a miniaturized graphical display (thumbnail) of the settings currently active within that tool.

SoundSoap Pro offers an unsurpassed combination of performance, speed, & control — all with minimal unwanted sonic artifacts. Its integrated approach offers four noise reduction & audio restoration tools in a single plug-in.

Whether you're archiving from vinyl, transferring studio and live analog recordings, performing forensic audio analysis, or battling a noisy environment, SoundSoap Pro scrubs away problems — leaving nothing behind but sparkling clean results.

SoundSoap Pro Feature Overview

• Compatible with most plug-in hosts from Adobe, BIAS, Cakewalk, Digidesign, Emagic, MOTU, Sonic Foundry and others
  
• Supports VST, RTAS & Audio Units plug-in formats
  
• Mac OS X & Windows XP/Vista compatible
  
• Unsurpassed combination of performance, speed, & control — all with minimal unwanted sonic artifacts
  
• Integrated approach offers four noise reduction & audio restoration tools in a single plug-in; interface suggests order of operations to achieve optimal results
  
• Total store/recall of all parameters
  
• ABCD Compare function offers instant comparison of up to four different settings
  
• Hum & Rumble tool effectively eliminates buzzing & hum from RFI, EMI & other sources; 20 - 500 Hz w/Q (Hum & Rumble), and up to 10 harmonics (Hum); also reduces low-frequency & subsonic rumble
  
• Click & Crackle tool is ideal for digital transfers of vinyl records; also a great problem solver for pops & other brief, transient problems
  
• Broadband provides deep, sonically transparent elimination or suppression of tape hiss, tire noise, wind, HVAC noise, fluorescent lighting noise & other continuous broadband problems; operates across 512 distinct audio bands (controlled by 12 Threshold & reduction sliders with grouping capability); also features attack, release, & tilt knobs for greater control
  
• Noise Gate effectively silences noise that falls between desired program material; also useful for creating a variety of extreme special effects
  
• Real-time spectrogram provides constant, global visual monitoring of spectral noise; color coding lets users discern problem areas & make required adjustments, while listening to & watching the immediate results
  
• "Noise Only" button allows the user to hear, on a global level, only what is being removed
  
• Bypass function bypasses processing either globally or for each tool
  
• Thumbnail view shows each tool's parameters with a minimum of screen real estate
  

Global Tools

Spectrogram
Gobal Presets
Noise Only Mode
Default View Checkbox
Processing Bypass Buttons
Automation (parameters automatable within compatible host applications)
Numerical Value Entry

Hum & Rumble Tab

Hum Frequency Slider
Q (Bandwidth) Slider
Depth Slider
Harmonics Slider
Harmonics Tilt Knob
Hum Meter
Rumble Slider

Click & Crackle Tab

Sensitivity Slider
Click Threshold Slider
Crackle Threshold Slider
Click Indicator

Broadband Tab

Threshold/Reduction View Slider
Threshold Sliders
Reduction Sliders
Threshold/Reduction Lock Buttons (Slider Grouping)
Meters
Learn Noise Button
Attack Knob
Release Knob
Attack Tilt Knob
Release Tilt Knob

Noise Gate Tab

Attack Knob
Release Knob
Threshold Slider
Reduction Depth Slider
Visual Waveform Display
Left, Right, & L+R Waveform Display Button

System Requirements

Macintosh

G4, G5, or Intel-based Macintosh (>500MHz processor recommended)
Macintosh OS 10.3.9 (OS 10.4 recommended)

Windows

Intel P3/P4, Athlon w/SSE Instructions (>800MHz processor recommended)
Windows XP Home/Professional or Windows Vista

Both

Compatible RTAS/AudioSuite, Audio Units or VST host application
128MB RAM minimum (256 MB recommended)
20MB available disk space