I have used, for some time, one or the other of two items of audio-cleaning software from 'Magix' of Germany, 'Audio Cleaning Lab XX deluxe' or its video equivalent. Both work superbly, especially if the video version is able to be invoked as mine is, directly from Magix's MEP17 Video Editor timeline. However, both programmes will work in stand-alone mode, as well. ('XX' for current model number).
Briefly, a portion of the sound-track is found which features only the unwanted sound and that is 'sampled'. It is then 'subtracted' from the faulty track, as clean as a whistle in most cases. A typical case-in-point, being a wild-sound track I once recorded, with the highly characteristic 'slap' of small waves against the stonework around Dunedin's Harbour, but ruined, for all practical purposes, by the incessant throbbing of a diesel engine running close-by. In that case, the sounds of the motor were removed with almost surgical precision. Numerous other examples come to mind, especially low-level 'background' traffic noise. I have tried other 'solutions', but found them difficult to use.
 Since the cleaning-up of sound-files is so effective and problem-free, I run every instrument track through the same process as a wave-file between 'performance' and the final downmix as well, (I'm talking symphonic 'music' here). That same software is just as effective for that. The AVS suite of video-making/editing/ processing software, from England now includes a very handy little audio-editor, with the same facility built-in, I have found. I have no recent experience of 'Audacity', having given up on it in on of its earlier versions due to out-of-synch problems between stereo-tracks, but it probably, these days, gives quite a good account of itself, as well.
Ian Smith - Dunedin, New Zealand
