how to remove hiss from audio recordings

I heard the hiss; I wouldn't be happy with it either. I agree, it's just not good enough quality.

Once you've become accustomed to a pure, clean, professional, high quality sound, you always want it.

I stumbled upon this thread searching for a solution to audio hiss I'm getting while recording audio with my iPadPro. I've done years of studio work in the past and my ears recognize quality. I must say it's disappointing. I'd welcome any suggestions you might have.

Well, I must say I do not hear anything out of the ordinairy, I don't know why you think there is (excessive) hiss - there isn't. Sounds good to me, clear in low and high. By the way, microphones are mono, you should record them to a mono track. Remember, what you have is good stuff, but budget stuff, a little hiss is to be expected, especially with microphones as sensitive as large diaphragm condensors. Let me put it this way: I do have denoising plugins, and I would not use them on this.

Well, to advise you on how to avoid this hiss we really need to know the source of it. So this is on all recordings for which you used that interface and microphone? Then either of those is the source. If it is the mic, then try different settings (on the mic itself). If it is your interface, then it might pay of to investigate if you have set it up correctly; because if you record too softly (=peaks lower than -18 dBFS) or at a low bit depth (16 bits) or both, then that can account for hissing. Or something may simply be broken.

It could also be that you mic is picking up your computers' noise. In that case move 'm as far apart as you can - or better: put the computer in a closet or a different room or even just in a "hissdamping" cardboard box.

But it is really not possible to judge where the hiss is coming from just from you saying "there's a hiss". It would help if you could upload a few seconds of such a hissy recording and provide a link to it here.

The bad news is that if it is a "normal" hiss (that is, a hiss inherent to the particular microphone and/or interface that you use) then all you can do is buy thrid party dehissing software (Waves X-noise or Z-noise, or Izotope RX Denoiser), which unfortunately is generally the most expensive kind of software (from $ 150 to $ 600) to add on.

I don't believe the Scarlett is known to be "hissy". So, can you check all settings on it, and can you upload a fragment of your hissy audio to Soundcloud? Or Dropbox? Preferrably the "raw" recorded file. Are you sure the hiss isn't coming from Pedalboard effects or Amp Simulator plugins?

Because I simnply do not think the hiss is "bad" enough to warrant using denoising. In fact, I heard no significant hiss at all.

I can only second Eriksimon's thoughts. What you have is good stuff! The audio sounds good! A little hiss is always there. I'm mostly hearing what's called "room tone". Sure, there is a little hiss introduced by the electronics, every mic does a little of that. But every room, everywhere, has some kind of slight sound, unless you have built it sound proof with double walls etc. Then there's maybe only the hiss from electronics left. I would not use a denoiser on that either.

You spoke very softly, so to get a good level, you're cranking up the audio. This increases the room tone and hiss introduced by electronics. I guess you want to record some vocals. For that, you'll be singing a LOT louder. Then you'll have to bring levels down quite a bit. And you'll see, hiss will be nearly gone. And just wait until you lay the first beat on your track, then all the stuff will be completely inaudible.

Don't worry, your setup sounds good.

try use a mixer.
i have a same noise too at my first recording with logic pro

condensor and scarlet

a few month later, i use condensor and mixer(+phantom). and everything its fine
no noise/hiss again

or you can minimize the hiss with automation

So you hear a hiss? I don't. And even If there was a hiss, then automation is not the way to remove it. Also, adding a mixer would not help. Adding hardware will only add to any hiss.

whatever
i try and it work

"or you can MINIMIZE the hiss with automation"

can you read minimize there? am i say "remove"?

hiss is like a noise when we forgot push the phantom then raise/up the gain

talk too much will only add to any hiss too (just to know) *oops

Yeah whatever. You had some other problem that got fixed by accident. Adding a mixer is not a solution for a hiss problem (which the OP DOES NOT have. And "cleaning up" an audio recording (BETWEEN words) can indeed be done with automation, but that would do NOTHING about a hiss that might be present under a voice.

Hi Icey98

I agree with Eriksimon, nothing to worry about.

Maybe your Mackies are hissing some.

Music will cover anything there.

While 3rd party apps may help, if you actually had a problem, you can if needed remove hiss inside LPX to a certain extent.

So again I do not think you need this now, but for future reference.

Try to record an extended and exaggerated sample of the noise/hiss for many seconds. Crank up recording settings. Turn on Cycling to loop sample. You can also just use a quiet section of already recorded track.

Add a Channel EQ. Click on Analyzer and see where the waveforms are peaking. Now add a band filter, make it very narrow with the "Q" width setting and then "boost" the filter. Now sweep the spectrum till the offensive sound is found. Now adjust the Q to the narrowest possible setting that covers the frequencies showing the "hiss" in the waveforms then "Attenuate" the frequency filter. Adjust till it is acceptable in "hiss/noise" removal.

Now save this as a preset in Channel EQ, then you can apply it to either individual channels or to output. Adjust as needed. Try to remove as little as possible.

The problem with this method, is depending on the frequency and other factors, you may be notching out important frequencies/sounds. Use with care.

It is however, much cheaper than IzotopeRX or other 3rd party apps unless you bought LPX just to de-hiss your recordings.😁

Hope this helps, Greg