Soundtrack Pro

Part of Final Cut Studio: costs: $999, must load w/ FCP studio

Choosing to review it because it is available to UTD EMACers on most machines, and is a very powerful tool, which has many automated functions.  You don't have to be a sound genius to use (but it helps) it and it can help enhance the quality of video.  Video with poor audio is difficult to watch!  There are several automated sound clean-up options, but one thing we all have to deal with is noise!

STP is a Full-range professional Audio editing tool, often used to clean up audio for Final Cut video projects, but can also be used to create and layer complex sounds.  Easy to repair noise issues and audio problems (focus of review is Pass filters).  Low/High Pass filters are commonly used to help clean up audio, specifically high-pass filter option used for cleaning up noise in audio.

A filter cuts off sound below/above a specified frequency value.  There are several adjustments that can be made including resonance, which boosts signal around cut-off value, which is more problematic for bass frequency.  Could blow the speakers at higher frequencies!  Make sure the speakers are turned down when you're experimenting w/ audio!

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Notes from: http://www.brighthub.com/

Pass Filters

High pass filters and low pass filters is going to be a major source of support when trying to eliminate problem sounds when audio mixing in Soundtrack Pro. A high pass filter will be used to knock out low sounds that may be interfering, and the low pass filter will be great for eliminating high pitch sounds like static or high pitched wind sounds. If you have any of these types of intrusive sounds in your audio track then the pass filters should be the first Soundtrack Pro audio filter to go to, but make sure that the audio interference is consistently in a high or low place.

Applying the High Pass Filter

Start by first identifying the segment of audio that holds the low interference that you want to remove. Select it and then go up to Process, then Effects and find Single Band EQ.

From the Soundtrack Pro's Single Band EQ select High Pass Filter, which was right above High Shelving EQ and below High Cut. This will bring up the Soundtrack Pro High Pass Filter that will allow you to adjust the parameters of what you are filtering out, just not as much as a different type of pass filter.

You will likely begin by adjusting the frequency for the high pass filter, which will determine exactly what frequencies are caught and what are allowed to pass. You will also adjust order and smoothing, all of which is really relative to how you want the final sound to appear. You can also assign presets to the high pass filter, but these will have to be ones that you set yourself. You may want to create some high pass filter presets for common sounds that you have come in contact with and have been forced to deal with.

Using the High Pass Filter

When applying the high pass filter you are going to want to limit the overall amount of high pass filter that is applied. Only a small amount of frequency restriction is usually all that is needed, and otherwise it can create a very dramatic change in the sound that may limit its audibility. This is going to be especially true for music tracks that often have a high range of frequencies in the track. This is going to be best if there is a single type of noise that is consistent and very low on the frequency spectrum. By eliminating this sound you will not alter the rest of the audio track too much, but no matter how limited the amount of the high pass filter that is applied in Soundtrack Pro you are going to find some type of alteration to the digital audio playback.