Amplitude filtering an audio file?

[robj144]

Does anyone how to amplitude filter, not frequency filter. In other words, if I want all sounds above a certain amplitude (loudness) to be kept and everything below this level to be silenced, does anyone know a program or plugin that can do this easily? I actually have Spectralayers but it seems to only work for frequency filtering.

Thanks.

[Bob Womack]

Isn't that typically called "gating?"

Bob

[robj144]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Isn't that typically called "gating?"

Bob

Yes, thanks for triggering what it's called for me.

But, I don't want a typical noise gate. Ideally I'm looking for something where I can input exactly what decibel level and below is going to be dropped. Maybe I can do this through noise gates though.

Thanks.

[rick-slo]

Got me curious. Perhaps along this line:

https://support.apple.com/kb/PH13055?locale=en_US

Or say you have an audio track. Put it in a DAW, lower the amplitude by say 30 decibels. Export it as a 16 bit wav file. Put this file back into the DAW and raise the amplitude back up 30 decibels. Export that (using dither) and the quieter parts may have disappeared below the least significant bit.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by robj144

Yes, thanks for triggering what it's called for me.

But, I don't want a typical noise gate. Ideally I'm looking for something where I can input exactly what decibel level and below is going to be dropped. Maybe I can do this through noise gates though.

Thanks.

Generally speaking the "threshold" or "range" control (depending on whether it is Gate or Expander Gate) does that and is usually based on db.
But ultimately you will/should use your ears to determine what sounds you want gated out and what sounds should come through (because it is going to be different on every track) as opposed to an assumed pre-determined db number.

[robj144]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Got me curious. Perhaps along this line:

https://support.apple.com/kb/PH13055?locale=en_US

Or say you have an audio track. Put it in a DAW, lower the amplitude by say 30 decibels. Export it as a 16 bit wav file. Put this file back into the DAW and raise the amplitude back up 30 decibels. Export that (using dither) and the quieter parts may have disappeared below the least significant bit.

Thanks for looking. Some noise gates have a fairly precise control on the threshold amplitude that seems to work.

[rick-slo]

I guess as you say you are seeking a pure volume gate rather anything band pass frequency related such a noise removal software. In what situations would there be value in doing it this way?

[robj144]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

I guess as you say you are seeking a pure volume gate rather anything band pass frequency related such a noise removal software. In what situations would there be value in doing it this way?

It's not music related. I need to get rid of student questions in my lecture videos that I did last year for the fall this year. The students are far away from the mic and I'm close, so a noise gate works.

[Chipotle]

The ReaGate effect that comes with Reaper lets you type in your gate threshold to the tenth of a dB. There may be others, but if you don't find one you can get ReaGate plus other Reaper stock plugins in the ReaPlugs package for free.