Click removal using the Spectrogram view

Use of Spectrogram view

If you try to remove the click voices from the audio tracks, then removing them can be easy. If, they are loud enough to be spotted through the close observation of the waveform. What if even the deep analysis of the waveform does not present the clicks before you? This is where the Spectrogram view comes in. This can help you easily spot the finer clicks. As, these are difficult to spot through the normal waveform view.

Spectrogram view

If you spot the click sound though the use of your earphones, and zoom the normal default waveform to find it, but cannot find the clicks’ ups, use Spectrogram view. This will even display the finer clicks. Clicking on the downward-pointing triangle in the Control Panel will enable this view.

Clicks can be more visible through the Spectrogram view than the normal waveform view. The Spectrogram view picks up more energy than the waveform view and is more sensitive to clicks. These clicks are red, pink, or purple colored vertical lines. To select a region out of the audio, to edit the clicks which you have just spotted, click and drag the region. Then, press ‘Ctrl+B’ and type the label name.

Waveform View

However, it is much more convenient to work with the waveform view. As, it is easier to make the necessary changes, when you can clearly see all the ups and downs in the waveform.

• You can easily zoom in the view. And, can even see minute deviations.
• Zoom in, and now you can more clearly see and edit the clicks in the labeled area.
• See the vertical ups and downs of the clicks clearly in the zoomed waveform.
• Be more precise in the selection of the clicks in the already selected area.
• This can be selected by clicking on the ‘Region’ option present in the ‘Select’ sub-menu.
• Then click on the ‘Ends to Zero Crossing.’ A keyboard shortcut of the same is ‘Z’ in the keyboard.
• After selecting the more precise area out of the already selected area from the Spectrogram view, delete the clicks’ region by using the ‘Delete’ key.
• An alternative for the key, is the keyboard shortcut- ‘Ctrl+K.’

Zero-Crossing

Using the Zero Crossing option will delete the selected ‘click’ region, while ensuring that the edges of the deleted area join back to the original audio through zero amplitude points. That is, where the amplitude graph touches the average zero line.

Testing the edit

• Now after deleting the clicks’ voice from the Spectrogram view, you need to check it once.
• Now, listen to the audio clip from a bit before the label, i.e., the point where you made the deletion.
• If there is no discontinuity and the audio seems fine, then make no further changes. However, if the discontinuity is failing the audio quality, then you need to repair it.
• You can undo the edits and the deletions made anytime by pressing Undo key, in the ‘Edit’ sub-menu. ‘History option in the ‘View’ submenu can also help you to revert to the aspired version of the audio track.

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