Eliminating Popped P's

[jack s.]

Hi, I am running Pro Tools 8.0.4 on my new 2.53 GHz MacBook Pro with an Intel i5 processor running an MBox 2. I let the singer in my band record the vocals to a new tune we were tracking as a demo to send to the other guys in the group. He, unfortunately, was less competent that he lead me to believe as far as his engineering ability and left me with a vocal track with a couple of very offensive popped p's. Is there any method to cleaning these up at all? This isn't a terribly important recording but I would like to be able to clean up the vocals somewhat. Obviously there are several lessons to be learned from this experience but any help you can give me would be much appreciated.
-Jack

[anothercolour]

One method I use:
1) Tab to Transient to locate the cursor at the pop.
2) Use the Separate command to create a region that begins at the pop.
3) Create a small Fade In over the pop.

[DrFord]

or highlight the pop sound with your selector tool, then go up to audiosuite...

High Pass filter around 120hz, listen for the bass to go away.

Transient modification is good (fades) but you may not need it. Sometimes the hard P helps cut through the track.

[The Dougfather]

or highlight the pop sound with your selector tool, then go up to audiosuite...

High Pass filter around 120hz, listen for the bass to go away.

Transient modification is good (fades) but you may not need it. Sometimes the hard P helps cut through the track.

Definitely......IMHO the fade method can be a bit hit and miss, works on some plosives and not others.

[albee1952]

I'm with DrFord, but take it another step. Not only will I hi-pass with AudioSuite, I will also lower the gain with the AS GAIN plugin. Sometimes, I will find a "p" that is "better" and copy/paste it over the worst "p"s. What will work best for you? Try all of these options as different singers call for different approaches to editing. Or be a PITA and hand the track back to the singer and say, "you sang it, you fix it"(just kidding......sort of.......)

[jack s.]

Ok great. I used the high-pass filter and the Gain plug-in and the track sounds much much better. If this track were destined for public consumption I would just have had the singer come back and re-track it but the session was more for the purposes of songwriting with the singer and to give the other band members an idea of how the song might work out live. Anyway, thanks so much for the tips.