Cleaning up sound

[Guest]

I have a 5" cylinder that I believe to be a home recording of a VERY Scottish gentleman singing some song I can't work out. I would like some advise for the process to digitally (dirty word) isolate the actual recording from the background noise and MAYBE figure out what he is singing. I regularly use Audacity for recording discs and cylinders into digital format so I am somewhat familiar with its capabilities but I am very open to trying something new. If you know of something better with a proven process I would love to know what it is.  Thanx.

[Inigo]

I usually play with Goldwave, but I'm pretty sure these programs all have very similar features... The problem with cylinder noise is probably that the noise is very variable along the recording, so learning the software to the noise spectrum in a record snippet is no use for spectral cleaning, and artifacts raise here and there.... This works if the noise is pretty constant... 

[Jerry]

Any way you can post a copy of the recording? I'm thinking a native Scottish speaker would most likely have a better shot at deciphering it. (That would not be me, BTW)

[MisterJive47]

On 9/27/2023 at 10:38 AM, Jerry said:

Any way you can post a copy of the recording? I'm thinking a native Scottish speaker would most likely have a better shot at deciphering it. (That would not be me, BTW)

Where's Harry Lauder when ya need him, eh lad?