Audionamix IDC: Instant Dialogue
Cleaner 1.5 Plug-In
By Adam Gallant
A
udionamix is a software company with a specialized focus
on developing machine learning software that helps au-
dio engineers overcome a regularly-encountered hurdle:
audio separation.
We recently tested Audionamix’s latest release, Instant
Dialogue Cleaner 1.5. IDC is a real-time plug-in that instantly gives us-
ers the ability to remove and reduce background noise from dialogue
recordings. This latest version, 1.5, has expanded compatibility for
Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro X, and Logic Pro X, and is available in
VST2/3, AAX, AudioSuite, and AU plug-in formats.
User Interface
Audionamix has a great touch when it comes to designing simple,
straightforward interfaces. The IDC has three main parameters:
strength, background level, and speech level. We also have an output
volume fader and metering. The look is slick, modern, and clean, void
of too many options, and designed with speed and functionality in
mind. All of the plug-in parameters are fully automatable, which makes
IDC ideal for a complex post audio dialogue edit where background
noise is constantly changing between set-ups and scenes.
In Use
IDC’s layout makes for a really great user experience. If you’re used to
some of the standard dialogue-cleaning plug-ins out there, then I’m
going to guess you’ve become familiar with what can at times be a
pretty mind-numbing and repetitive workflow. IDC takes a few big
steps out of my previous dialogue cleaning process and has saved
me hours of work. The simplicity of the layout in IDC has me trust-
ing the AAX plug-in and not relying on Audiosuite in a way I have
become used to.
Here is an example of a previous workflow I would use for general
cleanup and prep of a dialogue pre-edit: lay out my dialogue tracks
for a scene and then find the noisiest set-up or shot and clean each
clip in order of noisiest-sounding set-up to cleanest-sounding set-up.
I would always clean with Audiosuite, then park an untreated, un-
cleaned version of the audio file either in a playlist or as a muted clip
on a new track for the re-recording mixer to have a breadcrumb trail
(which is helpful if the mixer needs to rebalance original noise levels).
With IDC, I have skipped the Audiosuite/breadcrumb step for
general background noise reduction and have shifted to automating
IDC right on my dialogue buss with great results at a much faster pace.
The trick with IDC (and all dialogue cleaning) is to avoid being
heavy-handed. Here is where the “Strength” knob comes into play.
The sweet spot for Strength is often informed by the noise level of
the clip you’re cleaning, as well as the rest of the sound design and
overall mix. IDC, just like all dialogue cleaners out on the market, is
not completely transparent when you drive it aggressively; at some
point, our ears become distracted by the gating of the background
sound or the artifacts caused by noise reduction and the dialogue
takes less of the listeners’ focus.
Here are a few examples of scenarios where IDC did a great job of
separating dialogue from background noise: vehicle drive-bys, HVAC
systems humming, wind, machine noise, crowd walla, and footsteps
from the production crew.
I was surprised by the plug-in’s ability to handle complex, chang-
ing noises like birds and vehicles. These are instances where I would
generally reach for a spectral cleaner and spend a lot of time mas-
saging. The automated design of IDC surprised me with its flexibility.
Again, a light touch and a nice mix go a long way when it comes to
achieving natural-sounding dialogue.
Final Thoughts
Audionamix has developed a great product and the value for the
money is impressive when compared to the competition. There is no
steep learning curve to the software thanks to the fabulous UI and
the immediacy of the dialogue cleanup is quick and effortless. This
is an intelligent product that, in my opinion, fills a void in the plug-in
market. Great work on IDC 1.5 by the team at Audionamix.
Adam Gallant has worked in all facets of digital audio production, from
music composition to location and post audio for television and film. He
currently owns and operates The Hill Sound Studio in Charlottetown, PE.
PROFESSIONAL SOUND 23