We’ve all been there — you record that crucial moment that will change everything only to find something wrong with the audio. If the recording is a special memory, that’s a memento that you’ll never have the chance to capture again.
If the recording is a vital piece of evidence in a case, that audio evidence could be deemed inadmissible if it’s unintelligible. You may have heard of audio forensic services before, but what exactly is it and can just anyone use them?
Media Medic is here to help answer these and other frequently asked questions, as well as show you how audio forensic and audio enhancement services have helped in a variety of case types.
What is an Audio Forensic Service?
Audio forensic service is a process in which an expert audio engineer cleans, enhances, and/or recovers audio elements in a recording. Depending on the quality of the original recording, audio forensics can do a lot of improvement to the file to quiet background noise, reduce echoing, analyze voices, and an impressive number of other services like a full restoration.
Unsure if your audio file needs can be helped by a forensic audio expert? Click here to get in touch with one of our experts for an evaluation.
At Media Medic, when we receive a file for audio enhancement, we create a custom noise profile that is unique to your audio file. By mapping out the specific background noise that is in your recording, our technicians can apply a custom filter to decrease this noise while keeping the important elements the same, while improving the clarity of speech. For example, if you have an audio recording in which a conversation was recorded in a car or near an air conditioner/HVAC system, we can create a profile based on the constant road noise or air conditioner hum and reduce this element while keeping the conversation or speech intact. We can also go even further by amplifying the specific audio frequencies that allow the human ear to discern what is being said in the conversation more easily.
Utilizing this technique allows us to do the forensic audio analysis of voice recordings, which helps to uncover many hidden conversations which were originally masked by constant static, rumbling, or hissing noise.
Who can an audio forensic service help?
Though many forensic audio services are geared toward law enforcement and legal professionals, here at Media Medic we make sure our expertise isn’t out of reach for an individual in need of audio enhancement. Most audio forensic services exploit people in need of audio cleanup since these people are often in critical situations, like going to court or in an investigation and charging them excessive fees for audio services. We won’t exploit the desperate nature many cleanup cases have at Media Medic, offering a flat rate for audio and video forensics that is more accessible to most people.
Our team has helped many people who are in need of concrete proof that they are innocent or someone else is guilty or in the middle of investigations. Some of our customers are folks who are experiencing infidelity by their girlfriend, boyfriend, or spouse, in custody battles for their children, or are experiencing a variety of other legal troubles.
FAQ
What are some examples?
- Dialogue cleanup
- Voice enhancement
- Remove wind noise
- Remove HVAC noise
- Echo removal
- Remove the sound of clothes rustling
- Volume increase
- Volume decrease
- Audio cleaning
- Old recording cleaning
- Voicemail cleanup
- 911 call cleanup
- Hidden microphone recording cleaning up
- And many other noisy distractions…
Who is helped with this service?
- Individuals with sentimental audio recordings
- Podcasters
- Video creators
- Criminal defense lawyers
- Private investigators
- Prosecuting attorneys
- Insurance companies
- Law enforcement agencies
- Child protective services
- Individuals seeking answers
Are there online tools or apps that I can use?
There are simple audio forensic tools online and audio forensics apps available to non-audio experts that you could try to use to clean up your file, but a forensic audio professional is able to use the latest technology and methods to give you the best possible version of your recording. What’s more, a professional audio cleanup is going to provide you the peace of mind that comes from knowing that you’ve given your recording every chance at enhancement that you could.
Are there services near me?
Local audio forensic services are not available for many people. Luckily, Media Medic uses audio enhancement techniques and makes clean-up easy no matter where you are. Through Media Medic’s website, you can easily upload your file with some information about your recording and what you need to be enhanced. Skip ahead for more instructions or to fill out our contact form now!
What formats are accepted?
Many times audio files are in a digital format, like a .wav or mp3, but Media Medic accepts an array of physical formats as well. Once the physical recordings are received, our audio forensic professionals determine the best method for capturing it into a digital form for audio cleanup and/or forensic audio enhancement. The formats we accept include but aren’t limited to:
- .wav digital files
- .mp3 digital files
- .aac iPhone recordings
- Voicemail digital files
- Cassettes
- Mini cassettes
- CDs
- DVDs
- Flash drives
- Camcorders
- Pocket recorders
- Hidden microphone recorders
Can these services also enhance/clean up video files?
Media Medic is also a video forensic service with the ability to do professional video enhancement and video analysis. Some examples of video enhancement services we offer are:
- Scaling/Pixel Interpolation
- Sharpening/Enhancing
- Stabilization
- Exposure/Shadow Adjustment
- Frame Averaging
- Speed Reduction
- Facial Enhancement
- License Plate Enhancement
- Video Zooming
To learn more or to upload a video for evaluation, click here to go to Media Medic’s Video Enhancement Service page.
How do I know if my file can be fixed?
Almost all audio files can be enhanced to some degree, especially if they are recorded by someone who has not been trained in audio forensic techniques. Every audio recording is different due to a variety of factors, including the recording environment, microphone type, audio recorder placement, distance between speakers, integrity and the audio file transfer process.
Because of this, Media Medic evaluates audio and video files for free before you are ever charged a dime. The evaluation will tell you what can and can’t be done to your specific file and helps give you a realistic expectation of what can be fixed based on the quality of your original recording.
Most of our clients are not experienced audio forensic professionals, so our unique evaluation process seeks to explain the audio cleanup process in uncomplicated terms, instilling confidence in our service and making sure that no one wastes their money on trying to fix an unsalvageable recording.
Whether your recording is a matter of sentimentality or a matter of life or death, the audio forensic expert at Media Medic can help.
Our audio forensics professionals have had years of experience crafting sounds for films, music, and the spoken word, as well as audio cleanup for all types of audio and video recordings. Not only can Media Medic provide you with professional quality audio forensics, they make the process easy and less expensive than other companies offering the same services.
Want to get started?
Fill out our short contact form to get in touch with one of our customer service agents. Then, simply upload your audio file with just a couple of easy clicks of the mouse. One of Media Medic’s audio forensics professionals will then do a free evaluation of your audio file. What’s more, every audio cleanup is available for low flat rate per audio file, no matter the length or format.
Fill out the form below or give our forensic audio experts a call at 866-800-
