Yes, please add a noise gate. Studio sound works pretty well, but for the 'leftovers' that it misses, it's either an extremely manual effort to fix OR requires using another piece of software to noise gate before or after studio sound.

So I'd request to add the noise gate as a separate effect AND allow users to apply it before studio sound, after studio sound, or both!

On a similar note, I'd think if we could mark areas that we wish Studio sound had noise gated/mic bled out.

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(you could have the dialog that says, 'if you have any issues or want to refine the audio more, click 'improve studio sound').

(1) apply studio sound. if good enough, stop here.

(2) click to 'improve studio sound' (name it as ye please)

(2a) Descript automatically highlights questionable areas (probably sections with low amplitude sound & areas flagged for possible mic bleed that didn't end up getting changed)

(2b) the user has the ability to review each areas (bonus points if you could easily jump between each of them like you would for Microsoft Word's Track Changes) and approve/deny each area.

(2c) The user is also given a tool where they can pick additional areas they want revisited (or 'removed'). I'm thinking kinda like a highlighter, just click and drag across the area you want (with adjustable handles on either side).

(2d) This info is given BACK to the AI so it can reprocess this thing as well as improve it's engine for this user and potentially even for other users.

(3) Descript processes the changes.

(4) The user checks the results (bonus points if they can easily jump between areas changed).

(5) Repeat 2-4 as needed and then you're done!

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(1) apply studio sound. if good enough, stop here.

(2) the user notices that there are areas that need improvement

(3) the user applies a noise gate effect AFTER the studio sounds. If that works, stop here.

(4) the user tries noise gate BEFORE and re-runs studio sound

(4a) the user removes the noise gate AFTER

(4b) the user adds a noise gate BEFORE

(4c) the user applies studio sound again

(5) the user checks the new version (bonus points if areas of major change are highlighted in some way). If good enough, stop here.

(6) the user adds a noise gate AFTER studio sound

(7) things should be good enough here. still unhappy? suggest add'l pre-processing options within Descript as well as pre-processing options using 3rd party programs.

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Anyways, there's some thoughts. Hopefully this helps. Feel free to contact me using the email in my profile.

Cheers!

Support for Apple's Audio Units plugins or VSTs would allow the use of your own custom processors and effects. (I'm on a Mac, obviously)

Reach out to me (dev) for help in noise gate design. I've worked with several software devs and hardware devs to design proper noise gates. Former partner of Adam Curry on Podcaster Pro. Use email in account.

I'd like to add a related topic for eliminating unwanted noises. It would be great to be able to filter out a recurring noise throughout a recording, such as a clicking noise, or some recurring background noise. I'd like to be able to copy a specific noise and then have Descrpt suppress it throughout the recording.

Would be very useful. Have been using AirPods Pro as the mic and there's a low level fuzz that's in the recording, would want an easy way to clear that out.

Seconding this. It has an important side effect too: the tools used to machine-generate transcripts seem to dynamically adjust volume, so I am getting inaudible bleed-through (in my case from radio station interference!) being transcribed! I was able to solve this by preprocessing my file with a noise gate, but it might be wise for Descript to make some judgments about ignoring very, very quiet sounds.