Restore vinyl and tape recordings
Crackle, clicks or a low rumble on a record or tape transfer? fix.fm finds each one and fixes them in one pass. Free, in your browser, nothing uploaded.
Updated
Never uploaded. Everything runs in your browser.
In short
A record transfer carries crackle from dust and wear, clicks from scratches and a low rumble from the turntable; a cassette carries hiss. fix.fm checks for all of them in one pass, rebuilds each tick from the sound around it and filters the rumble off below 35 Hz. On our record sample the crackle went from 25 to 2 small ticks a second.
What's happening
A record or tape transfer rarely has just one problem. A record adds a steady rain of tiny crackles from dust and wear, louder clicks from scratches, and a low rumble from the turntable's motor or a warped disc. A cassette adds hiss, and sometimes hum from the deck or its cable.
This page runs every check in one pass, and each fix runs only when its check hears the problem. For a record that means clicks, crackle, rumble and hum. For a tape it means hiss and hum. Wow and flutter, the slow wobble in pitch from a stretched tape or an off-centre record, is not fixed here.
fix.fm counts small ticks a second: its warnings start at 3, moderate at 10, severe at 30. Rumble counts from 35 dB under the music.
How far the crackle and rumble fix goes
A spoken-word record read moderate with 25 ticks a second and rumble 19 dB under the voice, and after the fix fine, with 2 ticks and rumble 43 dB under. A music record went from 17 ticks a second to 0. A cassette with only hiss read fine here and was left to the noise fix. Measured on with the samples described in how we test.
The crackle and rumble fix looks for the two things a record adds that the other checks don't: a steady rain of tiny ticks, and a low rumble from the turntable. The cases below are a clean reading and a piece of synthesised music with that damage added in software, so we know exactly what was underneath and can measure how close the fix gets back to it.
One clean reading and one piece of synthesised music, with record damage added in software, then run through the crackle and rumble fix at full amount. Every clip is matched to -23 LUFS.
Clean reading
The reference. The voice the record and tape cases were made from.
A spoken-word record
A soft, wobbling thump under the voice and a steady patter of tiny ticks. Headphones or a speaker with real bass help to hear the rumble.
Spoken-word record, after the fix
The ticks and the thump are gone. A trace of hiss is left, too light for the noise check to call.
A music record
Synthesised music with the same rumble and crackle, the ticks different on each side.
Music record, after the fix
The ticks are gone and the rumble is filtered off. The bass line is all still there.
A cassette
Steady hiss and nothing else. No crackle and no rumble.
Cassette, after the crackle and rumble fix
Identical to the tape. This check reads it as fine and leaves it alone. On the page, the noise fix takes the hiss.
Public-domain LibriVox voice and music synthesised by fix.fm. The rumble, crackle and hiss are added in software rather than played from a real record, so the clean version really is what was there before.
| Case | The check | Ticks a second | Rumble | Off the clean recording |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clean reading | fine | 0 | -57 dB | untouched |
| A spoken-word record | moderate to fine | 25 to 2 | -19 to -43 dB | -14 to -29 dB |
| A music record | moderate to fine | 17 to 0 | -18 to -41 dB | -15 to -32 dB |
| A cassette | fine to fine | 0 to 0 | -53 to -53 dB | -24 to -24 dB |
The spoken-word record had 30 ticks a second added and rumble 15 dB under the voice. The check counted 25 ticks a second, the others too small or too close together to tell apart, and read it moderate. After the fix it reads fine, with 2 ticks a second left and the rumble 43 dB under. The file moved from -14 dB off the clean recording to -29 dB, most of what's left being the light hiss.
The music record went from 17 ticks a second to 0, and from -15 dB off the clean music to -32 dB. Its lowest bass note sits at 87 Hz, well above the rumble filter.
The cassette had hiss and nothing else. This check reads it fine and gives it back exactly as it went in; on this page the noise fix takes the hiss.
What this does not prove: real crackle comes in clusters, and a scratch can be long enough to make the needle jump. The fix rebuilds a few thousandths of a second at a time, so a skip or a long scratch stays. Wow and flutter, the pitch wobble of a stretched tape or an off-centre record, is not touched. How we test has the pass marks behind the check.
How it works here
- 01
Checks everything at once
It listens for crackle, clicks, low rumble, hiss and hum in one pass, and tells you which ones your transfer really has.
- 02
Fixes them in order
Clicks and crackle are rebuilt from the sound on either side, the rumble is filtered off below 35 Hz, then hiss and hum. Each fix runs only when its check hears the problem.
- 03
Stays on your computer
Your file is never uploaded. Every fix runs in this browser tab.
Questions
Does this work for cassette tapes as well as records?
Yes. Tapes and records go through the same page. A tape usually needs the hiss fix and sometimes the hum fix, and its crackle and rumble checks read fine, so those fixes leave it alone. A record usually needs the click, crackle and rumble fixes, and the hiss fix only if the hiss is loud.
Will it remove scratches and pops as well as crackle?
Yes, both. Louder clicks and pops from scratches go to the click fix, and the steady rain of small ticks goes to the crackle fix. Both rebuild those few thousandths of a second from the sound on either side. A deep scratch that makes the needle jump or repeat can't be rebuilt.
Will the rumble filter take the bass out of my music?
Hardly. It removes sound below about 35 Hz, which is under the lowest note of a bass guitar. At 41 Hz, that lowest note, it is about 1 dB down, and above 50 Hz nothing changes. The filter runs forwards and backwards, so it doesn't smear the timing of a kick drum either.
Can it fix wow and flutter?
No. Wow and flutter is the pitch wobbling, from a stretched tape, a slipping belt or a record with its hole off centre. Fixing it means tracking the pitch and stretching time, which this page doesn't do. If the music sounds seasick, look for a dedicated wow and flutter tool, or try a different deck.
How do I restore a vinyl recording in Audacity?
Select the whole track and choose Effect, Noise Removal and Repair, Click Removal for the clicks and crackle. Then select a second or two of silence between tracks, open Effect, Noise Removal and Repair, Noise Reduction and press Get Noise Profile; select the whole track, open it again and apply. Finish with Effect, EQ and Filters, High-Pass Filter at about 35 Hz with a 24 dB per octave rolloff for the rumble.
Is my audio uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is read and fixed inside this browser tab and never leaves your computer.
Related fixes
Often turns up with Crackle and rumbleWorking on a song? Fix music checks it for this and every other problem a mix can have, in one pass.