Media Cleaner Pro Overview

Where to find this software

Currently this software is not installed on any public computers. Please contact Kenny Freundlich if you would like to use this software.

Media Cleaner Pro

• optimizes the compression of video, sound (and even still images)
• allows you to save processing parameters as a group (called a "setting").
• can batch process up to 2,000 files at one time.
• has a simple wizard or an advanced settings mode (we use the latter)

Typical Workflow

1. Add files to the Process window (drag and drop -- command-drag to replace files)
2. Assign settings (by double-clicking on the Setting entry next to the file in the Process window.
3. Set unique parameters, such as cropping, trimming (In/Out points), manual key-frames, etc.
4. Start the compression. If you're compressing a batch of files, you'll need to set the destination folder (from the Process menu).

Compressing Audio

What are your source files -- mono? stereo? (All music recorded in the US before around 1958 is mono. Many recordings between 1958 and 1968 are stereo. Almost all American recordings after 1968 are stereo.) To be sure a recording is in stereo, take a look at the two tracks in SoundEdit 16. If it's stereo, the tracks are different -- occasionally subtly so. It may help to normalize the audio in SoundEdit to reveal the different wave patterns.

What's the source -- from CD? from cassette? from DAT? from microphone?

What's the sample rate -- 22.05 kHz? 44.1 kHz?

Which codec is best to use?

For speech in a foreign language, use MP3 compression

• Output should be MPEG Layer-3
• Audio -- Sample Rate should be 44.1kHz; Data Rate should be 64 kbits/sec; Channels should be Mono; Speed -- probably 5, but experiment -- if you're really fussy, you can set it at 9; Volume -- Normalize at 95

• To reduce a high pitched whine, use the Low Pass filter (it lets frequencies lower than x pass through)
• To remove a low rumble (such as you get from ventilation systems), use the High Pass filter
• To remove the noise from a power line, use the Notch filter
• There's also an adaptive Noise Removal filter which can remove white noise (hiss, static) as well as colored noise (power line noise, hum, hard drive noise, etc.). It can be set to Mild, Moderate, Extreme, or Custom.
• Dynamic Range -- lets you boost the volume of quiet sections, and limit the loudness of loud sections. Unlikely to use this, but...

For stereo music, also use MP3 compression, but use a Data Rate of 128 kbits/sec. (Note: If folks with modems are using this site, you might be better off with QuickTime files that use the QDesign 2 codec, which often works better than MP3 at low bandwidth.)

For mono music recorded after 1950, use MP3 compression, but use a Data Rate of 64 kbits/sec. For mono recorded before 1950, use a Data Rate of 48 kbits/sec.

Compressing Video

Media Cleaner Pro comes with many presets for compressing video. Below are 4 presets that are most likely to work well, but note that you must modify the Audio Volume to set Normalize at 95. These presets are listed in order of data rate, from lowest data rate to highest.

QuickTime WWW-QT4-realtime LAN-Cable

• Image: Display Size at 240x180; Store movie at 100% resolution
• Compression: Keyframes every 150 frames; Video Data Rate at 176 Kbits/sec
• Audio: QDesign Music 2 at 22.05 kHz, mono, 32 Kbits/sec
• Takes roughly 4 minutes to compress 1 minute of video (using a G4/400)

• Image: Display Size at 320x240; Store movie at 50% resolution
• Compression: Keyframes every 150 frames; Video Data Rate at 240 Kbits/sec
• Audio: QDesign Music 2 at 22.05 kHz, mono, 48 Kbits/sec
• Takes roughly 4 minutes to compress 1 minute of video (using a G4/400)

• Image:Display Size at 480x360; Store movie at 50% resolution
• Compression: Keyframes every 150 frames; Video Data Rate at 400 Kbits/sec
• Audio: IMA 4:1 at 22:05 kHz, mono
• Takes roughly 3 minutes to compress 1 minute of video (using a G4/400)

• Image: Display Size at 320x240; Store movie at 100% resolution
• Compression: Keyframes every 75 frames; Video Data Rate at 560 Kbits/sec
• Audio: IMA 4:1 at 22:05 kHz, mono
• Takes roughly 4 minutes to compress 1 minute of video (using a G4/400)

• Kenny Freundlich kfreundlich@wellesley.edu
• Information Services
• Date Created: June 21, 2000
• Last Modified: June 6, 2003
• Expires: June 30, 2003