Random click in track from old cassette

[Stringer]

I have an old rehearsal tape on a cassette. I managed to record it to wav. However, one of the tracks has a random click that sounds like a typewriter key hitting the paper every few seconds. I don't know what caused it. I was thinking that ReFir could probably do something about this, but when I loaded the plug and hit play, I couldn't see what frequency the click was occurring at. In the waveform it appears as a narrow sharp spike.

Anyone have any ideas?

I am using Reaper in Linux Mint. I have been using Reaper for a long time, but I am still a pretty basic user, so have mercy.

Thanks!

[domzy]

maybe a job for a spectral edit?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSBO_VC9q3E

[Stringer]

That's a great video. I tried that technique on one of the clicks, but it didn't do much. Maybe the effect is too subtle. The spectrograph clearly reveals the click, but reducing the volume or increasing compression doesn't make it go away.

[Stringer]

It was a stereo track. The click was only on one side. What I had to do was explode it into two mono tracks and then do spectral edits on one side. I was not able to completely eliminate the click, but I reduced the intensity and sharpness, sort of blurring it, until it sank into the background noise. It was annoying because it sounded like someone was keeping time, but it was random and not in time, so it was very distracting. I don't think it was in the original recording. I think it is something like cosmic ray interaction or random ferric oxide decay degrading a 38 year old cassette. But it is now listenable!

Thanks!

[domzy]

glad you got it sorted. i expect similar issues with a box of 30yr old tapes when i get around to wiring up a psu for my tascam 424