Audio program finds Neil Armstrong's "A"

[Brian]

Remember when Neil Armstrong first stepped on the moon and said "That's one small step for man...". He's maintained he said "for a man" but nobody has heard the "a". In our local paper today is an article about an Australian computer programmer who says he cleaned up the NASA recording and found the missing "A". The article says "Thanks to some high-tech sound-editing software, ..".

Craig, any chance it was DC6 Forensics?

[Craig Maier]

That is pretty interesting. But, I have no idea if it was done using Diamond Cut Forensics. The software should be up to that sort of task. All that I know is that the Forensics version is sold in Australia by distributors in the land down under.

[Doug]

I hate to say it...I heard the "enhanced" version played on the news - and still couldn't here/make out the "a". I don't think it was even there, and if I were enhancing it, I'd at least make sure it was audible/exaggerated if trying to prove the theory. Personally, from listening to the recording, Neil stumbled/paused over his words in that sentence, suggesting he forgot what he was going to say...and as such, dropped/left out his "a"

Sad, but most likely true. The guy was probably so excited at the time.

[Craig Maier]

I can only pretend to imagine how excited and nervous that he must have been. Incredible that he was able to speak at all, when I think about it.

Doug, do you know where the un-enhanced version can be found on the internet? It would be interesting to mess around with the original raw file.

[Doug]

Can't say I've looked for it Craig...just heard the before vs after on the news and thought geez...

Kinda like that PhD job on the "one of a kind" opera recording you told us about. But yeah - I'm sure he accidently dropped the "a" through excitement. I know I would.

[Brian]

Craig,
Here it is - along with a lot of other speeches:

http://history1900s.about.com/gi/dyn...Fspeech_9.html

I just looked at this post, the link is really much longer than what appears. For some reason it is truncated and when you click you go to the right site - but wrong page. If you put "armstrong" in as a search term on this page, you'll will get to the right page eventually. Not sure what the problem is.

Have fun.
Brian

[Doug]

Might be your internet connection Brian - I'm at uni on ADSL2 (?) and the whole clip played. They amplified the specific phrase in the clip - definately no "a". Could have been chopped by a gating filter, but I would still expect to have heard something of it. Oh well...What do others think?

[cromag]

NPR played an interview with this researcher, although I was sure they said he was in England. It should be in their audio archives soon.

What I came away from the interview with, was him saying he could "see" the missing A in the "voiceprint" even though it was inaudible.

They talked about everything from Armstrong's accent, the tendency to drop (or de-emphasize) leading vowels, helmet accoustics, radio transmission, the pressure of the moment, etc. Sounds like he (the researcher) at least had fun.

[Doug]

sure must have...I've never known the use of the letter "a" to last only 35ms. Mine last more like 1 second or more. I don't think the muscles of the vocal chords could even react that quickly to make the correct sound in 35ms considering the lag time is around 70ms!

oh well...if only they had an EEG recording.

[Audio Yoda]

Weighing in on the story...

I am happy that it is unanimous that the "a" is inaudible, if it was even spoken. The Australian gentleman was using xxxxxxxxx, a program available on the internet for $45 to do his examination. And, it is my understanding that his field is using nerve signals to communicate with disabled people.

As a "seasoned forensic audio" expert I examined the phrase as it appears on the Nasa website. Using DC6 and one or two other tools I detect clearly the effects of bandpass onthe communication channel, an automatic gain control, and prominent 60 cycle hum with a number of harmonics.

I am of the opinion that the word was never uttered. There just isn;t enough time for it to be between the surrounding words. As someone with credibility in the field, early this morning I transmitted a press release stating that "history is correct as written", and just as important...

"It is amazing that Mr. Armstrong's heartbeat at the time wasn't louder than his words. One way or another the achievement is what should be remembered. A man, one of mankind, an American, walked on the moon."

Remember.. Yoda knows.....

[Doug]

Remember.. Yoda knows.....

lol...I hear you on this one Yoda