Tech Talk – The Technology Behind Noise Reduction

Photo editing software continues to evolve rapidly, which is the case for the upcoming release of ON1 NoNoise AI 2024. NoNoise AI stands at the forefront of innovation, redefining the standards of noise reduction and image clarity. We want to take you behind the scenes and chat about the latest advancements of ON1 NoNoise AI 2024 with Dan Harlacher, VP of Product here at ON1. With the 2024 release, NoNoise AI promises even more significant strides in noise reduction and deblurring, leveraging cutting-edge AI technology to achieve incredible results. Join us as Dan sheds light on the key advancements, the underlying AI technology, and the user-centric approach that drives the latest release of ON1 NoNoise AI.

Can you highlight the key advancements in ON1 NoNoise AI 2024 and how they differentiate it from previous versions?

Dan: The most significant advancement is where it counts—the results. The image quality will be noticeable. We have improved the AI models that do the heavy lifting, which gives you even better noise reduction and deblurring while maintaining a natural, photographic appearance without the smudging of detail or crunchiness you see with other solutions. We are very excited to get this into the hands of the photography community.

How does ON1 NoNoise AI 2024 leverage AI technology to enhance noise reduction in photos?

Dan: NoNoise wouldn’t exist without AI. That’s truly at its heart. Traditional noise reduction and deblurring solutions start with blurring and then trying to resharpen the image. With AI, it’s entirely different. That’s why it can create much better and more realistic results. It’s like magic.

Could you elaborate on the improvements made to the AI noise reduction models and how they excel at different types of photography, such as astrophotography and wildlife?

Dan: AI is still a young field, with breakthroughs coming almost daily. Our talented engineers are at the forefront of this, adopting new techniques and enhancing the data used for training. This allows us to listen to user feedback and target improvements to essential subjects like astro and wildlife photography. For astro photography, the trick is maintaining each of the tiny stars and their round shape without removing or distorting them. It’s not great with the majority of noise reduction methods out there today, and we feel this will be the best for these photos by far. And for wildlife photography, you must keep realistic feather and fur details. Reducing noise on these images often makes them soft or crunchy, and they don’t look real. They look like a painting. NoNoise AI 2024 will do an outstanding job in these areas as well.

The press release mentions an improved AI deblurring model. How does this feature work, and what benefits does it offer users?

Dan: NoNoise AI is more than noise reduction; it also includes Tack Sharp AI for deblurring photos. This goes way beyond simple sharpening. It uses AI to determine why the image is blurry. Was the lens misfocused? Was the camera or subject moving? How much and at what vector? Then, it can reverse the blur locally, applying the right amount of deblurring to all parts of the photos.

How much has processing speed improved, and what can users expect regarding performance gains?

Dan: Performance is always a one-two punch for us. We have to balance the quality of results with performance. To make NoNoise faster, we are optimizing the AI models to take the best advantage of the GPU, but not at the cost of quality. For example, it might be a bit slower in some cases, but the results will be better if that makes sense. It’s a balance, like I said, but we never want the image quality to suffer. We also work with GPU manufacturers to optimize drivers for our necessary AI operations. We have also been working on our batch-processing engine to keep the GPU fed faster.

What feedback or insights from users and beta testers have helped develop ON1 NoNoise AI 2024?

Dan: We were surprised by the number of users adding NoNoise or Tack Sharp to photos that didn’t exhibit noise and blur. From that, we have made it a priority not to harm these types of photos. In the past, these photos could suffer from unintended artifacts. The same rings true when combining NoNoise and Tack Sharp and using high detail and micro sharpening. Some images may need that, but most don’t. When you crank everything up, it could also cause artifacts. We have worked to reduce that, keeping effective control ranges for all photos.

Pre-order your copy of ON1 NoNoise AI 2024 today to get Early Bird pricing.