In physics we often obtain a null value by first generating the inverse of the value we want to remove.

Can we apply this concept, or more pointed, "How would we", apply this concept to the issue of (static) noise suppresion?

I mean I have worked out how to construct an osc~ copy of my noise by passing sigmund's output to it.

And I know how to record a sample and (sort of) how to use subtractive synthesis.

But how would I go about looping the noise sample? ...so it would be subtracted from what the mic is putting out?

Quizzical,, tho excited stare,
-svanya.

seems to me there should be a way to: reverse engineer the noise?

@svanya Hello Svanya...... first, I apologise for the "Spaghetti Omelette". Your patch was not at all messy. My damaged brain could not concentrate enough to comprehend any of it.
Noise is pretty random. There are elements of it that can be predictable depending on the source, but only by frequency. So a "hum" in Europe will be exactly 50Hz, and in the US 60Hz. High frequency noise (from poorer quality op amps) though is absolutely random. Often nowadays there can be some predictable noise from a computer bus, and again that can be filtered by a notch filter.
But apart from filtering those known frequencies you cannot "predict" the waveform of the noise. You can kill it dead with a reverse phase in real time, but once you have the desired signal, music or whatever, added to the noise then the battle is lost. You certainly cannot loop an "anti-phase" signal for future subtraction. The noise is not a repetitive waveform except for those determined frequencies.
Noise cancelling headphones have a microphone capturing the external noise and adding that out of phase to the headphone amplifier signal...... but the noise is "known" in real-time, which makes that possible.
As you have mentioned before, extreme filtering has some nasty side effects. In post production, where the "noise" is analysed, and an anti-phase signal added to what is deemed to be noise, the desired signal can be heavily distorted, to the point where some frequencies are so overly amplified that there is high frequency "ringing", and high frequencies "muted".... so the music ends up sounding like an old wax gramophone recording! It can only be used in very small doses. Clicks and pops are much easier to deal with.....
David.

@whale-av
So glad to hear your feeling better! (Thanks, about the spaghetti code. Had me thinking I knew a lot less than I do :-.)

Understand some well most of this and heard two crucial things:

subtracting a noise sample is out

while

and this does give me hope (as it is primarily what I am fighting):

"Often nowadays there can be some predictable noise from a computer bus, and again that can be filtered by a notch filter."

Can you direct me to a patch that would explain or (even better) demonstrate this. Note: sigmund~ was pointing to some pretty specific pitches at some pretty specific env~.

I am now being driven to begin comprehending filtering and so it is only my big toe that has gotten in the water, ex. I have no clue what a "notch" filter is (but am eager to learn :---).

Thanks for all the info. And, again, glad your feeling better. Hope the extraction was not too much of a mess.

@svanya Hello Svanya....... if [Sigmund~] is pointing at specific frequencies then you are a long way on the path to noise reduction. As I said, you might well find 50/60Hz (mains power frequency) and you might find some sub-harmonics of the side bus and data busses....... often a whine or a whistle.
So a notch filter is your friend. A notch is as narrow a filter as possible, without too many side effects....... the side effects being mainly a ripple in the response (a rapidly.... hopefully...... decreasing sine wave in the volume response each side of the notch frequency) and of course a severe equalisation of your desired signal as well. The ripple is almost unavoidable in the analogue world...... in the digital domain using IIR filters it can be negligible.
Anyway, a notch filter is a single frequency filter with a very high Q.......

David.