In one aspect, a signal processing system includes a processor, an I/O device operatively associated with the processor, and a memory device bearing instructions configured to cause the processor to obtain a representation of signal data over a data domain and position a sliding-window over a portion of the signal data, such portion corresponding to a sliding-window domain, to analyze the signal data within the sliding-window domain to detect the presence of a signature multiplet and, based on the analysis of the data, to estimate the pedestal of the signal data within the sliding-window domain. The instructions also cause the processor to iteratively shift the sliding-window over at least a portion of the data domain to correspondingly shift the sliding-window domain, estimate the pedestal of the signal data within each sliding-window domain to determine an estimated pedestal over the portion of the data domain, to subtract the estimated pedestal from the signal data to yield a pedestal-free representation of the signal data for the portion of the data domain, and to output the pedestal-free representation of the signal data for the portion of the data domain to a communication device, display, printing device, or data storage device.