Noob-friendly "Bring all notes to the same volume" question?

[Leander]

Hello!

Another question from me: Is there a noob-friendly solution to bring all notes to the same volume or a similar one? Here's a flute recording. I am a beginner and some notes are more quiet than others. Using a channel envelope with gain and drawing everything manually takes time...normally, you use compressors etc., but I don't understand the technical side well. I only get very loud parts or distortion or nothing happens at all.

Is there a noob friendly solution to my problem? Every note should be about the same volume. Especially the second part has very low ones.

[57Gregy]

Use Normalize to kill natural dynamics.

[Leander]

But then the whole clip will be louder, everything and not juse the low-volume samples?

[57Gregy]

Normalize raises all the levels to approximately equal volumes as set by you.
You may also split your quiet parts from the rest of the clip and apply Clip Gain until they're the same level as the rest of the track.

[Chaps]

2 hours ago, Leander said:

Hello!

Another question from me: Is there a noob-friendly solution to bring all notes to the same volume or a similar one? Here's a flute recording. I am a beginner and some notes are more quiet than others. Using a channel envelope with gain and drawing everything manually takes time...normally, you use compressors etc., but I don't understand the technical side well. I only get very loud parts or distortion or nothing happens at all.

Is there a noob friendly solution to my problem? Every note should be about the same volume. Especially the second part has very low ones.
 

Splitting clips and using normalize is how I usually level-out my audio but splitting a clip can be produce annoying clicks it you don't make sure the audio is at zero where you split it. Cakewalk has a tool called Enable/Disable Automatic Crossfades which can keep that from happening. See image below on the options it has. I keep it enabled unless I have a reason to disable it.

Really, though, it would be in your best interest to learn the basics of compression because it can be very useful in the situation you describe. There are many informative videos on YouTube about it. Here is a good place to start because it covers the basics of compression. Splitting clips and adjusting the volumes through gain or normalization is a blunt-force process and can be time consuming. I think it is best to know how to use both methods so you can use the one that works best for any given situation.

https://youtu.be/B20p-G-SBLw?si=PplJ3Y8lY43zFcwP

 

[Amberwolf]

 Normalizing something only raises the clip's highest peak to the normalized level.   If you have many notes of different volumes within a single clip, it will not bring up the lower ones to the same level as the higher ones.   You'd have to split all the notes into separate clips first, then normalize each one. 

 

To do this without splitting into separate clips per note, you need to use a compressor or compander (compressor/expander).   One "easy" way to do it with these is if you have the old VX-64 that used to come with Sonar (maybe still does?) it has a number of good squashing presets you can modify to do what you want. 

 

 

[Amberwolf]

Just now, Chaps said:

splitting a clip can be produce annoying clicks it you don't make sure the audio is at zero where you split it.

If you are using mono clips, just use the snap function with only the landmark of audio zero crossings enabled, so your cuts or slipedits all end up on one.   

 

If your'e using stereo clips that rarely works out. 

[sjoens]

If you have Boost 11 it shows graphically what's happening to the sound.

[Amberwolf]

1 hour ago, sjoens said:

If you have Boost 11 it shows graphically what's happening to the sound.

 

True...

if you don't have a compressor, limiter, compander, etc.,  that has that function, then if you put it in a bus and route your track to the bus, you can turn on waveform preview for that bus and also see the results.  

 

 

[Bristol_Jonesey]

Use a combination of 2 of the methods suggested above

1. Use volume automation to roughly even out the levels. Yes it's time consuming, but so what?
2. Use a compressor to even the levels out even more.

If you use the inbuilt Sonitus compressor (It might show up as Core compressor, depending on the version you're running) this will show you graphically what's happening.

I would suggest a slow attack to retain the transients (a flute doesn't have a pronounced attack)

Set a fairly soft knee

Use a ratio of about 3:1, but you can experiment with this

Set the threshold so that you're getting 2-3dB of gain reduction

Use the makeup gain to restore the vevrall level

Edited 11 hours ago by Bristol_Jonesey

[mettelus]

10 hours ago, Leander said:

Is there a noob friendly solution to my problem?

First, iZotope has a lot of great material explaining audio processing that are universal (you don't need their plugins specifically as long as the plugin you are using has the same features). This link has a pretty thorough walk through of compressors, limiters, expanders, and gates for your reference.

That being said, what you are looking for is in an "expander." An expander is like a compressor rotated 180 degrees, and often you will see compressors/expanders in combination (everything above the knee is a standard compressor, everything below the knee is the expander). Although "expander" implies increasing dynamic range that is not always the case. You can also use the expander section to raise the levels of the quieter parts (called "upward expansion") just as easily as lower the levels to increase dynamic range. This is the video from that link above, but what you are seeking is an upward expander (also called an "upward compressor" which is really more accurate since you are still decreasing the dynamic range). Traditionally the "expander" area is what is going on below the knee (regardless of it being up or down).

 

[Bass Guitar]

As said Normalizing the audio doesn’t solve anything. It is also a destructive editing technique so it can’t be reversed after you save and close the project. 
 

So that is one reason why we use methods like clip gain and plug ins to solve the problem. They are not destructive.  
 

First important tip is to use your Pop filter to make sure you are always the same distance from your Mike. 
I find some condenser mikes are terrible for recording evenly. The correct equipment and set up will go a long ways towards solving this problem. 

I used to use clip gain but now I’m using Melodyne to even out my vocal track. Yes it’s destructive too but I always work with a second copy of the track. 
I find it faster and easier than clip gain because it breaks it down into each note. You can also do groups of notes or tell it to automatically even things out. 
You are more or less working with audio the same way you work with midi. 
 

I have gotten pretty good at this so it’s quick. 
 

The I use the CA2A and Boost 11 to smooth it out. 
The CA2A is also found as the PC2A pro channel module. I set it so it rarely moves and add just a little gain. 
The Boost 11 is actually one of the best limiters out of 60 I tested a few years ago. But don’t add the Boost gain past +5 or it will add nasty harmonic distortion. I rarely use it past +3 if at all. 
I use the limiter set between-2.0 and -5.0 db. Depending on material. 
If I need more gain I add it in the CA 2A because I prefer the smooth harmonic distortion it adds. 
 

I have not had a chance to test the Concrete Limiter yet. 

The best limiter over all is Thomas Munts free Loud Max. It is the most faithful at keeping true to the setting. Most limiters let as much as 8 db true peak pass through what you had set them to. Not really Brick wall, more like rubber. 

Be aware that compressors come in 2 flavours. 
Ones that colour and the ones that don’t. 
Some can be adjusted to do both. 
Example the CA2A adds colour. Which is really harmonic distortion. it is well done so is like the smooth texture of a good tube guitar amp
This is rarely the case. 
The other design is the clear clean sound like the Sonitus or Melda compressor. The Sonitus actually has a way to add distortion but it’s a bit on the nasty scale. 
If you own a Focusrite interface make sure you download the free Effects they include. The Red series is one of my favourite compressors. If that’s still available it worth more than the price of the Solo. 

 

 

Edited 4 hours ago by Bass Guitar