Hi, I am using BiaB for backing tracks converted to Wav to Audacity to normalise then export as an MP3.
Very happy with the results apart from the volume of tracks when playing live.
Some are louder than others which is not surprising when you go from say Proud Mary to a ballad. I have a volume pedal on the floor to compensate on the fly but just wondering if there is anything else that I may be missing in the production side.
It's not all that bad but would like to tweak it if I can.
I use the Onsong app on my iPad for my sets which also incorporates the backing tracks from BiaB so when I select the song the track plays with the words and chords.
With Christmas cheers ☃️☃️

Bob (90dB) has always recommended that if you are using backing tracks for a gig that you do your mixing through your PA - which makes a lot of sense (I think)... because it will playback differently than most systems. Seems like an easy way to get your tracks at the level you would need them when you play out.

(Bob's a pretty smart guy that way)

Hi, should 90db read .9 db so nothing goes in the red.

Tony

I suppose that Bob would have to answer that for himself. But I think not. 60 dB is the speaking voice. 0.9 is practically inaudible.

The point is really - if it sounds good it IS good. Many folks still adhere to OLD maxims. Digital levels are a totally different thing than analogue levels. But anyone who wants to quote old axioms are welcome to them.

And still... Bob is a pretty smart guy.

Hi,

Another way to set the volumes is to download MP3GAIN and run that over the MP3 files. I cleaned up a heap that way once upon a time.

Thanks for the thoughts, I do run through a mixer but odd songs just seem to be a little louder than others and just a bit of a hassle turning them down on the fly.
By the way Ffloyd...loved you song "The Bum"

Wish, do you normalize your songs individually in Audacity? If so, a way to get a balanced mix for your entire set is to load your song list as a group and use envelopes to raise or lower the individual songs to an even balance between the individual songs and set the overall volume of the total group of songs roughly -6--- -3 db and normalize the entire set list. Your song list will be balanced in volume and you could proceed to get the correct PA mix as Floyd detailed above.

What you are doing is similar to how an CD or album is mastered. Actual mastering is a final process of a project consisting of a group of songs to balance, eq set the final volume of the group of songs.

Audacity Envelope Tool

Thanks Charlie, not aware of that feature and will give it a look. Guessing the sets are not the same each time but can play around with the envelope feature and see if there is something there for me.
Many thanks.

Wish, once you've created a set list, save it as an Audacity project and use it as a template for future set lists.

That way, when you replace a song in your set list, you simply highlight the song to be removed and paste the new song in its place and use a volume envelope to balance the level with the other set list songs. You can also cut/paste songs to rearrange your set list. It will quickly become intuitive to you and you will complete tasks very fast.

You should put all your songs through a normalization process. Then.... put them into the same device and listen to them back to back. There shouldn't be any need for you to reach for the volume control to turn them up or down. And that should be true even when the song is a ballad and the next one is a rocker.

Work on learning this and before too long, the songs will all tend to be ready for prime-time when you export them without having to do a bunch of level adjusting.

If you have all your MP3 files done you could simply point MP3Gain at the folder. You just tell MP3Gain the output level ( normalisation). I had a number of songs I put on an MP3 player. The volumes were all over the shop. Put the folder through MP3Gain and all was fixed. MP3Gain did its work in minutes with no fiddling by me.
Some tracks it lifted by several db others it reduced the levels. The end result was i did not have to play with volume on the MP3 player. Doing the same in Audacity is work.

Tony

Thanks Teunis, I'll give it a shot. My commercial mp3s on my car are all over the place in part because of my eclectic choices.