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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Apr 2013
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I use Audacity as a final step even after a Pro Tools mix. I snip the head and tail and adjust the level using the amplify effect, don't forget to check the box to allow clipping, you won't hear distortion. Will, try this tip to finalize your tracks in Audacity. Before you trim the beginning, create a slight FADE In from the effects menu. Repeat on the ending if you are using a fade out.. FADE OUT from the effects menu. This prevents that abrupt jolt from where you go from the silent lead-in into a high volume beginning. The fade-in can be adjusted before trimming so the fade-in is precise enough you still get the feel of a high volume start but not to the point it jolts you out of your seat. Trim the beginning and end as you normally do. Select ALL Effects Menu - select COMPRESSOR Compress the track but carefully so as to not have any clipping. I normally use 1:5:1 Effects Menu: Select NORMALIZE and normalize the entire song. I normalize to -1db. Using Audacity, these processes in this order provides all my songs to be consistent with a near equal level when played in a playlist. I get a much better balance to each song because the compressor brings up the overall volume level while lowering the peaks. Amplify just brings everything up.. The normalize after compression usually lowers the track level rather than bringing it up and then balances each song to a consistent level between the other songs on the playlist. I've found this method effective even on commercially compressed, peaked and limited songs, using slight compression to bring up the overall levels and normalizing down gives me a clear, consistent output without artifacts.
Last edited by Charlie Fogle; 02/28/16 04:06 AM.
BIAB 2026:RB 2026, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
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Joined: Aug 2011
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I just tried this on a track I was finding troublesome to master in my DAW (Plugins were making it muddy).
This worked a treat! Thanks for the tip Charlie.
I sometimes forget the golden rule of mastering - light touch required at all times.
Cheers.
Mike.
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I'm glad it worked for you. Audacity is a very useful program.
BIAB 2026:RB 2026, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
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I never use any sort of a fade up at the beginnings to the songs. If it hits too hard, you should go back and fix it in the tracks, not there in the finalizing stages.
No matter how it starts, it should always sound like a normal start. You can hit hard and go from there.
What I would consider doing on a song that does hit the ground running.... rather than simply starting it cold..... insert a nice snare smack on "4" and it will work better and sound more natural.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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I never use any sort of a fade up at the beginnings to the songs. If it hits too hard, you should go back and fix it in the tracks, not there in the finalizing stages.
No matter how it starts, it should always sound like a normal start. You can hit hard and go from there.
What I would consider doing on a song that does hit the ground running.... rather than simply starting it cold..... insert a nice snare smack on "4" and it will work better and sound more natural. I agree with you 100% in the context that if something is 'wrong' with the mix, the final mix stage or mastering stage is not the place to 'fix' it. Go back to tracking and fix it there. That is not what I'm addressing. I'm talking about a mix where there is nothing 'wrong'. I'm polishing a song so the dynamics are how I want the song to sound. The fade in is a tweak to soften the intro. In Audacity, the length of the area selection effects how much or how little the track is changed. I work on the selected area's length until I do not hear a fade in of the beginning of the song but the harshness of the abrupt start is diminished to my satisfaction. You have to A/B between the effect and no effect to have a perception of it even being used. Very much like a slight EQ tweak or small compression change. It is an adjustment based on what you hear, not what the waveform looks like. It will still sound like a normal start. It is still abrupt and loud. Just the harshness is removed. It is a minor volume adjustment and volume adjustments and edits are part of the overall mastering process in my workflow. Besides, you may be working on a mix for an artist that doesn't want a snare smack on "4" -
Last edited by Charlie Fogle; 04/13/16 03:01 AM.
BIAB 2026:RB 2026, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
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Various ways to do this. After exporting to MP3, I use Wavelab to normalize all volumes to -4 dB (Any DAW will do this). Then I play the normalized files through the PA, making notes on which songs have to come up a dB or two, or down. I revisit those songs and get a more-or-less balanced set of volumes. Nothing worse than having a song jump out at you 6 dB too loud!  Regards, Bob Any reason you export all files to .mp3 before you normalize? I usually normalize .wav file and name it song name(s)_normalized.wav Then create an .mp3.
"When you help somebody else you are really helping yourself"
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[\quote]
I use specific tools for specific jobs. So as far as WavePad is concerned..... here's what I use it to do:
1. To view the overall wave. I can see if the song is compressed and to what level.
2. To trim the starting count in and the dead air at the end.
3. To normalize the file if it's low.
4. To convert to MP3.
I do not use WavePad to add effects or compression to the file. Since I don't use FX in WavePad nor do I use the FX in Real Band or on realtracks, I really can't answer that question about how they compare. All my FX go in at the DAW level in Sonar.
I think I do have a few of their other products on some of my computers, but I don't use them so again, I can't comment on them.
Like so much of the software I use to do what I do, I use it all in very specific ways and limited ways and in many cases don't even touch the vast majority of it's capabilities. BB is a prime example. I use it to compose and write. I rarely ever use the ACW or so many of it's other features. I enter the chords, select a style and proceed to write the song. It's essentially my scratch pad replacing the old pan and paper I used to use.
This is also true of the NCH software. I don't use a function just because it's there. I use it only if I need it.
Hope that helps and answered your questions.
Nice explanation and workflow Herb
Last edited by dga; 04/14/16 11:17 AM.
"When you help somebody else you are really helping yourself"
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Hope this info is useful and educational to you.
Sure was Herb Thanks
"When you help somebody else you are really helping yourself"
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You can't do everything in BIAB, but if you have stereo Wave files or MP3's you can do a lot in Audacity. Download and Install the latest version of Audacity from here http://www.audacityteam.org/download/There are almost 50 effects that will install with this version. What ever common effect you would use in any other DAW is in there. There is a simple AMPLIFY effect (by Audacity) which will change the volume of a stereo mix. Add any amount of DBs or subtract any amount. Save the project, export as .wav or .mpg. Its the simplest way to lower or raise the volume of a recording, and it does not do anything else. If you want check out the other effects all have common names. To display them easily under the effects menu, GO TO Edit Preferences> select Effects from the menu on the left. Use the drop down arrow on the right center and GROUP BY PUBLISHER. This makes the Effects Menu more compact.
Last edited by dga; 04/18/16 05:20 PM.
"When you help somebody else you are really helping yourself"
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