Apologies to all experienced users as this is probably an idiot question, but I really need an answer.
I am making voice recordings which play back fine on my machine, but which are too quiet when played back on any another machine. How do I make them louder? I have the input volume controls for Windows at maximum. Is there an input or recording volume control within Goldwave, for example?
Any help gratefully received!
Best wishes,
Mike
Louder, LOUDER PLEASE!!
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The Voice of Fate
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2005 9:46 am
- Location: England
Louder, LOUDER PLEASE!!
"England Prevails"
Re: Louder, LOUDER PLEASE!!
The Voice of Fate wrote:...Is there an input or recording volume control within Goldwave, for example?
Any help gratefully received!
Best wishes,
Mike
Mike,
Press F11 to bring up the Device Properties, then click on the Volume tab to bring up the controls for GoldWave's input levels. Hope that helps.
Sarge
Or, after you've already got your recording - EFFECT -> VOLUME -> MAXIMIZE. This increases the volume of the entire file so that the loudest part is 0dB* I almost always maximize my analog recordings. Most commercial CDs are already maximized. (Sometimes this is called normalize.)
If you already have a 0dB peak, Maximize won't do anything. There are other options under EFFECT -> VOLUME that you can experiment with.
You could also try some compression. ( EFFECT -> COMPRESSION/EXPANSION ) In general, compression makes the quiet parts louder, and/or the loud parts quieter. (TV and radio commercials are compressed to make them sound louder.)
There is also an optional Auto Gain plug-in. Sometimes, this is called automatic volume control and it's a special type of compression.
*Zero decibels represents the maximum "number" that a particular digital format can hold.
If you already have a 0dB peak, Maximize won't do anything. There are other options under EFFECT -> VOLUME that you can experiment with.
You could also try some compression. ( EFFECT -> COMPRESSION/EXPANSION ) In general, compression makes the quiet parts louder, and/or the loud parts quieter. (TV and radio commercials are compressed to make them sound louder.)
There is also an optional Auto Gain plug-in. Sometimes, this is called automatic volume control and it's a special type of compression.
*Zero decibels represents the maximum "number" that a particular digital format can hold.
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piano nick
- Posts: 423
- Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2004 8:33 pm
The Voice:
First off, I'm not a recording expert:
Many recording people like to hit maxiums of around -3.0 dB (peaks). If you know the song well (it's being produced by hard or soft synths and you've heard it twenty-nine times or more), then you can target for a higher value.
I used to aim for -1 dB, but lately (because of a new high end soundcard with very little background noise) I'm shooting for -3 dB, and it if falls as low as -8 dB, it's not a problem.
As an aside, if you are serious about your music, do not rely on the onboard sound system - it's not up to it. Period. At least get an SB Live as a bare minimum.
Pian Nick
PS - if you are adding any FX (compression, reverb, chorus, whatever) add these before you Maxmize.
First off, I'm not a recording expert:
Many recording people like to hit maxiums of around -3.0 dB (peaks). If you know the song well (it's being produced by hard or soft synths and you've heard it twenty-nine times or more), then you can target for a higher value.
I used to aim for -1 dB, but lately (because of a new high end soundcard with very little background noise) I'm shooting for -3 dB, and it if falls as low as -8 dB, it's not a problem.
As an aside, if you are serious about your music, do not rely on the onboard sound system - it's not up to it. Period. At least get an SB Live as a bare minimum.
Pian Nick
PS - if you are adding any FX (compression, reverb, chorus, whatever) add these before you Maxmize.
Last edited by piano nick on Sat Jan 21, 2006 2:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
Voice,
I can't add anything to the good advice the others have given (except to agree with it), but I do have a comment and a question.
Comment to Doug: my music collection is mostly classic songbook pop (20's - 50's) so the CDs are mainly vinyl reissues. It's amazing to me how many aren't normalized.
I do a radio show for which I select the evening's songs then rip from the original CDs, arrange, process in GW (crossfade songs in a set, etc.) and finally burn the processed files to a pre-air CD. I've found that probably 30-50% of the tracks can be pulled up significantly with MaxMatch. You'd think that would be automatic in the remastering process, but often it's not.
Question for Nick:
I'd like to improve my system. What sound card did you choose and why?
Thanks
-- Ed
I can't add anything to the good advice the others have given (except to agree with it), but I do have a comment and a question.
Comment to Doug: my music collection is mostly classic songbook pop (20's - 50's) so the CDs are mainly vinyl reissues. It's amazing to me how many aren't normalized.
I do a radio show for which I select the evening's songs then rip from the original CDs, arrange, process in GW (crossfade songs in a set, etc.) and finally burn the processed files to a pre-air CD. I've found that probably 30-50% of the tracks can be pulled up significantly with MaxMatch. You'd think that would be automatic in the remastering process, but often it's not.
Question for Nick:
I'd like to improve my system. What sound card did you choose and why?
Thanks
-- Ed
-
piano nick
- Posts: 423
- Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2004 8:33 pm
TinPanFan:
First of all, I think I like your taste in music - your nom de plume suggests it, and the dates (20's to 50's) confirms it.
It is amazing how many older recordings aren't maxed - I've seen the same thing, even on LP's that have been re-issued as cd's. Example; September of My Years - Frank Sinatra - Album of the Year in 1965 (if I remember correctly). My wife bought the LP for us in 1965 (yes I'm that old), and my daughter bought me the cd six years ago for my 100th birthday.
On the soundcard - I probably bought more that I need, but realized that this would be my last one. I got an EMU 1820M. All the new EMU's that have the "M" suffix have the same converters as DigiDesign's famous card. They are considered to be "mastering grade". There are other lesser "M" series models that have the same converters and of course have fewer inputs/outputs, and this may not be an issue for many users. The 1616M is for laptops - one of regulars on a forum I partake in has one and absolutely loves it - as I do mine.
However, if you are not familiar with the terminology and functioning of a hardware mixer, there will be an "interesting" learning curve (as there is for me - and still is). The item in question is called "PatchMix" and it is the heart of the system, and thus essential. It is an on-screen mixer, which when mastered is very powerful.
If you want to ask questions and get a feel for the systems, try here:
http://www.productionforums.com/index.p ... d0953be5fa
An un-biased reference is here:
http://www.tweakheadz.com/review_of_the_emu_1820m.html
If you need headphones AND monitors, then you will understand why I bought the flagship 1820M, but for many others, it's not needed.
Another article worth reading (I don't know how familiar you are with soundcards):
http://www.tweakheadz.com/soundcards_fo ... studio.htm
The Tweak makes some good points - find out your needs and research everything carefully.
Another reason I went EMU is that they were recently bought by Creative Labs, arguably the largest producer of soundcards in the world - SoundBlaster is their other name, which most people recognize.
Creative also make the X-Fi Series which in addition to having the reputation for being very good, is also quite reasonably priced - quite a bit less than the EMU's - which are aimed at audiophiles and professionals - neither of which I am.
There are some issues that one should be aware of - IRQ conflicts can really be an issue - particularly if you are doing 16 tracks or more - the bus gets overloaded, so IRQ conflicts must be avoided.
You also need a pretty powerful machine - mine is an Athlon 64x2 - 4200+ with 2gig of memory. It can scream, and is probably more than I need - at present. When the 64 bit systems and software become common, it will be utlized better than it is now.
Another issue seems to be with the high-end video cards which seem to dominate the competition for computer resources. Just an ordinary cheapy is the best. In fact, one user (jmail on productionforums) started a thread about this. I commented that an audiophile user didn't need gamer's video graphic anyway, but it seems that some try to combine the two in one computer - it doesn't work apparently.
One of the most trouble-free Mobos happens to be one I have - Asus A8VE-SE, a 939 pin, but others are mentioned on the productionforums site.
I've probably provided much more than you are interested in, but one never knows.
Good luck
PN
First of all, I think I like your taste in music - your nom de plume suggests it, and the dates (20's to 50's) confirms it.
It is amazing how many older recordings aren't maxed - I've seen the same thing, even on LP's that have been re-issued as cd's. Example; September of My Years - Frank Sinatra - Album of the Year in 1965 (if I remember correctly). My wife bought the LP for us in 1965 (yes I'm that old), and my daughter bought me the cd six years ago for my 100th birthday.
On the soundcard - I probably bought more that I need, but realized that this would be my last one. I got an EMU 1820M. All the new EMU's that have the "M" suffix have the same converters as DigiDesign's famous card. They are considered to be "mastering grade". There are other lesser "M" series models that have the same converters and of course have fewer inputs/outputs, and this may not be an issue for many users. The 1616M is for laptops - one of regulars on a forum I partake in has one and absolutely loves it - as I do mine.
However, if you are not familiar with the terminology and functioning of a hardware mixer, there will be an "interesting" learning curve (as there is for me - and still is). The item in question is called "PatchMix" and it is the heart of the system, and thus essential. It is an on-screen mixer, which when mastered is very powerful.
If you want to ask questions and get a feel for the systems, try here:
http://www.productionforums.com/index.p ... d0953be5fa
An un-biased reference is here:
http://www.tweakheadz.com/review_of_the_emu_1820m.html
If you need headphones AND monitors, then you will understand why I bought the flagship 1820M, but for many others, it's not needed.
Another article worth reading (I don't know how familiar you are with soundcards):
http://www.tweakheadz.com/soundcards_fo ... studio.htm
The Tweak makes some good points - find out your needs and research everything carefully.
Another reason I went EMU is that they were recently bought by Creative Labs, arguably the largest producer of soundcards in the world - SoundBlaster is their other name, which most people recognize.
Creative also make the X-Fi Series which in addition to having the reputation for being very good, is also quite reasonably priced - quite a bit less than the EMU's - which are aimed at audiophiles and professionals - neither of which I am.
There are some issues that one should be aware of - IRQ conflicts can really be an issue - particularly if you are doing 16 tracks or more - the bus gets overloaded, so IRQ conflicts must be avoided.
You also need a pretty powerful machine - mine is an Athlon 64x2 - 4200+ with 2gig of memory. It can scream, and is probably more than I need - at present. When the 64 bit systems and software become common, it will be utlized better than it is now.
Another issue seems to be with the high-end video cards which seem to dominate the competition for computer resources. Just an ordinary cheapy is the best. In fact, one user (jmail on productionforums) started a thread about this. I commented that an audiophile user didn't need gamer's video graphic anyway, but it seems that some try to combine the two in one computer - it doesn't work apparently.
One of the most trouble-free Mobos happens to be one I have - Asus A8VE-SE, a 939 pin, but others are mentioned on the productionforums site.
I've probably provided much more than you are interested in, but one never knows.
Good luck
PN
Nick,
Nah, never too much info. Thanks for taking the time and trouble.
And as you guessed, I too was around and buying records in 1965. I was stunned back then by the artistry and emotion Sinatra shared in "September of My Years." Still am, for that matter. It did win a Grammy and was Album of the Year. I don't try to rate such things (is "Wee Small Hours" better than "Only the Lonely"? - I don't care, I love them both), but if I could only keep five Sinatras, "September" would still be around.
Re the sound card: you have greater needs than I - I don't produce music and only need two channels (can't think of what I'd do with the other 14!). Your links will get me educated to the point of decision-making, so thanks again.
Re music tastes: just received four CDs in the mail today. Nancy Wilson, Dean Martin ("Sleep Warm"), June Christy, and the King Sisters. Do those resonate?
Nah, never too much info. Thanks for taking the time and trouble.
And as you guessed, I too was around and buying records in 1965. I was stunned back then by the artistry and emotion Sinatra shared in "September of My Years." Still am, for that matter. It did win a Grammy and was Album of the Year. I don't try to rate such things (is "Wee Small Hours" better than "Only the Lonely"? - I don't care, I love them both), but if I could only keep five Sinatras, "September" would still be around.
Re the sound card: you have greater needs than I - I don't produce music and only need two channels (can't think of what I'd do with the other 14!). Your links will get me educated to the point of decision-making, so thanks again.
Re music tastes: just received four CDs in the mail today. Nancy Wilson, Dean Martin ("Sleep Warm"), June Christy, and the King Sisters. Do those resonate?