Hi Annabelle when mastering a mix you want to look at a few things re volume
levels. Every artist wants the most volume they can get in a mix. Some even
allow clipping. What I have noticed is clipping is an issue and a very
important topic. You dont want your mixes clipping at the same time you don't
want the limiter knocking down the volume more then and this opinion varie -1
what occurs is sound frequency crushing no doubts compressors can help to make
a sound beat thunder.
So if your mixing and dont intent to send it out to an engineer to be finalized
you want to get as close to 0 as possible. Audacity has a feature that allows
you and it will automatically ask you if you want to allow clipping. If you
chose no it will automatically set the highest levels across the spectrum of
frequency in your mix giving you the max volume without clipping.
Clipping is when it distorts because the volume simply is too high.
I am tinkering around with common concept in mastering that is text book
engineering teaching. To mix using filters and areas that all go into the mixer
routing area. Then from there into the main out. Many times if it's all done at
each area for example on the vocal track added echoes. A lot of energy computer
wise is being wasted which can cause latency. As well as you get that as an
engineer described as the 100 rooms sound. The mix gets fuzzy.
The basic thinking is the band is in one room and the harmonics of that room is
the same for all instruments even if they have various effects.
If that makes any sense.
Then that master mixed down to 2 track stereo in most cases is also tweaked.
That is why you want to leave some room if sending mixes out.
The basic principle is you dont touch the master volume area. It's set @ 0 and
even though many are doing it you dont put anything on the master channel.
Effects limiters compression etc.
I hope you find this helpful in understanding volume and mixes.
There is no set way or rules in music every day someone is coming up with some
new sound or something else.
Try various things listening to it comparing it to other creations that are
similar and see if it sounds the same.
There are plugins or software out there that you can compare an professionally
mixed song to your mix and see if its making the grade so.to speak.
On Friday, January 4, 2019 Annabelle Susan Morison
<audacity4blind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
The reason I did a message recall is because the attachment I sent exceeded the
size limit allowed by the mailing list (attachment was 9MB). Also, as part of
the original message which I recalled, maybe someone can tell me how to
determine the volume of the song so I know how I can normalize the fade-out and
make everything even.
From: audacity4blind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:audacity4blind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of David Bailes
Sent: Friday, January 04, 2019 6:58 AM
To: audacity4blind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [audacity4blind] Re: Recall: Normalizing Fade-outs
Hi Annabelle,you had a conversation with Robert which when like this:
Annabelle said:Hi, it's Annabelle.If I have a mixdown of a recording, and it
contains fades, is there a way that Audacity can essentially delete those
fades, returning the whole recording to its loudest volume level? Better yet,
is Audacity able to do this without ruining the recording? Is there a JAWS
script for Audacity that focuses on the Spectragram?
Robert replied:That's tricky.
Do you roughly know where the fade starts and ends?
I would use adjustable fade to reverse the fades.
If it is a Fade-out:
Select the portion that you want to correct.
Open "Adjustable Fade"
Select "Fade Up"
Switch to dB (instead of percent)
Mid amplification: 0
Start (= initial amplification): 0 dB
End (=final amplification): 20 dB
Preview the result.
It has presumably still a fade out.
Adjust the final Amplification accordingly.
The maximum is 100 dB.
If the start and end sounds roughly the same but the middle drops or is louder:
change the "Mid-Fade Adjust" percentage.
It may be that you have to apply the effect multiple times.
You could also try the compressor but it is probably a bit difficult
to find the right settings.
First, check the peak of the selection (amplify effect).
Copy the value displayed (control+c) and apply the amplification.
Compressor:
Start with all sliders set to 0
the ratio on the other hand should be about 100 %.
Check "Makeup Gain" and "Based on Peaks"
OK.
Open amplify again
Paste the copied amplification value and put a minus in front of it
(home, followed by -).
Apply.
If you're unlucky, the peak is not quite the same and you have to
adjust manually.
Annabelle replied:So for example, I have a fade in that starts at the beginning
of the song, and
ends right at the beginning of measure 3
Robert replied:In this case, you have to set the start in "Adjustable Fade" to
100 dB
and the end to 0.
Annabelle replied:For a fade-in? So you're saying that 100 DB is the loudest
level, then when
the fade in ends, it goes silent? I'm confused on that one!
Robert replied:The loudest value (in your case at beat one of measure three) is
0 dB
= 1.0 linearly or 100%.
The fade starts at minus 100 dB = 0.00001 linearly or 0.001 %.
To normalize a sound, we have to add a dB value such that we have 0 dB
eventually.
100 dB is just a big multiplication factor when translated into
percent: it would be 10000000 %.
However, adjustable fade doesn't allow such a big number in percent,
only 1000 % which is equal to 20 dB amplification.
Note: this high amplification is only for the beginning (or end for
fade-outs) and it will get smaller and smaller until 0 dB =
multiplication with 1.
Some values:
-40 dB = 1 %
-20 dB = 10 %
0 dB = 100 %
6 dB = 200 %
20 dB = 1000 %
26 dB = 2000 %
40 dB = 10000 %
and so on.
In summary:
0 dB means, don't amplify and 100 dB means amplify a lot.
It may be that the audio will sound a bit noisy after reversing the
fade. This is because the dynamic range or signal to noise ratio
(distance between noise and valuable sound) is very low at those -100
dB.
However, this extraneous amplification is very short and shouldn't
matter too much.
The End.David.
On Sun, 30 Dec 2018 at 17:30, Annabelle Susan Morison
<foristnights@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Annabelle Susan Morison would like to recall the message, "Normalizing
Fade-outs".
