Volume Problem
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Posted on Apr 01, 2006 02:11 pm
jimmyboy
Member Since: Sep 08, 2005
I have recorded a new song recently and i am happy with how each individual instrument sounds. I recorded each instrument by sending it through my mixer into a digital 8track. I then sent the files from the 8track to my pc (very awkward i know but my sound card broke!) to mix on Cool Edit pro. I have the song mixed but the volume it far too low. As I dont have any mastering software at my disposable, to increase volume I double up the matered track, so basically I put 2 copys of the quiet mix together to make a loud one but when I do this the quality seem to suffer and the sound becomes fuzzy. Is there any way i can increase the volume without this happening? Cool edit pro is the only programme i have available to my.
Thanks!
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Apr 01, 2006 08:32 pm Well I love Cool Edit Pro for its simple interface but I eventually had to move on and use another program because Cool Edit Pro seems to have very little headroom. All of my mixes were twice as quiet coming from that program than they are coming out of my Cakewalk Homestudio. If this is a fixable issue, then I sure don't know how to do it.
However you could just use the master volume or raise the overall level of the entire mix with the amplitude effect in the wave editor rather than doubling the tracks. Either way, you will probably get clipping just because of the issue of headroom.
Apr 02, 2006 07:10 pm is there a limiter in cool edit?
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Apr 02, 2006 08:53 pm If not have a look in our links section under freeware. There are several places with freeware limiters and compressors.
cooloFrisco's Most UnderratedMember
Since: Jan 28, 2003
Apr 02, 2006 10:03 pm There is a limiter in Cool Edit Pro. I used to use it back in the day to do what you're trying and I would get variable results, some good and some bad. Try and see if you can find some freeware (dx plugins) that maximizes or you can also try a freeware compressor. I never liked the compressors on CEP.
Apr 06, 2006 07:04 pm After compressing the volume decreases alot. So i apply a +6db mastering compressor setting a few times until i get the volme to the right level but when the volume is high i seem to be having phase issuse. Like when there is guitar playing on its own the volume changes when the other instruments kick in. Any ideas how to stop this?
Apr 07, 2006 04:41 am anyone?!?!....
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Apr 07, 2006 01:38 pm jimmy, you need to use the output gain on the comressor/limiter to make up for the compresion. Adjust it untill the output is at a suitable level again. If you just compress it and dont bring the output back up then you will get the lower level you are seeing.
pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Apr 07, 2006 01:49 pm yeah, what Noize said. The phase effect you're hearing is actually the compression kicking in. When there's not much signal, the volume goes up. When there's more signal, the volume goes back down. When there's lots of signal, the volume goes down more.
I'd think the compression settings are too high, try lower compression, but with more output gain.
I use the khearjus classic compressor, with a khaerjus classic limiter on the master channel, and then up the output gain a bunch on the compressor. It gives a little compression to bring the sounds together, then increases the total volume (output gain), then the limiter keeps it from clipping.
Works a treat.
cooloFrisco's Most UnderratedMember
Since: Jan 28, 2003
Apr 09, 2006 06:28 pm only problem with this is that the khaerjus plugins are vst, and CEP 2, only works with DX... But if you can find some dx versions of similar plugins, you may be able to do the same thing...
jmailjimmie neutronMember
Since: Feb 14, 2005
Apr 09, 2006 09:05 pm The CEP compressor will work OK, *IF* you don't get too much into it. Adjust a whole mix to only like 1.5 to 2.0 tops, with a soft elbow and a relatively high threshold. Then, as Noize says, use the make-up gain. All the settings are available on like a 4-tabbed settings page in the compressor. CEP has a half-way decent help file associated with the compressor. Check it out.
Since you're doing multiple compresses and a +6 make-up, your original signal is most likely way too low to begin with. If you can re-record, I'd do it. If there's a certain "magic" that you captured and don't want to lose it, you could even try to boost each track individually.
Check the CEP limiter also. You could use it to check the current levels and have it increase the gain by just under that amount (ya don't want to "over"...) and not get into the actual limiter itself, thereby reducing the "effect" of its use, yet increasing the "gain" of the track(s).
