The best way to increase volume in tracks

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AV_Matt
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November 30, 05 2:05 PM (permalink)

The best way to increase volume in tracks

What is the best way to increase volume only in some parts of a track without loosing sound quality?
post edited by AV_Matt - November 30, 05 2:07 PM

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    oengus
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    RE: The best way to increase volume in tracks November 30, 05 2:13 PM (permalink)
    use the volume envelope
    #2
    Stone House Studios
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    RE: The best way to increase volume in tracks November 30, 05 2:13 PM (permalink)

    ORIGINAL: AV_Matt

    What is the best way to increase volume only in some parts of a track without loosing sound quality?


    Ummm . . . . . turn it up?
    What's the real question here?

    Brian

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    Poco
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    RE: The best way to increase volume in tracks November 30, 05 2:16 PM (permalink)
    Hmmm... I kind of like my sound loose.

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    Guitarmech111
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    RE: The best way to increase volume in tracks November 30, 05 2:22 PM (permalink)
    I addition to the volume envelopes, you could clone the track and have the envelope on the clone track increase where you want more than what you are getting and then turn it back down after you achieved what you wanted for any given part.
    ORIGINAL: AV_Matt

    What is the best way to increase volume only in some parts of a track without loosing sound quality?


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    #5
    ohhey
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    RE: The best way to increase volume in tracks November 30, 05 2:55 PM (permalink)
    ORIGINAL: AV_Matt

    What is the best way to increase volume only in some parts of a track without loosing sound quality?


    Use the clip gain envelope to automate the changes within a clip. If you need the effects to be included in the reduction use the Track Volume envelope, it controls the volume of the entire track including effects, the clip gain only controls the volume of a single clip and is pre effects bin.

    Have you used enveloopes before ?
    #6
    glazfolk
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    RE: The best way to increase volume in tracks November 30, 05 3:53 PM (permalink)
    ORIGINAL: AV_Matt

    What is the best way to increase volume only in some parts of a track without loosing sound quality?



    I'm guessing that you're concerned about clipping?

    In which case I'd endorse Conley's suggestion as a simple and effective solution.

    It just might also be worth using compression to achieve this effect though. Depending on the nature of the track, what I am about to suggest may make it better - or worse! You'd just have to try it and see.

    You can apply the Sonitus compressor to the track, set the ratio at between 4:1 and 6:1 and the threshold to a level where it kicks in with about a 6dB reduction during the louder passages. Then put a gain of about 3dB in the compressor ... of course these are starting points, not perfect settings. This can have the effect of smoothing out peaks and troughs, and often take some harshness off the recording as well.

    Of coursed, you can control any of these settings with Envelopes if you wish. This can be especially useful for Compressor Gain.

    Best
    Geoff
    post edited by glazfolk - November 30, 05 3:54 PM

    Geoff Francis - Huon Delta Studios

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    Lanceindastudio
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    RE: The best way to increase volume in tracks November 30, 05 4:02 PM (permalink)
    yeah envelopes are good. if it is the entire track that needs gain, like as if the whole recording of that track is really low, you can turn the whole track up, then go from there. Also, as said, compression used correctly can give it volume. I wouldnt process the audio with gain though, just turn up the db's non destructively. Only use plugins if turning up the db's wasnt effective. I would reccommend usig plugins after you know that the volume isnt a major issue if at all possible. I avoid using plugins only to increase volume, as they are more suited for shaping sound then just increasing it. Then again, there are no rules about any of this. You are effecting the signal much less by simply increasing gain than using compression for the most part, so that is why I say avoid the plugins just for volume :)

    , Pony
    #8
    chaz
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    RE: The best way to increase volume in tracks November 30, 05 4:17 PM (permalink)
    Well....

    What are you trying to do with the track itself? If you want it to cut through a mix, then there are a couple of things you can do.

    1) Apply a highpass filter and cut out some of the lows.

    2) Apply some compression (btw..... great settings, Geoff) followed with a highpass filter.
    post edited by chaz - November 30, 05 4:20 PM
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    Majic
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    RE: The best way to increase volume in tracks November 30, 05 4:44 PM (permalink)
    Pump Up The Volume

    ORIGINAL: AV_Matt
    What is the best way to increase volume only in some parts of a track without loosing sound quality?

    If you haven't discovered volume envelopes yet, you're in for a treat!

    As others have pointed out, they are the way to do this, and once you've seen what they can do for a track, you won't leave home without them.

    They're also very handy for cutting out ambient noise in such things as vocal tracks if you have a noisy studio like I do (I'm working on that), need quiet and don't like what noise gates do to your material.

    Additionally, envelopes are t3h r0xx0r for controlling many other parameters in a track, such as reverb mix levels and pretty much anything else you can think of.

    Absolutely indispensable!

    Take A Pass

    ORIGINAL: chaz
    1) Apply a highpass filter and cut out some of the lows.

    2) Apply some compression (btw..... great settings, Geoff) followed with a highpass filter.

    I sometimes wonder if chaz has a side business selling high-pass filters.

    However -- and speaking from the perspective of a novice who is renowned for horrible mixes (I'm working on that -- the Mackie 824s are in the mail) -- I have found his evangelism of the high-pass filter to be very well-informed and extremely helpful.

    A problem that used to bite me all the time with “weak tracks” that resisted boosting without clipping (i.e., you want the track louder but when you crank up the gain it starts clipping -- and still sounds weak) turned out to be too much “phantom bass”, which shows up on the VU meter but can't be heard.

    High-pass filters remove this “phantom bass” and allow you to crank up the sound you want to hear (even on bass guitar tracks).

    Hence my induction into chaz's Church of the High-Pass Filter.
    post edited by Majic - November 30, 05 4:48 PM

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    #10
    chaz
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    RE: The best way to increase volume in tracks November 30, 05 5:13 PM (permalink)
    I sometimes wonder if chaz has a side business selling high-pass filters.

    Now that was funny.

    Actually.... Folks are always wondering how I get the clarity and definition in my mixes on a consistent basis. The basic answer..... Among other things is the use of a highpass filter on all of the tracks, including bass and kick..... and compression. I even use an HP filter after ambience and/or other effect on a track.

    You just have to "scuplt" the various tracks in a mix, including all of the effects, and I do that primarily as stated above.
    post edited by chaz - November 30, 05 5:15 PM
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    Qwerty69
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    RE: The best way to increase volume in tracks November 30, 05 9:20 PM (permalink)

    ORIGINAL: chaz

    ..... Among other things is the use of a highpass filter on all of the tracks, including bass and kick.....


    Hi Chaz,

    Just wondering where you would dial those settings in? Are you actually beginning to remove any of the sound or are you just killing rumble below, say, um 40Hz?

    Thanks again for the benefit of your experience.

    Regards,

    Q.
    #12
    oengus
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    RE: The best way to increase volume in tracks November 30, 05 9:27 PM (permalink)
    are you going a bit OT ? I would suggest to open a new topic
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    Qwerty69
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    RE: The best way to increase volume in tracks November 30, 05 9:49 PM (permalink)
    I was just clarifying the HPF thing - which was brought up in reference to the original topic. Just interested; not interested enough to argue with you or to start a new topic so I'll just shut up.

    Have Fun!

    Q.
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    glazfolk
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    RE: The best way to increase volume in tracks November 30, 05 9:55 PM (permalink)
    ORIGINAL: Qwerty69

    I was just clarifying the HPF thing - which was brought up in reference to the original topic. Just interested; not interested enough to argue with you or to start a new topic so I'll just shut up.

    Have Fun!

    Q.


    No, please don't shut up!

    Chaz gave a very helpful and informative answer in response to a question about raising volume. Part of his "bag of tricks" answer was to include a high pass filter.

    I fail to see how asking for information as to where this filter should kick in could possible be viewed as going OT. Personally, I'd be inclined to do this at about 60 Hz, BUT I'd trust Chaz's judgement here ahead of my own.

    Best,
    Geoff
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    AV_Matt
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    RE: The best way to increase volume in tracks November 30, 05 10:02 PM (permalink)
    Thanks people, i have used envelopes before i was hoping to get that as a suggestion, i use light compression when recording, then higher commpression with a plugin after, i still get some parts that are quiter, mostly vocals.

    I do however remomber an engineer once using something in Digital Performer that with the mouse whell he made parts of a track louder, wonder if that was destructive to the track.

    Any way thanks gain ya'll, always helpfull here.

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    AV_Matt
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    RE: The best way to increase volume in tracks November 30, 05 10:03 PM (permalink)
    PS, my spell check is broken

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    glazfolk
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    RE: The best way to increase volume in tracks November 30, 05 10:51 PM (permalink)
    One more thought ... you could try adding some gain using Sonitus or Cakewalk EQ at around 2,000 to 4,000 Hz ... this can have the effect of lifting the frequencies our ears hear best, thus making the voice more present in the mix. Particularly if fear of clipping is an issue, this can be an efficient and effective way of raising the perceived volume.

    Certainly I wouldn't recommend destructive editing, only as a very last resort. There are so many other ways ...

    Best
    Geoff

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    AV_Matt
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    RE: The best way to increase volume in tracks December 01, 05 3:24 PM (permalink)
    Thanks again people! I am not worried about clipping.

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    chaz
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    RE: The best way to increase volume in tracks December 02, 05 0:31 PM (permalink)
    One more thought ... you could try adding some gain using Sonitus or Cakewalk EQ at around 2,000 to 4,000 Hz ... this can have the effect of lifting the frequencies our ears hear best, thus making the voice more present in the mix.

    On the other side of the coin.... This frequency range also is where ear fatigue occurs, so you have to be careful how to adjust these freqs and when to do so. In fact, cutting frequencies is actually better in most cases than boosting them.
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    Sonic
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    RE: The best way to increase volume in tracks December 02, 05 1:26 AM (permalink)

    ORIGINAL: chaz

    One more thought ... you could try adding some gain using Sonitus or Cakewalk EQ at around 2,000 to 4,000 Hz ... this can have the effect of lifting the frequencies our ears hear best, thus making the voice more present in the mix.

    On the other side of the coin.... This frequency range also is where ear fatigue occurs, so you have to be careful how to adjust these freqs and when to do so. In fact, cutting frequencies is actually better in most cases than boosting them.

    You just HAD to say that, didn't you Chaz?

    The best is always yet to come. Now...shut up and make some noise!
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    #21
    chaz
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    RE: The best way to increase volume in tracks December 02, 05 11:20 PM (permalink)
    You just HAD to say that, didn't you Chaz?

    Well...... I know that you would not have expected anything less from me, Mike, right?!

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    lahatte
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    RE: The best way to increase volume in tracks December 02, 05 11:45 PM (permalink)

    ORIGINAL: chaz

    Actually.... Folks are always wondering how I get the clarity and definition in my mixes on a consistent basis. The basic answer..... Among other things is the use of a highpass filter on all of the tracks, including bass and kick..... and compression. I even use an HP filter after ambience and/or other effect on a track.

    You just have to "scuplt" the various tracks in a mix, including all of the effects, and I do that primarily as stated above.


    What's your cutoff frequency?
    #23
    chaz
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    RE: The best way to increase volume in tracks December 03, 05 1:00 PM (permalink)
    What's your cutoff frequency?

    Well, it changes from one mix to the next. I posted some settings a while back in a couple of different threads on this very topic. I looked for two specific ones, but have not found them yet. Still the following links should be a good place to start.

    here (post #3)

    here (post #8)

    here (post #23)

    here (post #1)
    #24
    lahatte
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    RE: The best way to increase volume in tracks December 04, 05 10:44 PM (permalink)
    Thanks. :~)
    #25
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