• SONAR
  • Convert non-destructive clips to destructive and harmonize clips
2013/10/20 04:19:18
tsotzo
Hello all,
I have a track that contains over 500 non-destructive clips. It is a 2 hours over-voice translation track. Many clips vary too much in volume.
Question 1: What is the best or simplest way to convert the non-destructive clips to destructive(simple) ones?
Question 2: What is the best or simplest way to harmonize the volume?
Thanks a lot in advance,
Kostas
(My version is Sonar Home Studio 4.0.1)
2013/10/20 09:53:02
Kalle Rantaaho
Welcome to the forum.
 
Not knowing exactly how big the changes in dynamics are, I can't anything absolute.
First you could do some volume automation, to even out the biggest differences between clips, then add a compressor or limiter.
Normalizing after that, perhaps.
 
I don't quite understand, what you mean by destructive clips, but I assume you mean bounced clips, where the volume automation an FX have been "printed in". So, when the track sounds the way you want, bounce it to track.
2013/10/20 11:26:13
tsotzo
Thanks Kalle,
Yes I also think for question 2 that automation could do the job, but because there are just too many clips it's too much time consuming applying it. I was just wandering if for example there is some tool to "normalize" each clip separately at once. I hope you understand what I mean.
As for question 1, by saying non-destructive clips I mean the clips that have been produced by the split tool and when sliding with the mouse their left or right edge that reveals the full wave, that part of it is the specific clip(s). These clips are parts of bigger clip(s) or of the whole track. Sorry but I am not an expert in Sonar, maybe there is a specific name for this, but I hope you understand what I mean. When I say destructive or simple clip(s) I mean that dragging the clip's edges you just have silence. These clips are just on their own, they are not parts of bigger clip(s).
So the question is, is there a simple way to convert the former ones to the latter ones as referring here?
(Sorry for my bad English).

2013/10/20 14:53:34
Kalle Rantaaho
So it's simply slip edited clips you're talking about(?).  You can bounce all the clips on a track to a single clip by bounce to clips. IIRC  you get an option to delete the hidden, slip edited portions in the process.
If you bounce to track the material is copied on a new track leaving the original untouched.
 
You can normalize each clip separately, but there is no way to do it in one go, it must be done clip by clip.
If you normalize the whole track, normalizing will take place according to the loudest peak of the loudest clip, which
most likely doesn't give the result you want.
 
Have you tried evening the volumes with simply a compressor? It might work, depending on the material.
 
Just to clarify the terminology: A clip is a clip. A clip can never be a part of a bigger clip.
2013/10/22 04:18:45
tsotzo
Hi Kalle,
yes, it's slip edited clips. First I bounced all the clips to a track and then I exported the audio of the track in wav file. There is a tool in Sonar 6 (I didn't know it) called "Remove Silence" that does just exactly what I want! Removes silence at a given level (in my case it's complete silence) and at the same time split the clips. I will save the project and try to open to Sonar 4, otherwise I think I am gonna move to Sonar 6.
As for volume, I will follow your advice by using a compressor. Otherwise I will do automation. 
Thanks a lot for your help,
Kostas
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