Normalizing volume within a file

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rmathes
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2009 11:26 pm

Normalizing volume within a file

Post by rmathes »

First, I should say I'm barely proficient in using this very cool piece of software. I'm just using it for some basics, to help put audio interviews up on our website for informational content. I use it to delete unwanted content, amplify the volume and then change the EQ to make it better fit the spoken word. I enjoy using this app very much, but I'm barely scratching the surface. One thing that impresses me is how it’s very powerful, but someone like me with no knowledge of sound editing can also use it for the basics.

So that said, here’s my question. On many of our tracks we’re doing recordings of phone interviews and one party will come across much louder and clearer than the other. Is there a way to even out the volume so that both are about the same volume? I’m guessing no, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. This thing has so many capabilities that perhaps it’s possible.

Thanks

rmathes
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2009 11:26 pm

Post by rmathes »

I should also add, if there are any basic processing steps I should be taking to clean up and prepare a phone interview for web content, please advise. Right now all I do is amplify to get it more audible and then apply the EQ setting. I saved a preset that matches pretty closely the one in iTunes called “Spoken Word”.

I appreciate any advice, thank you.

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Lou Kash
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Post by Lou Kash »

I'm not familiar with phone interviews, but what you might want to use is a compressor.
That said, Amadeus is perhaps not the best compressing tool for you, regarding your audio editing skills. The point is that while there is a compressor utility available right inside Amadeus (Effects menu > Audio Units > Apple > AUDynamicsProcessor), its interface is rather "bare bones" and you should definitely already know what you are doing before you actually start to work with it.

So... I'd recommend just to edit your recordings in Amadeus and save them as AIFF. Then open a new GarageBand project with focus on podcasting and import these AIFF files. In GarageBand you have a couple of quite intuitive tools and many presets aimed at podcasters, i.e. presets that are supposed to make spoken word sound better without having to learn all the background about fancy audio editing...

(As a side note: it's not uncommon to move files between different apps for certain tasks. Some apps are good at this, some others are good at that. For instance, despite having a couple of other nifty tools for thorough audio analysis, at present I use Amadeus mostly for its excellent sonograph utility only.
And another side note: Apple's GarageBand is often being overlooked as being a toy. It's definitely not, it's a serious audio processor, as its engine is directly based on Logic. Being originally more of a MIDI sequencer, particularly for multitrack arrangements or effects processing GB is much easier to use than Amadeus or any other dedicated audio editor.)

Gerard Bik
Posts: 353
Joined: Fri Nov 10, 2006 9:04 pm

Normalizing volume within a file

Post by Gerard Bik »

So that said, hereís my question. On many of our tracks weíre doing recordings of phone interviews and one party will come across much louder and clearer than the other. Is there a way to even out the volume so that both are about the same volume? Iím guessing no, but it doesnít hurt to ask. This thing has so many capabilities that perhaps itís possible.
You might take a look at the Levelator, it is a free application designed for this specific task.
http://www.conversationsnetwork.org/levelator

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rmathes
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2009 11:26 pm

Post by rmathes »

Levelator sounds like exactly what I'm looking for. I’ll demo it immediately, thanks!

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