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PowerDirector 12 - audio equalizer?
Max_Stacks
Newbie Joined: May 15, 2016 09:53 Messages: 12 Offline
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Greetings.



I have 10 clips in my project with varying volume levels. I know how to edit manually, but I was wondering if there's an easier way to equalize the volumes on all clips?



Thanks!
JL_JL [Avatar]
Senior Contributor Location: Arizona, USA Joined: Oct 01, 2006 20:01 Messages: 6091 Offline
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If clips are on the same audio track the "Normalize" in the "Audio Mixing Room" (F9) may yield satisfactory results. It does work across all clips on the given track.

Jeff
Max_Stacks
Newbie Joined: May 15, 2016 09:53 Messages: 12 Offline
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Quote: If clips are on the same audio track the "Normalize" in the "Audio Mixing Room" (F9) may yield satisfactory results. It does work across all clips on the given track.

Jeff




Thx for the reply. I don't see an option for 'Normalize". When I click on the audio mixing room I only see 4 bars to adjust volume for 1 clip at a time.
JL_JL [Avatar]
Senior Contributor Location: Arizona, USA Joined: Oct 01, 2006 20:01 Messages: 6091 Offline
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I'm not aware that feature is PD12 version dependent but it could be. I couldn't immediately find any asterisk notation in the manual indicating it might not be in all versions. What PD12 version do you have?

Jeff
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Neil.F.1955 [Avatar]
Senior Contributor Joined: Mar 07, 2012 09:15 Messages: 1303 Offline
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Hello, JL_JL & Max Stacks!

I think it might be that while the video track is on the timeline, you right-click on the audio portion for the "normalise" option.

Cheers!

Neil.
Cranston
Senior Contributor Location: USA Joined: Aug 17, 2007 02:26 Messages: 1667 Offline
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Original post removed by user.



__________________________________________________________________________________

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at May 20. 2016 04:35

Click here PDtoots for a collection of PowerDirector Tutorials and Tips
JL_JL [Avatar]
Senior Contributor Location: Arizona, USA Joined: Oct 01, 2006 20:01 Messages: 6091 Offline
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Quote: Hello, JL_JL & Max Stacks!

I think it might be that while the video track is on the timeline, you right-click on the audio portion for the "normalise" option.

If you want to use the timeline functionality of normalize, then make sure all video clips desired are selected as it operates on selected clips, not the entire single track audio like the "Mixing Room" does. If all the clips are selected across multiple tracks (Ctrl a) then timeline normalization is done on selected and highlighted clips. Since clips are highlighted, right mouse click anywhere on the clip for normalize in the menu.

Jeff
Max_Stacks
Newbie Joined: May 15, 2016 09:53 Messages: 12 Offline
[Post New]
Quote: I'm not aware that feature is PD12 version dependent but it could be. I couldn't immediately find any asterisk notation in the manual indicating it might not be in all versions. What PD12 version do you have?

Jeff




I have PD12 version 12.0.5.4601

That normalize button on the audio mixer does not appear on my version.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at May 20. 2016 18:32

Max_Stacks
Newbie Joined: May 15, 2016 09:53 Messages: 12 Offline
[Post New]
Quote:
Quote: Hello, JL_JL & Max Stacks!

I think it might be that while the video track is on the timeline, you right-click on the audio portion for the "normalise" option.

If you want to use the timeline functionality of normalize, then make sure all video clips desired are selected as it operates on selected clips, not the entire single track audio like the "Mixing Room" does. If all the clips are selected across multiple tracks (Ctrl a) then timeline normalization is done on selected and highlighted clips. Since clips are highlighted, right mouse click anywhere on the clip for normalize in the menu.

Jeff


Thx for the tip, but I don't see a normalize option after rt-click'ng the audio portion.
JL_JL [Avatar]
Senior Contributor Location: Arizona, USA Joined: Oct 01, 2006 20:01 Messages: 6091 Offline
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Quote:
I have PD12 version 12.0.5.4601

That normalize button on the audio mixer does not appear on my version.

Can you post a pic of your "About Cyberlink PowerDirector", that version number you state does not make sense. I'm suspecting you have a neutered version like HE3D or something. The whole pic would help clarify, similar to what I had posted early that clearly states "PowerDirector Ultimate" in my case.

Obviously you don't have the feature in your version, knowing why may help your next purchase.

Jeff

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at May 20. 2016 19:41

Max_Stacks
Newbie Joined: May 15, 2016 09:53 Messages: 12 Offline
[Post New]
Quote:
Quote:
I have PD12 version 12.0.5.4601

That normalize button on the audio mixer does not appear on my version.

Can you post a pic of your "About Cyberlink PowerDirector", that version number you state does not make sense. I'm suspecting you have a neutered version like HE3D or something. The whole pic would help clarify, similar to what I had posted early that clearly states "PowerDirector Ultimate" in my case.

Obviously you don't have the feature in your version, knowing why may help your next purchase.

Jeff




This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at May 20. 2016 19:56

JL_JL [Avatar]
Senior Contributor Location: Arizona, USA Joined: Oct 01, 2006 20:01 Messages: 6091 Offline
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That more than likely explains the lack of the "Normalize" feature for you. Your version was probably a bundle with another product, hardware or software.

The version cabaility for PD12 goes: Ultimate, Ultra, Deluxe, HE3D, HE, DE, and at the bottom LE. Your DE version is almost the lowest capability version released so you lack simple editing functions like Normalize, video in reverse, video speed, just 4 video tracks, range selection, keyframes....on and on.

Jeff
BarryTheCrab
Senior Contributor Location: USA Joined: Nov 06, 2008 22:18 Messages: 6240 Offline
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Max,
if you are unwilling or unable to upgrade to a higher version of PD, I think I may have a solution, workaround actually.
On my site is a link to Levelator, a free program that will take "erratic" audio levels and equalize them to similar volumes. A key here is if your version of PD can extract audio from video.
The workflow would be...
Produce your video to a file, you may consider muting any added music.
Start a new project (in PD) bring your new completed video file into the library of your new project.
Right click the file in the library and if possible extract the audio.
If your version cannot extract audio, stop reading this.
But...
If you CAN extract the audio as a new distinct file, you can then run that audio file in Levelator, there are no settings or controls in Levelator, it just does one thing very well, it lowers loud sounds and raises meek sounds, and you end up with a new audio file with smoother more consistent audio levels throughout. You can also run the new audio file through Levelator again if you think another round would yield better results. I did just that with a 4 camera shoot in a very large room and the results were excellent.

NOTE: This was educational for me, I did not know Normalize could work across multiple tracks simultaneously.

This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at May 20. 2016 21:02

HP Envy Phoenix/4thGen i7-4770(4@3.4GHz~turbo>3.9)
Nvidia GTX 960(4GB)/16GB DDR3/
Canon Vixia HV30/HF-M40/HF-M41/HF-G20/Olympus E-PL5.
Tape capture using 6 VCR, TBC-1000, Elite BVP4+, Sony D8 camcorder with TBC.
https://www.facebook.com/BarryAFTT
Max_Stacks
Newbie Joined: May 15, 2016 09:53 Messages: 12 Offline
[Post New]
Quote: Max,
if you are unwilling or unable to upgrade to a higher version of PD, I think I may have a solution, workaround actually.
On my site is a link to Levelator, a free program that will take "erratic" audio levels and equalize them to similar volumes. A key here is if your version of PD can extract audio from video.
The workflow would be...
Produce your video to a file, you may consider muting any added music.
Start a new project (in PD) bring your new completed video file into the library of your new project.
Right click the file in the library and if possible extract the audio.
If your version cannot extract audio, stop reading this.
But...
If you CAN extract the audio as a new distinct file, you can then run that audio file in Levelator, there are no settings or controls in Levelator, it just does one thing very well, it lowers loud sounds and raises meek sounds, and you end up with a new audio file with smoother more consistent audio levels throughout. You can also run the new audio file through Levelator again if you think another round would yield better results. I did just that with a 4 camera shoot in a very large room and the results were excellent.

NOTE: This was educational for me, I did not know Normalize could work across multiple tracks simultaneously.




Thx Barry! I'll give it a shot. I am able to produce audio in my PD12 version, so I assume I'm good to go.
BarryTheCrab
Senior Contributor Location: USA Joined: Nov 06, 2008 22:18 Messages: 6240 Offline
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Of course, Max, if you think you may decide to pursue video editing then you'd be better served and have more fun with an upgraded version of PD. Opinion, and somewhat related to hardware, but I don't want to stray too far from the original topic.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at May 20. 2016 21:28

HP Envy Phoenix/4thGen i7-4770(4@3.4GHz~turbo>3.9)
Nvidia GTX 960(4GB)/16GB DDR3/
Canon Vixia HV30/HF-M40/HF-M41/HF-G20/Olympus E-PL5.
Tape capture using 6 VCR, TBC-1000, Elite BVP4+, Sony D8 camcorder with TBC.
https://www.facebook.com/BarryAFTT
Neil.F.1955 [Avatar]
Senior Contributor Joined: Mar 07, 2012 09:15 Messages: 1303 Offline
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Hello, Max!

Barry The Crab has clearly sorted things out for you! The problem with "Normalise" being greyed out and also not being available upon right-clicking on the audio track lay in the fact that you were using a DE version of PD12, the very bottom end of the range in each version. It is more than likely you got this version bundled in with an analogue-to-digital capture device(advertised with blurb: "Turn your old VHS tapes into DVDs!"). These low-end versions are otherwise referred to as, or are similar to OEM versions and, as pointed out elsewhere, lack several of the features normally found in the "full" versions normally bought as Power Director packages in their own right(Delux through to Ultimate). These DE or OEM versions can really restrict you in what you want to do when editing video. It's always the far better option to go with the "full" version(Deluxe up to Ultimte) in Power Director, right up to PD14, that way you're not missing out on features which may prove vital for what you're trying to achieve, like normalising audio levels for a start. In the meantime, there is, as Barry suggested, Levelator, which will sort out your audio levels for now.

Cheers!

Neil.
Max_Stacks
Newbie Joined: May 15, 2016 09:53 Messages: 12 Offline
[Post New]
Quote: Of course, Max, if you think you may decide to pursue video editing then you'd be better served and have more fun with an upgraded version of PD. Opinion, and somewhat related to hardware, but I don't want to stray too far from the original topic.




Thx Barry. The levelator seems to have worked well. Certainly was a workaround - I had to unlink 20 videos, remove the audio portions, import the levelator produce file, and split / link the 20 files again. I wanted to use transaitions between each clip, which caused more rework than necessary.

Ultimately I think the results will be better and smoother than my manual audio edits.



Thx again!
Max_Stacks
Newbie Joined: May 15, 2016 09:53 Messages: 12 Offline
[Post New]
Quote: Hello, Max!

Barry The Crab has clearly sorted things out for you! The problem with "Normalise" being greyed out and also not being available upon right-clicking on the audio track lay in the fact that you were using a DE version of PD12, the very bottom end of the range in each version. It is more than likely you got this version bundled in with an analogue-to-digital capture device(advertised with blurb: "Turn your old VHS tapes into DVDs!"). These low-end versions are otherwise referred to as, or are similar to OEM versions and, as pointed out elsewhere, lack several of the features normally found in the "full" versions normally bought as Power Director packages in their own right(Delux through to Ultimate). These DE or OEM versions can really restrict you in what you want to do when editing video. It's always the far better option to go with the "full" version(Deluxe up to Ultimte) in Power Director, right up to PD14, that way you're not missing out on features which may prove vital for what you're trying to achieve, like normalising audio levels for a start. In the meantime, there is, as Barry suggested, Levelator, which will sort out your audio levels for now.

Cheers!

Neil.




The PD12 DE actually came with the HP Envy laptop I purchased. I was already sold on the laptop and thought that PD12 was icing on the cake. Bummed to find out it's not a better version. The upgrade cost to PD14 Ultra was around $70 I believe. I won't need all of the features, but I'm sure there are some that will be worth it.
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Quote
The PD12 DE actually came with the HP Envy laptop I purchased. I was already sold on the laptop and thought that PD12 was icing on the cake. Bummed to find out it's not a better version. The upgrade cost to PD14 Ultra was around $70 I believe. I won't need all of the features, but I'm sure there are some that will be worth it.


I also had some confusion on recognizing features available on my PowerDirector 12 DE that came with my HP pavillion desktop. Thought the DE meant Deluxe and when I went to the comparison chart thought I should have TV analog capture available. Biggest gripe is that there should be a comparison chart listing of the OEM DE version so I can know whether I actually want to upgrade.

A bummer going through using the program and then coming into a block where the program can not do what you thought it could do. I see that for the Trial version they do have a comparison chart listing the features it has/does not have with other versions. Shoiuld be done for the OEM versions also, rather than wasting time and being confusion for potential users. Wonder if there is a place to find out what features I actually have?
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