Improve audio

Chris Peacock

Newbie Joined: Dec 24, 2018 16:02 Messages: 5 Offline

Solved by

Feb 17, 2019 16:10

Hi

I'm using a Samsung S8 and Rode VideoMicro. Using OpenCamera app.

I'm about 50cm - 100cm or so away from the mic. It's generally ok but in PD17 I have to increase the volume on yhe track for each clip and in some cases use the AudioEditor built in to add 5dB or so to increase it further.

Is there some more automated way of importing the video and audio and use some default/custom template so it autocorrects the audio?

StevenG

Contributor Joined: Jan 14, 2014 14:04 Messages: 513 Offline

Feb 17, 2019 17:03

You can Normalize your audio clips. That automatically brings each clip's audio up to a normal level.

Chris Peacock

Newbie Joined: Dec 24, 2018 16:02 Messages: 5 Offline

Feb 17, 2019 17:08

Quote You can Normalize your audio clips. That automatically brings each clip's audio up to a normal level.

Thanks. Will check it out!

JL_JL

Senior Contributor Location: Arizona, USA Joined: Oct 01, 2006 20:01 Messages: 6091 Offline

Feb 17, 2019 17:32

Quote Thanks. Will check it out!

The "Normalize" will set all clips to the same level, not necessarily a normal audio level. However, once they all have the same level, you can then use the horizontal gain slider to adjust the whole track to a normal listening level.

For background, it appears PD kind of uses the most common level of a bunch of clips to normalize to. So, if one's timeline is dominated by very amplified clips and only a few soft clips, PD will "Normalize" to the level of the amplified clips. Not necessary what's desired. The converse is also true, so adjusting overall track gain after "Normalize" is generally required unless the majority of the timeline is at the right level.

Jeff

das3Dstudio

Newbie Joined: Feb 15, 2019 19:01 Messages: 21 Offline

Feb 17, 2019 18:35

Hi,

I tried the above, but have a couple of clips with very low narrative sound and some background music on a separate track.
As I do not want to repeat the narration, I have the trouble that I can not get below -18.4 for the background music and above +12 for the narration.
So the narration is still hard to understand...
Is there a way to fix this or would it be better to export both sound tracks separately to Audacity and import them again?

Thanks,

Fran

JL_JL

Senior Contributor Location: Arizona, USA Joined: Oct 01, 2006 20:01 Messages: 6091 Offline

Feb 17, 2019 18:53

Quote Hi,

I tried the above, but have a couple of clips with very low narrative sound and some background music on a separate track.
As I do not want to repeat the narration, I have the trouble that I can not get below -18.4 for the background music and above +12 for the narration.
So the narration is still hard to understand...
Is there a way to fix this or would it be better to export both sound tracks separately to Audacity and import them again?

Thanks,

Fran

-28db would be the lower end, type it. If clips need more adjustment than -28db to +12db one would have to process the sound twice, either within PD or a AD produce or outside with Audacity or the like.

Jeff

das3Dstudio

Newbie Joined: Feb 15, 2019 19:01 Messages: 21 Offline

Feb 18, 2019 04:39

Thanks JL. Good clarification.