Balance levels of several different audio tracks?

jmpace · Post by **jmpace** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 4:45 am

I've got some backing tracks I'm using for live gigs. Trouble is, they don't have exactly the same loudness (trying to use these terms more appropriately these days). I don't want to give the sound guy any trouble, so I'm looking for something that I can feed all the tracks in (while I'm still at home) and it will analyze the tracks and give them all the same loudness.

I'm using Logic and have the other logic-related programs installed (waveburner, soundtrack, etc.). I vaguely remember this being possible when I used to use Cool Edit (now Adobe Audition). I open to whatever works, although I'd prefer the free route.

@?,*???&? · Post by **@?,*???&?** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 7:58 am

Sounds like you need to mix the tracks first, before providing them to the soundguy.

jmpace · Post by **jmpace** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 9:05 am

They are mixed, but not exactly the same volume.

Nick Sevilla · Post by **Nick Sevilla** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 9:14 am

jmpace wrote:They are mixed, but not exactly the same volume.

Hi,
Try to match their RMS levels more closely.
This is their average loudness, NOT their peaks.
If you have a good DAW, you can use a set of meters that have both peak and average level readings.
Make a copy of all the songs, and then use a Gain process or plug in to destructively get all the songs as close as possible to a similar RMS average gain.
A good trick is to only turn down, and not turn up any song. So look for the lowest one, and then decide if that one is soft / loud enough, then match all the other songs to that first one.

Cheers

@?,*???&? · Post by **@?,*???&?** » Wed Feb 16, 2011 5:04 pm

Nick's advice is not for a novus- if you don't have the proper metering and haven't previously compressed/limited the tracks while observing such meters.

There are myriad free or shareware metering solutions online, to go his route you still will have to re-mix the tracks, but download and install some alternate meters capable of giving you what you need.

Snarl 12/8 · Post by **Snarl 12/8** » Wed Feb 16, 2011 6:09 pm

@?,*???&? wrote:Nick's advice is not for a novus- if you don't have the proper metering and haven't previously compressed/limited the tracks while observing such meters.

There are myriad free or shareware metering solutions online, to go his route you still will have to re-mix the tracks, but download and install some alternate meters capable of giving you what you need.

?!

Nick Sevilla · Post by **Nick Sevilla** » Wed Feb 16, 2011 6:47 pm

@?,*???&? wrote:Nick's advice is not for a novus- if you don't have the proper metering and haven't previously compressed/limited the tracks while observing such meters.

There are myriad free or shareware metering solutions online, to go his route you still will have to re-mix the tracks, but download and install some alternate meters capable of giving you what you need.

jmpace · Post by **jmpace** » Fri Feb 18, 2011 9:48 am

Thanks guys. I'll put all the tracks into logic, run a meter on the main output and check it manually.

exalted wombat · Post by **exalted wombat** » Sat Feb 19, 2011 8:36 am

Metering can help. Looking at the waveform can help too. A "denser" wave picture will sound louder. Unfortunately, some of your backing tracks may have been heavily compressed, others may have more natural dynamics. It can be difficult to UN-compress a track. You may feel that compressing a natural track spoils it. Use all the tools available - metering, visual analysis, compression, normalising - and most important, LISTENING. Compromises will probably have to be made.

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Balance levels of several different audio tracks?

Balance levels of several different audio tracks?

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