Subject:Standardizing Volume Levels For VMS Audio Files

Posted by: BobWard

Date:9/19/2010 7:33:26 PM

I posted this in the VMS forum but thought folks here might also have some good ideas.

I have added voice-overs to old 8 mm movie events as well as music sound tracks. The movies have been divided into several events on a single video time line in VMS 10 HD Suite.

I have also done voice-overs for all the video events on a single audio (voice) track. As I play this project, I notice that my voice-overs are not consistently at the same volume level, probably the result of me sitting a different distance from the mic, and/or, just speaking in higher or lower tones from one recording event to the next.

My goal is to get all the audio voice-over files adjusted to the same volume level. I see that I can open each voice-over event in Sound Forge Audio Studio and use the Volume tool (under the Process tab) to increase or decrease the volume level of that audio event. Whatever volume adjustment is made in Sound Forge is saved to the voice-over file in VMS. So I can individually adjust the volume levels of each audio event in VMS even though they are on the same audio track.

Not knowing much about audio editing, is there a tool in Sound Forge that I could use to re-set the volume level to an identical value for each previously recorded audio event?

In other words, I bring each audio event into Sound Forge (from VMS) and apply some preset adjustment that will change each sound file to the same volume level.

Would the Normalize tool accomplish what I am trying to do?

Bob

Subject:RE: Standardizing Volume Levels For VMS Audio Files

Reply by: musicvid10

Date:9/19/2010 7:54:20 PM

Not knowing much about audio editing, is there a tool in Sound Forge that I could use to re-set the volume level to an identical value for each previously recorded audio event?

Not "identical" (there is no such thing), but close enough using the Normalize functions in either Vegas or Sound Forge. The Sound Forge function is much more detailed than the Vegas function, but Vegas should work just fine for your needs.

However, if there are peaks that prevent peak normalization from working, the RMS normalization in Sound Forge will get the job done.

Consult your Help files to get started.

BTW, it is not necessary to cross-post on these forums.

Subject:RE: Standardizing Volume Levels For VMS Audio Files

Reply by: BobWard

Date:9/19/2010 8:23:06 PM

musicvid,

The Normalize tool in VMS 10 seems to work. I selected all the audio events and clicked Normalize and they all adjusted to roughly the same dB levels on the graphical depiction of the sound track.

What criteria is Normalize using (in VMS) to adjust "all" the selected sound files with just one click? This almost sounds too easy - hope I am not mis-interpreting what it is doing.

Thanks for the suggestion,

Bob

Subject:RE: Standardizing Volume Levels For VMS Audio Files

Reply by: musicvid10

Date:9/19/2010 9:58:50 PM

Peak Normalize raises the peak levels to a predetermined level, -0.1dBFS I think.
RMS Normalize in Sound Forge adjusts the average level to a point you select. In order to do so, it compresses the peaks accordingly.

Subject:RE: Standardizing Volume Levels For VMS Audio Files

Reply by: rraud

Date:9/20/2010 10:22:11 AM

I assume VMS is like V-pro.9 which uses 'peak normalizing'. If you have a file with most peaks around -20dB, (full scale) but a single hand clap, (as an example) or other high transient sound peaks close to 0.0dB, the peak normalization process would raise the amplitude or the entire file to a pre-determined level. For instance if the hand clap is at -3.0dB and your peak normalize is set to -0.01dB, it would bring the entire file up by only 2.09dB, so your peak program material around -20dB would increase 2.09dB as well, which ain't much. In those situations, you could divide the event isolating the single peak and re-normalize the events or Open / Open Copy in SF and edit the peak there. Or try RMS normalization in SF. You could try a compressor/limiter on the problem track, which may or may not work better than direct editing.