Correcting unequal volume in audio channels at DVinfo.net

Renton Maclachlan · August 26th, 2007, 01:36 AM

First time poster here...I take it the forum is Vegas only.

I have Vegas 7 and have an event on my timeline with unequal volumes on the audio channels which I would like to even up.

I have changed individual audio channel volumes in Goldwave before but if I set GW as the preferred audio editor in Vegas, it siezes the computer when trying to open the file from Vegas. Don't know why that happens.

Anyway...I've looked through Vegas help and Spotted Eagle's book for reference on how to do it in Vegas but can't find anything on it.

Does anyone know how this is done in Vegas? I assume it can be done because Spot says Vegas is excellent in regards to audio.

Tony Spring · August 26th, 2007, 02:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renton Maclachlan

First time poster here...I take it the forum is Vegas only.

I have Vegas 7 and have an event on my timeline with unequal volumes on the audio channels which I would like to even up.

I have changed individual audio channel volumes in Goldwave before but if I set GW as the preferred audio editor in Vegas, it siezes the computer when trying to open the file from Vegas. Don't know why that happens.

Anyway...I've looked through Vegas help and Spotted Eagle's book for reference on how to do it in Vegas but can't find anything on it.

Does anyone know how this is done in Vegas? I assume it can be done because Spot says Vegas is excellent in regards to audio.

You can use the "volume envelope"..

Renton Maclachlan · August 26th, 2007, 03:09 AM

Thanks Tony.

I use the volume envelope all the time but it works on the total volume of both channels, not on the individual volume of each channel.

It would be interesting to know how to control volume of individual channels even though for the particular instance I have, the issue is effectively solved. I solved it by combining the channels. This worked because the recording was in mono from a Rode VM.

However if it had been a sterio recording, combining channels would not have worked and so individual adjustments would have needed to have been made.

Bill Ravens · August 26th, 2007, 05:37 AM

use a pan envelope, not the volume envelope

Don Bloom · August 26th, 2007, 06:57 AM

why not copy the audio to another track right below the original. Then make one LEFT channel only and the other one RIGHT channel only. NOW use envelopes or use the control in the header to adjust your levels as you go. I prefer envelopes. I do this all the time-pretty much my standard work flow and BTW I set 1 track to the A bus and 1 to the B bus-easier for me to keep track and make adjustments. Also any NRT-FX you do will only affect the channel you want it to. Don't forget to mark in the header which is which. Left or Right.
If you don't use a panning envelope the audio will be centered-if you do use one then you can make that L/R sound and pan across.
Don

Renton Maclachlan · August 26th, 2007, 01:39 PM

Thanks guys. I don't understand everything you've suggested but I'm underway on it - you've opened possibilities I hadn't realised existed.

Don Bloom · August 26th, 2007, 03:06 PM

By copying the audio track an placing it on another track below the original you'll have 2 tracks to work with right?! So highlight the top one and right click go into the menu and set the audio to LEFT CHANNEL ONLY do the same to the other TRACK below that one but set it to RIGHT CHANNEL ONLY.
Now depending on how the audio was done during the original shoot you should have 2 differnt tracks with 2 different levels on them.
For example, when I shoot a wedding reception I use a hypercaroid mic on my camera -that gives me room ambience an the higher side of the scale. I also set up a Senn E604 mic in front of the one of the DJ speakers with a wireless plugin transmitter going back to my camera. This get the lower end of the scale as well as a really clean audio track.The hyper is set to channel 1 the wireless is set to channel 2. Now in VEGAS I have a nice starting point for my mix. I split the track by doing as I explained above and now I can do whatever I need to to each track with one being a clean music only track and the other a music and room mix. I can EQ, compress, adjust levels, whatever I feel is needed IF ANYTHING and have cut my audio workload down by about 70%. The mix is in my opinion very very good coming out of the gate.
Play around a little you can't hurt it as you can always go back to the original.
Don

Bill Ravens · August 26th, 2007, 03:59 PM

Hold the cursor over the audio track and right click. Move the cursor down to "Insert/Remove Envelope" in the drop down menu, then select "Pan". You'll get a line inserted over the audio track. You can add control points to the line and actually add shape to the line which will vary the pan(l/r balance) according to the position in the timeline.

Renton Maclachlan · August 26th, 2007, 11:39 PM

So...does the pan line, when in the centre between two channels, mean that each channel is equal volume as per the recording, and if it is moved into one or the other channel, that the channel it is in has an increased volume relative to the other?

Peter Wright · August 27th, 2007, 03:36 AM

Yes Renton - you have it clearly.

One advantage of splitting the two stereo signals to their own track is that you would then have not only control over each's volume, but you can apply different EQ or effects to each.

Renton Maclachlan · August 27th, 2007, 05:01 AM

Thanks all for your help.

Jason Robinson · August 27th, 2007, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renton Maclachlan

Thanks all for your help.

Or you can just split your stereo source into two mono channels and control them independently.

Renton Maclachlan · September 7th, 2007, 06:13 AM

Just revisiting this to say thanks again for the help.

I found that my method of solving the problem of uneven audio tracks did not really work satisfactorily, so I went back and looked at the pan envelope. It worked brilliantly - just what I needed. Subsequently I applied it across other events also.

Thanks.

August 26th, 2007, 01:36 AM	#1
Renton Maclachlan Trustee Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 1,180	Correcting unequal volume in audio channels First time poster here...I take it the forum is Vegas only. I have Vegas 7 and have an event on my timeline with unequal volumes on the audio channels which I would like to even up. I have changed individual audio channel volumes in Goldwave before but if I set GW as the preferred audio editor in Vegas, it siezes the computer when trying to open the file from Vegas. Don't know why that happens. Anyway...I've looked through Vegas help and Spotted Eagle's book for reference on how to do it in Vegas but can't find anything on it. Does anyone know how this is done in Vegas? I assume it can be done because Spot says Vegas is excellent in regards to audio.

August 26th, 2007, 03:09 AM	#3
Renton Maclachlan Trustee Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 1,180	Thanks Tony. I use the volume envelope all the time but it works on the total volume of both channels, not on the individual volume of each channel. It would be interesting to know how to control volume of individual channels even though for the particular instance I have, the issue is effectively solved. I solved it by combining the channels. This worked because the recording was in mono from a Rode VM. However if it had been a sterio recording, combining channels would not have worked and so individual adjustments would have needed to have been made.

August 26th, 2007, 05:37 AM	#4
Bill Ravens Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: santa fe, nm Posts: 3,264 Images: 10	use a pan envelope, not the volume envelope

August 26th, 2007, 06:57 AM	#5
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	why not copy the audio to another track right below the original. Then make one LEFT channel only and the other one RIGHT channel only. NOW use envelopes or use the control in the header to adjust your levels as you go. I prefer envelopes. I do this all the time-pretty much my standard work flow and BTW I set 1 track to the A bus and 1 to the B bus-easier for me to keep track and make adjustments. Also any NRT-FX you do will only affect the channel you want it to. Don't forget to mark in the header which is which. Left or Right. If you don't use a panning envelope the audio will be centered-if you do use one then you can make that L/R sound and pan across. Don

August 26th, 2007, 01:39 PM	#6
Renton Maclachlan Trustee Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 1,180	Thanks guys. I don't understand everything you've suggested but I'm underway on it - you've opened possibilities I hadn't realised existed.

August 26th, 2007, 03:06 PM	#7
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	By copying the audio track an placing it on another track below the original you'll have 2 tracks to work with right?! So highlight the top one and right click go into the menu and set the audio to LEFT CHANNEL ONLY do the same to the other TRACK below that one but set it to RIGHT CHANNEL ONLY. Now depending on how the audio was done during the original shoot you should have 2 differnt tracks with 2 different levels on them. For example, when I shoot a wedding reception I use a hypercaroid mic on my camera -that gives me room ambience an the higher side of the scale. I also set up a Senn E604 mic in front of the one of the DJ speakers with a wireless plugin transmitter going back to my camera. This get the lower end of the scale as well as a really clean audio track.The hyper is set to channel 1 the wireless is set to channel 2. Now in VEGAS I have a nice starting point for my mix. I split the track by doing as I explained above and now I can do whatever I need to to each track with one being a clean music only track and the other a music and room mix. I can EQ, compress, adjust levels, whatever I feel is needed IF ANYTHING and have cut my audio workload down by about 70%. The mix is in my opinion very very good coming out of the gate. Play around a little you can't hurt it as you can always go back to the original. Don

August 26th, 2007, 03:59 PM	#8
Bill Ravens Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: santa fe, nm Posts: 3,264 Images: 10	Hold the cursor over the audio track and right click. Move the cursor down to "Insert/Remove Envelope" in the drop down menu, then select "Pan". You'll get a line inserted over the audio track. You can add control points to the line and actually add shape to the line which will vary the pan(l/r balance) according to the position in the timeline.

August 26th, 2007, 11:39 PM	#9
Renton Maclachlan Trustee Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 1,180	So...does the pan line, when in the centre between two channels, mean that each channel is equal volume as per the recording, and if it is moved into one or the other channel, that the channel it is in has an increased volume relative to the other?

August 27th, 2007, 03:36 AM	#10
Peter Wright Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 193	Yes Renton - you have it clearly. One advantage of splitting the two stereo signals to their own track is that you would then have not only control over each's volume, but you can apply different EQ or effects to each.

August 27th, 2007, 05:01 AM	#11
Renton Maclachlan Trustee Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 1,180	Thanks all for your help.

September 7th, 2007, 06:13 AM	#13
Renton Maclachlan Trustee Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 1,180	Just revisiting this to say thanks again for the help. I found that my method of solving the problem of uneven audio tracks did not really work satisfactorily, so I went back and looked at the pan envelope. It worked brilliantly - just what I needed. Subsequently I applied it across other events also. Thanks.