I just got one of the new 32 bit float recorders and have files with audio signal above 0 dbfs. I can normalize the file in Sound Forge Pro, but cannot get it to so directly in Vegas, the program seems to clip info above the 0 dbfs range. Anybody have a way of handling this in Vegas alone or do I have to make the round trip to Sound Forge?
Maintaining the levels above 0 dbfs is only possible if the application supports floating point processing of audio which Vegas Pro does not on a project base. So you'd need to transcode the audio before.
@adis-a3097 Yes, the normalize does not recognize anything above 0 dbfs. It would seem that lowering the event gain does the trick, however there is a buggy aspect to this because the lower gain does not recover the "clipped" signal in the waveform on the timeline. It looks like a clipped signal. My sample recording includes a peak at + 25 dbfs. If I bring the event gain down to -25 db the playback shows the peak in the meters at near 0 dbfs, but the waveform picture is still clipped, now at -25 dbfs. Seems buggy...would really like the visual ques. BTW, I am using VP 15.
I have no experience the 32 bit fp recorder files, but I would try rebuilding the waveform after bringing down the event's gain. Can you post the file somewhere, (Dropbox, GoogleDrive, OneDirve, ect.) so us audio folks can experiment?
Thanks for the download link. I really was wrong about the missing audio float point processing. It works fine.
Rebuildung the peaks doesn't help because the peak files are always build on base of the source clip and calculated with integer math.
Thanks for the the link to the info and download
Based on the SD 32bit FP demo file, I found two ways to effectively 'un-clip' the file.:.
> "Open copy in Sound Forge", Then in SF, select "Process> Volume" and set to -30dBFS (or there abouts). Back in VP, the new take is not clipped.
In VP without SF,
> Reduce the 'Track' volume by using the track header volume fader .. or use a 'Volume Envelope set to around -30dBSF. Then render a new track in "Tools> Render to new track" The new rendered track file is not clipped .... Select a PCM preset of course, and as always, avoid lossy formats in the editing stage
btw, 'normalizing' the event to a lower level or by using the event's 'gain' bar just lowers the event's amplitude.. but it is still clipped.
"Did you get the same clipped peaks on the waveform, even though the audio is still there?"
Yes.
"What version do you have?"
Vegas Pro 17 Build 387 (but the Vegas version shouldn't matter). And the audio clip I used is "32_bit_float.WAVE".
I tried using Clip Gain, Track Volume, Output Level and several audio FX like Gain, Dynamics, Wave Hammer and rendered the clip to be sure there will be no clipping after. And all these methods worked fine.