If the entire event is soft you can right-mouse-button click on the audio and from the popup menu choose switches / normalize. This will increase the volume of that event so that the loudest peak becomes 0dB.

Check out the ripple edit options. There is a mode that moves envelopes along with events so that all the nodes stay with the clip when you move it.

I jusy saw this on YouTube the other day -



And yes, right next to Auto-Ripple is Lock Envelopes To Events, which will keep the envelope points with your clips.

Someone elsewhere wrote

"Don't nomalise individual tracks routinely. I only normalise if there is a 'problem' track somehow inadvertently recorded at very low level, beyond the scope of the boost provided by the track fader.

As with analogue, the less processing to your source files, the better. Repeated normaliasation will increase the noise and distortion of a track."

I'm new to Vegas MS so I was wondering about all of the normalization advice I've been reading about. it seems a bit confusing. Example....

Say I have a project where there is no music only narration and a little background ambience. Say that I have been quite careful with the narration and it all seems fairly even.

In this case is there any reason to add normalization or do I follow the above warning about using the least amount of processing?

Regards

Normalization doesn't do anything to the audio other than adjust the volume. It is exactly the same thing as turning up the volume. If you want the track louder then adding normalization is absolutely no different than increasing the track slider, except that normalization attempts to figure out the amount of increase for you.

Note that normalization in and of itself does not increase background noise in relation to the signal. Let's say that your narration peaks at -20dB and the noise is about -38dB so there's a difference of 18dB. Normalizing would bring the narration peaks to 0dB and the noise to -18dB, still leaving a difference of exactly 18dB. If instead of normalizing you raised the volume of the clip 20dB then the narration would peak at 0dB and the noise would be -18dB. Exactly the same result.

Now, it's true that the above example did make the noise 20dB louder. However it also increased the narration 20dB. It's the difference between narration and background noise that is important; the overall level of the noise isn't as crucial. Normalization and volume increase do not affect the difference. If the noise is objectionable compared to the narration then it's going to be just as objectionable no matter what volume increase or decrease you do.

I'll also point out that volume and normalization are about the gentlest processing you can do and barely change the quality of the signal at all. Several volume increases aren't going to distort the audio anywhere near as much as a single EQ or compression.

Thankyou for the prompt reply. That clarifies the subject for me.

I do have one further question though. I've always set the volume manually on my camorder for any recorded speech (mainly a tie clip mic straight into the camcorder). I've just been searching for the instruction book but can't find it at the moment. However, if I remember correctly it tells you to make sure the levels in the 'meter' don't peak at more than -09db or thereabouts. Certainly not into the red anyway.

I've never given this much thought before because I've rarely noticed any distortion. However, do camcorder audio level meters approximate editing/software level meters as an industry standard or is each system different?!

Cheers

If you have a digital camcorder then 0dB should be distortion (saturation of digital signal) and anything below 0dB is fine. If you have an analog camcorder then all bets are off as the dB meter is subject to the whims of the designers, builders, calibrators, assembly equipment, test equipment, parts, evil spirits, north winds, south winds, who grabbed the last red lollipop from the receptionist's candy jar ... etc.

The advice for -9dB isn't because anything over 9dB is bad. It's because there is variation from one device to another and that there may be transient spikes that the meters aren't fast enough to show. Keeping the level down a bit helps make sure that these variables don't push the signal over the limit.

Once again - thankyou and I wish you a
Happy New Year!

If you should want more control, you can select the audio you wish to edit; go to tools; down to audio and then open in audio editor. I use Screenblast SoundForge myself. But that is just what I'm use to.

^ For the beginners, you do have to designate an audio editor, it won't just go to one on your computer.

Somewhat related question follows (sorry, I'm a beginner) :

Can I mute a part of a voice track in VMS itself? Or, do I need to use another program like Sound Forge Audio Studio, which I believe will change the actual audio file?

I can't seem to find information on this, yet I'd think it would be very basic. By trial and error, I learned I could delete part of a voice track in VMS, but that seems to be a little risky if I start moving things around on the timeline as I can imagine accidentally throwing the voice track out of sync with the video timeline.

What i would do for that in the Studio version is to Split the audio track at the beginning and end of the section you want to mute, then hover the mouse pointer at the top edge of that section of the audio event until it turns into a hand with a pointy finger, then drag down. A blue like will appear across that section. The farther you drag it down the quieter that section will be. Drag it all the way to the bottom and that section will be silent.

The elegant way to mute (or turn down) the volume on a audio event is to create a volume envelope. Right click near the volule indicator of the audio track and select 'insert/remove envelope' and tick of 'volume'. A blue volume line will appear all along the audio track. Then create points at the appropriate places on the blue line by double clicking, and then drag the volume line down in between the points.

The elegant way to mute (or turn down) the volume on a audio event is to create a volume envelope. Right click near the volule indicator of the audio track and select 'insert/remove envelope' and tick of 'volume'. A blue volume line will appear all along the audio track. Then create points at the appropriate places on the blue line by double clicking, and then drag the volume line down in between the points.

I've been pondereing the exact same problem as Timetc for a couple of days now so thanks guys for a couple of elegant solutions. Am I right in assuming you have to insert 4 "knots" to shape the blue line into a square?
My quick and dirty solution was to add an empty event (right click anywhere on the audio track). I resized this empty event and used it as a "band-aid" by pasting it over the offending audio to effectively mute it.

Yes, working with 4 points is the way to go!

Ooooh, Vegas Studio has a volume envelope now? That's nice. The last version i used was 3 and that didn't have it as far as i can recall.

Audio volume envelopes do the job fairly well but if you need a lot of amplification of low level audio on one "clip" you are better off opening the particualr audio track in your audio editor. I use Sony Sound Forge Studio and find it excellent although there are other audio editors available - some free. The only limit on the amount of amplification that you can apply is that background noise also gets amplified.
After getting the desired audio level, simply "save" and the audio track for that clip on Vegas MSP has the new level.
This also has the advantage if you want to move that clip within the timeline, the newly adjusted audio track moves with the video as opposed to volume envelopes that have to be re-set at the new location.