Split, then normalize? Or the other way?

1marcus4 wrote on 11/9/2005, 2:19 PM

I've captured several different events all at the same "event" (my daughter's campout), some songs, some plays, some talking, in one big clip. They are all at differing volumes. Question...

To bring all of the sounds into "balance" with the intention of making a pleasant dvd, do I normalize the whole clip, then split the clip into many separate events and then work from there? Or do I split the clip FIRST, and normalize each one individually?

After two years I finally have a handle on video, now I'm trying to dive into the world of audio. It seems the more I know, the more complicated it gets!

Comments

Chienworks wrote on 11/9/2005, 6:14 PM

If you normalize first and then split, all you've done is raise the volume of all the pieces evenly. Those that were much louder will still be much louder, and those that were quieter are still quieter. If you split first, then normalize, each piece may approach an even level with the others. Keep in mind though that normalize looks at the loudest peak in that section, so a section that is mostly -155dB with one -1dB peak will end up overall much quieter than a section that is -25dB overall.

Take a look at Wave Hammer. It's much more "foolproof" than normalizing.

James Young wrote on 11/9/2005, 6:15 PM

split then normalize...

then adjust each clip (click and drag from top center down) so that they are all the same loudness. simply normalizing each clip won't do the trick, you'll probably want to adjust each one by ear. Normalizing is good for getting the initial levels up though.

James Young wrote on 11/9/2005, 6:23 PM

oh, I meant click near the top center and drag down... if that wasn't clear.

Also, you can select all clips at once and normalize all at once, instead of doing each individually.

(oh man, some "dude" beat me to it) :)

1marcus4 wrote on 11/9/2005, 11:45 PM

I've been reading up on Wave Hammer as an alternative or in complement to normalization and I can't really find anything that truly explains the various templates, settings, etc. For example, in starting out, what WV template would most closely match the effects of normalization?

But it sounds interesting!

tazio wrote on 11/10/2005, 8:33 PM

If you have sound forge as well I would do the following:

1 Split the clip into sections
2 Open up each clip in Sound forge
3 Normalize each clip in SF using the preset "Normalize RMS to -16 dB (music)"
4 The clips will automatically refresh in Vegas

This will give you rock solid volume levels.

If you're not experienced with compression, you can run into all sorts of unforeseen side effects.
The Normalizing in VV is peak only, not RMS

1marcus4 wrote on 11/12/2005, 9:24 AM

Thanks guys! All your suggestions make sense!