Hi all, I am new here but have been using Audacity for years. I keep encountering a problem I cannot resolve, and I would now love to resolve it with expert assistance.
I have NOT updated to Audacity 2.x for Windows because I first want to observe how it works for other users and avoid any Vista-type problems that may occur while the bugs are sorted. Right now my current version suits me fine and that is:
Audacity 1.3x for Windows XP Professional
Mic used: Blue SNOWBALL
PC: Sony VAIO with highest RAM/processor speed you could possibly imagine. Just ridiculously high. I edit motion pictures on it - that is how high.
The problem: When I record and play back sung and spoken vocal tracks on Audacity, they sound fine. Once I perform a mixdown, however, the vocals without exception fall significantly back in gain and are difficult to make out. These are pop songs - the vocals need to stand out without pushing too loud over the music tracks. When I adjust the mix, either the vocals become too loud and drown out the music, or the music becomes too loud and drowns out the vocals.
Attempts to fix the problem so far:
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Mixdown to .wav instead of .mp3. This helped a little, but not much.
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Equalizing to Decca 78 rpm. This helps tremendously on certain songs, but most not.
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Equalizing to a new custom setting with higher significant midrange and treble. This helped most of all, but then the vocals became too loud and pronounced for the music behind them. Adjusting gain is not helping.
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Audacity dynamic range compression. An absolute must, but still did not solve the problem.
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Wavepad dynamic range compression (a separate, non-Audacity program). The biggest help of all. When I set Wavepad to compress at “TV/Radio vocal” settings, this ALMOST solves the problem completely.
These tracks are being used in movies and sent out as production demos. Is there something simple I am missing on Audacity that can keep mixdowns from sounding so muddy and murky? I suspect it’s something in Audacity and that it may have to do with THE BITRATE.
Any ideas?
Thanks folks,
Heather