I’m using Audacity 2.2.1 on Linux (Mint). I need to record voice recordings from a cassette tape (works fine), but to cut out the background tape noise without missing any actual voice data is proving tricky. I need to set the Sound Activated Record level to just below a specific minimum db level displayed in the recording (ie when the voice starts). How can I measure that specific db level when I position the cursor at that point in the track? The vercical scale is notated from 0…1, which is not much help for setting the SAR level.
You can change it to dB …
Great - thanks for demonstrating it. I’m a bit new to Audacity so this is very helpful.
Also I can’t figure out how to balance the channels when recording. When recording a mono tape in a stereo track, one channel is clearly slightly louder than the other. How do I balance them so the playback is dead centre?
For Audcaity2 you’ll need a plugin called RMS Normalize …
[ Audacity3 has it built-in : Loudness normalization]
Could correct by eye with the envelope tool …
but the RMS Normalize tool is more accurate.
Ok, a little hand-holding needed here. I’ve downloaded the RMS Normalise plugin for Audacity 2.1.3 or later, but after reloading Audacity it’s still not available to add. I guess I need to transfer it to the folder where the plugins are stored, but I’ve no idea where that is, and there seems to be no option to view or change the location. What do I do?
UPDATE: Apparently the process is handled by the Nyquest plugin installer, but as far as I can see I need Tools>Nyquist Plugin Installer but I can’t find that in the Audacity menu system that I have. So I’m stumped.
Here is an easy trick for checking the peak level of a selection (or the whole file).
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Select/highlight the part you want to check.
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Run the Amplify effect.
The Amplify effect will default to whatever up-or down change is needed for normalized (“maximized”) 0dB peaks. For example, if Amplify defaults to +10dB your peak is currently -10dB.
- Make a note and then cancel the effect before applying it.
I’m on Windows so I don’t know the details but…
The regular (peak) Normalize effect may work just as well and it also has an option to normalize independently.
Or, the .ny file just needs to be your Audacity plug-ins folder with the other .ny files. That’s all there is to “installation”. Then you may have to go to Effects → Plug-in Manager to enable it.
Or like Trebor says, it’s built into the current version (an option in “Loudness Normalization”).
You have to be careful with RMS or Loudness Normalization because it doesn’t check the peaks. You may have to run regular (peak) normalization after to make sure you’re not clipping (or just to get “good levels”).