As we know, there are many oldies that despite they are “digitally remasters” in reality, they sound even lower then the original LP recording. This is evident when you load a song in Audacity, the Audio Track frequency is low. We have to go to Amplify for a louder song. What I would like to know if there is a tutorial or method or procedure of using Audacity effects to enhance the song. Louder, EQ, Hard Limiter etc. I went so much as to buy https://www.lynda.com/Audacity-training-tutorials/1432-0.html but they are too superficial and a little outdated. Can anyone help?
As we know, there are many oldies that despite they are “digitally remasters” in reality, they sound even lower then the original LP recording.
You can’t compare “apples to oranges”. The analog voltage output from a digital-to-analog converter may be higher or lower than the output from a phono cartridge and preamp.
This is evident when you load a song in Audacity, the Audio Track frequency is low.
You are confusing frequency (related to pitch) with loudness.
We have to go to Amplify for a louder song. What I would like to know if there is a tutorial or method or procedure of using Audacity effects to enhance the song. Louder, EQ, Hard Limiter etc.
Mastering & remastering is an art. You need to diagnose what’s wrong with a track before you can fix or improve it. And, a skilled mastering engineer can do a better job than most of us. And there are limits to what you can do. Many older recordings are never going to sound as good as modern digital recordings because they were recorded on analog tape.
Equalization can adjust the relative loudness of the various frequency bands (bass & treble, or highs & lows, etc.) If you feel the song needs some improvement, experiment with the Equalizer effect. I usually recommend the Graphic EQ mode for experimenting. It’s helpful to use a known-good recording as a reference to “keep your ears calibrated”. That’s one of the tricks pros use and it helps prevent you from getting carried away.
Note that if you boost the bass, you may have to lower the overall volume to prevent distortion when you export. Compression can help with that, but compression will tend to un-do some of the equalization.
To make it louder, you can try (dynamic) compression (Compressor effect) or the Limiter effect with the hard-limit option. In both cases, use bake-up gain to bring-up the overall loudness. These are the main tools for making the track louder (without excessive distortion). But, keep in mind that pros have better compressors/limiters and the experience to get the most out of them. You may not be able to achieve the same loudness as a modern release without distortion.
As the last step, It’s a good idea to normalize (maximize) the level before exporting. Run the Amplify effect and accept the default. It will pre-scan your file and bring the volume up or down as necessary for normalized/maximized 0dB peaks.
…Actually, try the Amplify effect before compression/limiting. You may not need compression/limiting.
Note that dynamic compression (and limiting) tend to bring the song to a constant-loudness. Constantly-loud music is the modern style, but it can make music boring (if you like dynamics) and some listeners will just turn-down the volume. Many quiet-sounding songs, especially older rock recordings or jazz & classical are more dynamic so they are not as loud and not constantly-loud, and that’s intentional.