best way to get a subtle volume boost from a wav track

[ropegold]

Just wondering what would be the best way to get a subtle volume boost from my post final mixdown wav version? I just finished working out all the eq's on ableton 8 suite, but I still wouldn't mind a little boost in the over all volume of the track. I have left some "head room" for post production. Just trying to figure out the best way to do it without going in the red!


Thanks in advance for any help.

RG

[kozikowski]

You can use Chris's Compressor and change the first number "Compression" down from the default 0.5 to something lower that you like. The default compression sounds very good and upping it to around 0.77 simulates the local FM station compression.

http://audacity.easyspacepro.com/plugin ... s_1-2-5.ny

Save Page As and leave the filename default. Dump that in the plugins folder and restart Audacity. It should show up in the Effects drop-down as Compress dynamics.

We would normally send you to Chris's site for this, but he's having version difficulties.

Koz

[steve]

Sorry, Chris's compressor is not available on my web site.
You can get the current version from Chris's web site which is here: http://pdf23ds.net/software/dynamic-compressor/

Chris recently updated the effect to make it easier to use - the effect is basically the same as the old version but with less bells and whistles.
It is worth keeping an eye on Chris's web site as he has been updating the effect quite regularly.

If you notice any bugs or have issues with the current version you can send feedback directly to Chris by using the post form at the bottom of that page.

[ropegold]

Ok, thanks! I am going to give these tricks a try. Is compression my best option in general for getting that volume boost I am looking for?

[steve]

It depends on what your track is like. Dynamic compression reduces the difference between the loud bits and the quieter bits so that the quieter bits can be louder. It works over a relatively long (but adjustable) time period and is well suited for "evening out" changes in volume.

If your track has just brief transients (short spikes) in the waveform that are preventing further amplification, it may be better to use a "limiter" or "soft clipping" to limit those peaks. "Limiters" work over relatively short time periods and "soft clipping" operates on individual samples which make them well suited to controlling high level transients.