Hi,
I use serato to mix on vinyl and record the mixes using serato but some songs are lower volume wise than others. I am trying to get a 90 minute wave to be roughly the same consistent volume without damaging the track.
I watched a video on YouTube where the guy uses a hard limiter to -8db, then amplifies the track to -0.1db but when the track was limited to -8 it sounded distorted even though nothing was clipping.
Does anyone have any advice on this? Thanks
Help with making DJ mix consistent volume
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This forum is for Audacity on Windows.
Please state which version of Windows you are using,
and the exact three-section version number of Audacity from "Help menu > About Audacity".
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This forum is for Audacity on Windows.Please state which version of Windows you are using,
and the exact three-section version number of Audacity from "Help menu > About Audacity".
Audacity 1.2.x and 1.3.x are obsolete and no longer supported. If you still have those versions, please upgrade at https://www.audacityteam.org/download/.
The old forums for those versions are now closed, but you can still read the archives of the 1.2.x and 1.3.x forums.
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Owenjohnston
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Sun Sep 20, 2015 7:25 am
- Operating System: Please select
Re: Help with making DJ mix consistent volume
I fixed the typo in the topic title.
The best way to make a "studio quality mix" is to not do it "live". Just import the tracks into Audacity (or a DAW) and mix the tracks there.
The best way to make better "live mixes" is to practice and develop live mixing skills
So really what you are asking is (no offence intended, just defining the task in hand), "how do I make a not very good live mix sound better".
One problem that you face is that because it is a live mix, the volume inconsistencies probably vary, especially during crossfades. Correcting this is time consuming, but can be done using the "Envelope tool": http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/envelope_tool.html
A quicker way is to "compress the dynamics". That can be done using a compressor or limiter. There are downsides to this approach. Excessive use of compressors can make the mix too even, resulting in a tedious monotony. Excessive use of limiters can distort the sound, though some limiters are better than others in this respect. Audacity 2.1.1 includes a good limiter: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/limiter.html
This is one of the challenges of making a "live mix".Owenjohnston wrote:I use serato to mix on vinyl and record the mixes using serato but some songs are lower volume wise than others.
The best way to make a "studio quality mix" is to not do it "live". Just import the tracks into Audacity (or a DAW) and mix the tracks there.
The best way to make better "live mixes" is to practice and develop live mixing skills
So really what you are asking is (no offence intended, just defining the task in hand), "how do I make a not very good live mix sound better".
One problem that you face is that because it is a live mix, the volume inconsistencies probably vary, especially during crossfades. Correcting this is time consuming, but can be done using the "Envelope tool": http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/envelope_tool.html
A quicker way is to "compress the dynamics". That can be done using a compressor or limiter. There are downsides to this approach. Excessive use of compressors can make the mix too even, resulting in a tedious monotony. Excessive use of limiters can distort the sound, though some limiters are better than others in this respect. Audacity 2.1.1 includes a good limiter: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/limiter.html
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Owenjohnston
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Sun Sep 20, 2015 7:25 am
- Operating System: Please select
Re: Help with making DJ mix consistent volume
Thanks - I will check out the envelope effect. Live mixing on a computer doesn't feel right to me. I have used ableton live and didn't like it for djing, only production. The problem is really that some songs in the mix are recorded at a lower volume or are compressed differently so some are louder than others and it's not a massive deal but I'd just a tad annoying when skipping through the mix and having to change volume.