Input Volume leveling / microphone input levels-Singers "Play" their Mics.

OldMegaNerd

New member
The subject today gentlemen and gentlewomen is;
Is there a VST or SOMETHING I can use to "normalize" (adjust the volume level) the input volume of an old fashioned Mic, like an old Sure (the kind I'm Sure :cool: you've seen hundreds of in concerts, on stage and in video's) or maybe a Unisphere B... ?

Been "Rockin' and Rollin'" for fifty+ years now, I've seen a lot of singers live (real LIVE ones) incredible bands, and video performances, and all of them know how to "play" a mic to level volume between soft and louder notes in the melody, and their "vocalizations." I ain't that good and I'm 60. I got short time! Right now I have a nightmare of slicing clips and manually adjusting their levels, but this gets maddening in more complicated songs! :cursing:

PS: I swear I thought a search would get me something on this... I learned that people think funny titles are cool, but they don't help in searches. I HOPE mine is better.
 
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Hello spring chicken! (I am in my 73thrd year) . Not ALL the great singers were 'mic smart' you know! I posted a clip of Ella F and Joe Pass and she is all over the shop with her dynamics! (will find it again) .

But, you is a lakky boy! Modern digital recording can easily cope with the range of your voice. Setup for 24 bits (44.1kHz almost always) but then set the gain on 2i2* such that you loudest roar only hits -6dBFS on the DAW (?) meters. DO NOT WORRY that much of the song is down at -20, even -25dBFS and 'looks lost', you can now use software FX to compress and raise the levels to wherever you like.

*That AI, especially the gen 1 version is not noted for high headroom though it does have pretty low noise pre amps so keeping the gain low is a good thing anyway.

Dave.
 
First off, what software are you using? That will influence the workflow.

Dave mentions it, compression is a tool that can help bring loud and soft together. There are limits to what it can achieve so it's typical to do some manual level adjustments before and/or after (in both workflow and signal flow senses) compression is applied.
 
There is a VST from Waves that is a vocal rider. Nice thing about it is, you can set how you want it to behave, record the automation, then go and adjust to your liking. Lots of ways to attack this issue.
 
Wow! Yeah the 2i2 is a "Gen 1" but I'm using the "Gen 2" ASIO drivers
(at Focusrites suggestion) through Live9 so it might be up to the task
as you've instructed me. THANKS A MILLION! Normally I'm better at
"Non-Linear thinking" but I never even considered using a lower input
volume and compression, then boosting the clips total output!
THIS WILL WORK DAMMIT! You da man!
 
Live 9 is my DAW of choice, (I don't do "easy") and for EQ/MASTERING I routinely use the Focusrite 64bit "Freebies" Red 2 (EQ) and 3 (compression) OR... Sometimes the "Scarlett" plugins; EQ/Verb/Gate & compression. Live also comes with a bunch of (albeit "thin on extras") mix/mastering utilities. No bells or whistles at ALL, but the basic tools to allow me not to annoy the crap out of my listeners and myself!
THANKS! Great help here! I'm hitting the tracklist now!
 
DM60;
Can the Vocal Rider work on a track that's already recorded?
OK I've done better than I'd expected but there are some songs
and passages that I've tried Live9's automation on to balance the
volume levels and it works fine, but automation in Live9, while
powerful is NOT EASY to set up, nor especially to adjust afterwards...
Usually this "place" for me means I haven't done my homework and
don't fully understand HOW the software works. Efforting that as
I write in fact.

Previously I "Sliced" the imbalanced sections out and boosted or
reduced that slice's volume to do this as I'd said...
I HOPE this might be able to help me perhaps in conjunction with
the other suggestions.

You guyz are the best! I'll be hanging around here a lot!

Just to make you laugh;
One of the best things about doing this at my age;
Most of the plugins I find most useful are freebies!
No flashing lights or intense graphics, no fancy "skins"
or bells and whistles... Nothing to attract the "Push-button"
DJ folks I guess. It all still works!

I remember when I got my first stereo with a "3 band" EQ!
:p
 
Once you can master 9, it has some good stuff. I use 9, so if you have any questions let me know.
 
Wow! Yeah the 2i2 is a "Gen 1" but I'm using the "Gen 2" ASIO drivers
(at Focusrites suggestion) through Live9 so it might be up to the task
as you've instructed me. THANKS A MILLION! Normally I'm better at
"Non-Linear thinking" but I never even considered using a lower input
volume and compression, then boosting the clips total output!
THIS WILL WORK DAMMIT! You da man!

You are most welcome. Makes sense to use the use the latest software (ALMOST always anyway!) but those driver will not affect the electrical properties such as the headroom I mentioned. That is set by internal supply voltages and, to some extent, by 'gain staging' design decisions. If you find you can still overload the front end you might investigate some XLR attenuators? Make sure they are intended for MICROPHONE circuits and not "Line" levels. Do not pay the first, silly price you see either! They are just an XLR 'barrel' and a few resistors. Build cost under $10 US I bet.

Dave.
 
Oh I WILL DM!
I just joined the Ableton Forum (WHO KNEW?) Wow!
You know I am SO impressed I could probably do a TV
commercial for you guys and this board. It's amazing!
I feel like I'm digging for gold when I "data mine" here!
[giggling]

OK so UPDATE;
I tried a few of the easier solutions to my track-wrangling problems
AND...
to the vocal track volume leveling issues and I am a VERY HAPPY
lil' DIY'er! I'm finally hearing it!
Not only did I compress (RED3... it has meters! ;) ) my vocal tracks,
which not only did a fantastic job of leveling the vocal outputs at the
end of the tracks effects chain, BUT... (Drum roll please)

I threw compression on the Master Mixer Tracks of every song...
I tweaked a LITTLE BIT, and BAM! There it was, exactly the right tool
for me to wrangle the FINAL MASTER (*.wav for disk mastering) tracks!
HOLY MEATBALLS BATMAN! YOU GUYS ARE GREAT!

Only trouble I had came when I realized I should just FINE adjust track
VOLUME in the mixer rather that try to fight the work I'd already done
mixing the individual tracks.

On my most involved song (15 tracks) I even slapped RED 2 EQ on the
Master Mixer channel and just a tiny tweak or 5, and... The tracks
(which were already EQ'ed for the sound I wanted them to have)
stopped FIGHTING and worked and played well with each other!

ALL THIS inspired by you guys! [sniff sniff!] I love you guys man!

RAWK ON! and thank you all again! I got so frustrated that I
had started with the weeping and gnashing of teeth!
(well ok that's a littte dramatic!) :listeningmusic:
 
Been out of the country and I wasn't keeping up with the site.

One thing I failed to mention to you was, you can record your automation "fader" riding (or any other plug in setting) so you don't have to do all of this with mouse clicks.

Here is a reference link: Automation and Editing Envelopes — Ableton Reference Manual Version 10
| Ableton


It might look complex, but it isn't. Mainly just turn on the automation as stated in the reference, make sure you have the right parameter selected for automation, in this case, track audio, start the song and make your changes in real time and that's it. Go back and edit as you need.
 
Yes, I'm there too! I'm SO new! (ugh!) I keep referring to Abletons 678? page
manual... which is ok for reference and describes basics, but has two drawbacks;

1) It's more or less for reference; I loved the built in tutorials and still go back
to them occasionally for pointed questions.

2) You're never gonna get a handle on the POWER of any audio software by
reading the "Manual" that comes with it... It's in another language (English
but with terminology from HELL!) and mostly they've left me more thoroughly
confused than indoctrinated.

I'm here because you guys really do what user groups don't;
You KNOW what you're talking about. Anyone can post in user groups and
for the most part may not be challenged by more experienced users.

I imagine the Ableton article you sent me to is much more detailed as to
the hows & why's which are always the most important concerns.

Thanks too much!
 
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