DAW volume vs Computer Volume

[Icarni]

I've mixed my song and it sounds great, but it's quiet. I can turn the volume up on my computer to ear bleeding levels and it still sounds great. I try to do the same on Acid and it sounds like crap. What is my computer doing that Acid isn't/can't do? I'm assuming that it has to do with Multi-band compression / dynamics, but I'm not sure, and I haven't been able to duplicate the process when I use the multi-band plugin that I have.

 

[arcadeko]

I've mixed my song and it sounds great, but it's quiet. I can turn the volume up on my computer to ear bleeding levels and it still sounds great. I try to do the same on Acid and it sounds like crap. What is my computer doing that Acid isn't/can't do? I'm assuming that it has to do with Multi-band compression / dynamics, but I'm not sure, and I haven't been able to duplicate the process when I use the multi-band plugin that I have.

Sounds like you are clipping in Acid - you should not have the levels go into the red - but you act like ACID is not in your computer? Isn't acid playing through your computer?

 

[Icarni]

Thanks for the reply.

My ultimate goal here is to match the volume of my song with the volume of a commercial CD. When I have Acid open on my computer I can set the level so that it doesn't clip and then use my computer's main volume control and increase the volume and it sounds great. If I bring the computer's volume back down and increase the Volume using Acid's master volume control I get clipping and distortion. Basically I want to know what my computer is doing to the sound when I increase the volume using the main volume control.

 

[arcadeko]

Thanks for the reply.

My ultimate goal here is to match the volume of my song with the volume of a commercial CD. When I have Acid open on my computer I can set the level so that it doesn't clip and then use my computer's main volume control and increase the volume and it sounds great. If I bring the computer's volume back down and increase the Volume using Acid's master volume control I get clipping and distortion. Basically I want to know what my computer is doing to the sound when I increase the volume using the main volume control.

You get the level up by mastering the mix. Don't push your mix volume up loud. Export the mix then you can have it mastered. You can try to master it your self, but it's a skill that takes some experience. I have been recording and mixing for a while but I still can not master very well. There should be some tutorials you can google - and check the mastering forum.

One thing you can do is to just take the exported mix and normalize it. That will boost the peaks to 0 - usually then you add compression and EQ if needed.

 

[mixsit]

You get the level up by mastering the mix. Don't push your mix volume up loud. Export the mix then you can have it mastered. You can try to master it yourself, but it's a skill that takes some experience. I have been recording and mixing for a while but I still can not master very well. There should be some tutorials you can google - and check the mastering forum.

One thing you can do is to just take the exported mix and normalize it. That will boost the peaks to 0 - usually then you add compression and EQ if needed.

Doing it yourself is exactly the same as 'pushing your mix up loud.
You want it squashed and loud, then make it squashed and loud.

I've mixed my song and it sounds great, ...

Just don't necessarily expect that to remain the same..

 

[Icarni]

I appreciate the suggestions, but I think we're missing the point here. The main volume control increases the volume without any degradation of the sound. I want to know how it does what it does. I understand the basic concepts of mastering, compression, and normalization, but the computer seems to be able to handle increasing the volume with one fader. Anyone got an idea about how the computer (windows) does that?

 

[bouldersoundguy]

This is through the same audio interface, right? If not then you don't have a common reference point as there are different analog stages involved, and that would have nothing to do with how the audio is handled in the digital realm.

 

[Icarni]

Ok, lets approach this from a different angle. When you pop a CD into your computer and adjust the volume using the built in volume control that comes with windows, how does that volume control operate?

 

[rfahey86]

Ok, lets approach this from a different angle. When you pop a CD into your computer and adjust the volume using the built in volume control that comes with windows, how does that volume control operate?

Up and down, sometimes though, they may throw you a curve ball and make it go left and right. BTW, why are you trying so hard to make your mix louder? Why not just turn down the windows volume control and be done with it?

 

[arcadeko]

You understand the basic concepts of mastering, compression, and normalization but you don't understand what a volume knob does?

You said:

My ultimate goal here is to match the volume of my song with the volume of a commercial CD.

The way you do that is mastering. Not cranking up your DAW volume so it clips... did you even try what I suggested?

 

[Icarni]

I don't think I'm explaining myself well. Let's try this:

First of all, let's proceed from the assumption that my song sounds the exact way I want it to.

Increase volume through my DAW to desired level: Song clips, sounds like crap
Increase volume using just the windows default volume control to desired level: sounds exactly like I want it to at the appropriate level.

To me, it seems that the windows volume control must have some sort of algorithm that keeps the sound the way it's intended to be and just increases the volume. That is what I'm trying to determine.

 

[arcadeko]

I don't think I'm explaining myself well. Let's try this:

First of all, let's proceed from the assumption that my song sounds the exact way I want it to.

Increase volume through my DAW to desired level: Song clips, sounds like crap
Increase volume using just the windows default volume control to desired level: sounds exactly like I want it to at the appropriate level.

To me, it seems that the windows volume control must have some sort of algorithm that keeps the sound the way it's intended to be and just increases the volume. That is what I'm trying to determine.

There is no algorithm - its an amplifier. Your DAW volume setting is applying how much audio signal level is recorded into a digital file - in the red you are clipping. It is not a speaker volume control.

 

[Icarni]

Ok. That makes sense. Thanks!

 

[rfahey86]

There is no algorithm - its an amplifier. Your DAW volume setting is applying how much audio signal level is recorded into a digital file - in the red you are clipping. It is not a speaker volume control.

^ This is exactly the answer. You want to raise the volume until your ears bleed, turn up your monitors. If you still insist on using the windows volume control, then bounce the track and play it through windows. Any more questions?

 

[bouldersoundguy]

It would really help to know what, if any, audio interface you're using, or if you're just using the stock sound card. It sounds like you are using a sound card but knowing would be better than guessing.

Another thing you might do is import some reference recordings into a DAW project so you can play them through the same signal path as your mixes. Some DAWs and most audio editors have some tool for measuring peak and RMS levels of audio files. If you can measure the reference tracks you'll have an objective target number to match with your mix finalizing process.

To actually get the track louder it's really just a matter of compression. It's pretty normal to have some fairly high peaks in a track compared to its average level, so peak limiting is commonly used to bring those down and let the average (RMS) level be raised. Other kinds of compression, like multiband, can help with this or be more about altering the sound of the mix.