Newbie: increasing vocals volume with SoundForge

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jenson

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Hi, I am a complete newbie, so I don't know if this is actually possible...

I have a track in .wav in which the bass, drum and guitar part are very well recorded, but the vocals seem to be very distant and quiet.

I already learned about normalizing using peak level and yes it increases the overall volume without relatively changing the dynamics. But I'd like to know if it is possible to only turn op the volume on the vocals (so they don't sound so quiet anymore). I realize I can't make a mediocre recording sound really great, but is there some kind of way to do this vocals stuff?

Thanks in advance
jenson
 
This is a stretch but, if you take a parametric eq and sweep the mids, you might find a frequency that pulls the vocals out of the mix when you boost it. (try between 800 and 3k) You might need to compress the mix after that. (if it works at all)
 
To add to what Farview said...

Open up the Spectrum Analyzer first, and try to see the range that's lacking, then do what Farview suggested.
 
A multiband compressor may also help you focus on the vocal range and lift that out a bit....

Note that these post-mixing suggestions area all compromises -- the proper way to fix it is to re-mix.....
 
Another way to think about it is to reduce the stuff that's too loud. This way, the softer stuff comes up in the mix.

A compressor can do this.

First do the eq suggestion to get the vocals to stand out a bit more. Then you can run some quick experiments on a small highlighted portion of the piece in Sound Forge to find a threshold and ratio that give the illusion that the vocals are louder. Don't forget to undo the edit before the next try so you don't compress more than once. Once you find a good setting, apply it to the entire piece.

If the piece has been previously compressed or the louder parts are not short and dynamic this may not work so well.

I have done this many times on poorly mixed live church services. Most of the time the result was a noticeable improvement but still does not replace a good mix.
 
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