Wave forms and volume levels?

  • Thread starter Thread starter presto5
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presto5

presto5

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I cant figure out how to do a screenshot so I`ll just explain..I`m recording a song and all of my wave forms are different sizes...so like my vocal one is reaching closer to the margins than my bass line and guitar part due to the levels I recorded them in nothing is clipping though...is this bad ? can I just turn the volume up or down when mixing or should I re record everything?:confused:
 
You can't go by how they look relative to each other; for several reasons there's nothing that says they should look alike or be of the same amplitude. As long as none of them are clipping, you should be in the fairway.

Use your ears to mix them together at the relative volumes that *sound* right to you, keep everything form clipping, and all will be OK.

G.
 
Those waveforms are not accurate; they are just a representation.

Trust your EARS... that's what listens to the music.
 
Even if they ARE accurate - Not everything is the same volume. It'd be silly to think they would.

Best thing you can do IMO - Calibrate the system using your meters and wave forms (that's what they're really for in the first place) and then SHUT THEM ALL OFF.
 
Thanks! Does Normalizing stretch wave forms? is that what that tool is for? BTW its cold in Hawaii right now...must be freezing everywhere
 
Normalizing (a.k.a., "the most useless process ever and I can't believe it's still even in the menu") brings the highest peak to full-scale.

I'm really hoping you can figure out on your own why that's an incredibly bad idea 99.487% of the time... Especially at the track level, where you basically guarantee clipping.

I can tell you one thing right off the top - Any process that uses up any amount of headroom should be done carefully and thoughtfully -- A process that uses up ALL your headroom probably just shouldn't be done - ever.
 
presto5 said:
BTW its cold in Hawaii right now...must be freezing everywhere
Click to expand...
Freezing - i.e. 32°F - is warm for this time of year. Almost shirtsleeve weather! (for a few minutes, anyway)

G.
 
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