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[Robbie Chopper]

Does anybody know if there is any sort of hardware that can level outputs from the mixer ???
What I mean by this is that when people finish a mix cd on a music programme such as soundforge, they 'Normalize' the finished mix so that all the tracks are at roughly the same volume.

In the same area, when people make their own music on the computer with production software, they use a compressor to get rid of the peaks and troughs in the different layers of the track i.e. the drumtrack

What i want to know is if there is a cheap easy piece of equipment that will level out all my output as it comes from the mixer ? I try to keep an eye on my levels when recording a mix into the computer or when using Simplecast on OSA radio but theres always one or two tunes that slam in too loud and always a couple that when you cut to them , the volume just drops off.

Anyone who has this problem (probably just me.lol) will know how annoying this is and any help would be appreciated cos this problem does my fookin head in

Cheers.

[stan]

i think hardware compressor might do that for you, they vary greatly in price.


Possible starting point for research

Audio level compression - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[ilovepiano]

Yeah, you'd need an external compressor or limiter. They're not that expensive, but you might as well just record your mix at a normal volume and then adjust it afterwards using Soundforge / Adobe Audition or whatever.

Something like this would be ideal:

Behringer Autocom Pro-XL MDX1600

[Robbie Chopper]

thanks for the help lads, bit over my head all that but i read the guide on the link posted by Stan and liked the look of the compressor on the link posted by ILP, but i'm not sure that i want to spend 70 squid on something that a. I wont know how to set up and b. something that i shouldnt really need if i'm more carefull with my levels when on OSA radio.

Just thought that i may be able to get something for 20 or 30 squid that you just plug into your phono leads between mixer and computer, you know, and mabye have one or two dialls on it for output volume.

I think i'd be a bit phased by the better gear at the moment, christ I've only been on the internet about 5 months and other than setting up decks and a bit of daft production on Ableton Live 5 and Sony Acid Pro 5.0, I'm a complete mong when it comes to hardware and software.lol

Cheers for all your help anyway, at least I now know what to look for if I decide to go down that route later on.

[Jiglo]

Originally Posted by Robbie Chopper

Does anybody know if there is any sort of hardware that can level outputs from the mixer ???
What I mean by this is that when people finish a mix cd on a music programme such as soundforge, they 'Normalize' the finished mix so that all the tracks are at roughly the same volume.

In the same area, when people make their own music on the computer with production software, they use a compressor to get rid of the peaks and troughs in the different layers of the track i.e. the drumtrack

What i want to know is if there is a cheap easy piece of equipment that will level out all my output as it comes from the mixer ? I try to keep an eye on my levels when recording a mix into the computer or when using Simplecast on OSA radio but theres always one or two tunes that slam in too loud and always a couple that when you cut to them , the volume just drops off.

Anyone who has this problem (probably just me.lol) will know how annoying this is and any help would be appreciated cos this problem does my fookin head in

Cheers.

I didn't know you could normalize levels on a mixtape afterwards

So the secret's out at last I'll have to remember that one next time I drop a low output tune after a loud pressing

[ilovepiano]

Thought this might be a good idea so you can "see" what happens.

Here's my latest track...

The first pic is exactly how it was mixed down.

The second is after it's been compressed and run through a limiter.

[Robbie Chopper]

Originally Posted by Jiglo

I didn't know you could normalize levels on a mixtape afterwards

So the secret's out at last I'll have to remember that one next time I drop a low output tune after a loud pressing

What software are you using to record your mixes, if its Sony Soundforge (thats what i use) then i can help, am sure if its not soundforge then someone else will be able to help you with that