Topic: Best way to edit channel gain balance in Audacity?

[acidjack]

I just did a recording with slightly unbalanced channel gain due to it being a PA tape with one mic closer to the stack than the other.  I understand how to select and manipulate one channel in Audacity independent of the other, but am looking for advice on the best way to actually even out the gain.  Is it best to independently select each channel and run the "Amplify" function up to 0 dB, thereby independently recentering both?  Or is there a more elegant way to do this?

[Roving Sign]

I just did a recording with slightly unbalanced channel gain due to it being a PA tape with one mic closer to the stack than the other.  I understand how to select and manipulate one channel in Audacity independent of the other, but am looking for advice on the best way to actually even out the gain.  Is it best to independently select each channel and run the "Amplify" function up to 0 dB, thereby independently recentering both?  Or is there a more elegant way to do this?

I think you've got it...

[dean]

Yes, but there might be a hitch with a workaround.  If you select and entire channel and try to amplify, it might not let you.  Too big of a sample.  The workaround is to select just a few seconds of the wav, amplify (I always go to just under zero, generally -0.01), then undo, select the entire wav, then Repeat Amplify.  That'll work you around the limitation.

Still, I don't know how balanced this will make your recording.  You'll be at zero on both channels, but the baseline will be different.  It might be better just to amplify the lower channel to match the other, as best as possible.  YMMV.   

[vanark]

Yes, but there might be a hitch with a workaround.  If you select and entire channel and try to amplify, it might not let you.  Too big of a sample.  The workaround is to select just a few seconds of the wav, amplify (I always go to just under zero, generally -0.01), then undo, select the entire wav, then Repeat Amplify.  That'll work you around the limitation.

I split the tracks and amplify separately quite a bit and I've never run into this issue.

Still, I don't know how balanced this will make your recording.  You'll be at zero on both channels, but the baseline will be different.  It might be better just to amplify the lower channel to match the other, as best as possible.  YMMV.  

What if one channel needs -10dB to get to 0 and the other -6dB?  Would you really leave the entire recording at -6dB?  I wouldn't. 

[dean]

Yes, but there might be a hitch with a workaround.  If you select and entire channel and try to amplify, it might not let you.  Too big of a sample.  The workaround is to select just a few seconds of the wav, amplify (I always go to just under zero, generally -0.01), then undo, select the entire wav, then Repeat Amplify.  That'll work you around the limitation.

I split the tracks and amplify separately quite a bit and I've never run into this issue.

I run into it frequently, and again just a few minutes ago.  Perhaps I didn't describe it very well.   

Still, I don't know how balanced this will make your recording.  You'll be at zero on both channels, but the baseline will be different.  It might be better just to amplify the lower channel to match the other, as best as possible.  YMMV.  

What if one channel needs -10dB to get to 0 and the other -6dB?  Would you really leave the entire recording at -6dB?  I wouldn't. 

I don't leave the entire recording at -6dB.  I'll get the entire recording to the same baseline by amplifying the "low" channel as best as possible to match the "higher" channel, then amplify the whole thing at once to -.01dB.  It's not at all unlikely that I'm simply wasting my time doing that, though, so please let me know if you think that's the case.  I'm self taught in all post-production work, so it's likely that I have a lot of steps in my processes that are unneccessary even though the end product is the same.  Lemme know what you think on my "matching" the channels first - wasting my time?

[dorrcoq]

Lemme know what you think on my "matching" the channels first - wasting my time?

I would think so, but without actually doing it both ways and comparing I don't know for sure.

I do it the same way the OP and Rory do, and never had any issues.

[dean]

Lemme know what you think on my "matching" the channels first - wasting my time?

I would think so, but without actually doing it both ways and comparing I don't know for sure.

I do it the same way the OP and Rory do, and never had any issues.

Thanks.  I'll experiment.  The more I think about it the more I think I'm wasting my time.  I'll report back if I was right to begin with, otherwise ya'll carry on and I'll reduce my post production time!