Topic: Help fixing a jazz show with one channel louder than the other

[MattD]

I recorded a jazz show where one channel is about 3 dB louder than the other. The problem with fixing it, is that there are places where the channels are over -3 dB. I tried straight gain in Wavelab which sounds fine until I hit the areas that clip (or that now clip with the gain added). I also tried compression, but that affects the overall sound of one track vs. the other. Is this one where I'll have to just deal with it? I tried dropping the higher channel as well, but then it only peaks at -3 dB and I can hear that difference too.

[heath]

what software are you using? 

[MattD]

Wavelab 5 with some Waves plugins if need be. I gave up on it at some point last night. I figured no responses = not really easy to do. It's actually not that bad except in a few spots where I am adjusting levels. Lesson learned here

[dnsacks]

soundforge has a feature that will "soft clip" the overs on the low channel if you normalize it to the overall volume of the high channel.  This could help out (somewhat)

[scb]

i'm confused

normalizing each channel independently is no good?

[MattD]

I didn't try that (though it's too late for this one anyway). I guess if I picked the same RMS level to normalize to, that would have worked?