Topic: mixing sources...best/easiest program to use?

[edgar]

hey all -

anyone have some recoomendations for the easiest , preferably free proggy to mix multiple audio sources with?

[Brian Skalinder]

anyone have some recoomendations for the easiest , preferably free proggy to mix multiple audio sources with?

The only truly free s/w of which I'm aware for this purpose:  Audacity.  Well, I suppose ProTools, too, but you gotta run Win98.     Probably others, maybe someone else will chime in...

[John P]

I love WaveLab's audio montage.  Steep learning curve, but once you're in, it is awesome.

[todd e]

I love WaveLab's audio montage.  Steep learning curve, but once you're in, it is awesome.

I'm trying to get up and over this learning curve but I had a question.  I have a SBD and an audience (on-stage).  Since there is a difference in timing between the two sources, do I reallly need to chop one of these files up into individual tracks.  It seems that is the only real way to make it sound right, and not even that technically correct.

Thanks.

[John P]

I love WaveLab's audio montage.  Steep learning curve, but once you're in, it is awesome.

I'm trying to get up and over this learning curve but I had a question.  I have a SBD and an audience (on-stage).  Since there is a difference in timing between the two sources, do I reallly need to chop one of these files up into individual tracks.  It seems that is the only real way to make it sound right, and not even that technically correct.

Thanks.

Yes you do need to chop up the longer file (hopefully the long one is the board signal because you won't hear any glitches in the board cuts with the aud signal covering it up).
The montage does an automatic crossfade (but you can manually edit the xfade if you like). 

Open the original wave files in wavelab.  Track one of them out and save.  Then, you want to go edit (I think - I'm at work) > create montage from wave.  Select transcribe markers and UNCHECK gaps between markers.  Now you should have a montage.  Right click on a small dropdown arrow on the left of the wave form and select add stereo track.  browse to the other wave file you want to do the matrix with.  Now you should see all 4 tracks.  Save (and don't worry about disc space since the montage creates an image) 

Now you can line up the beginning of the show.  Using the same kind of magnifying commands familiar in wavelab (I hope you have a scroll mouse) go out about 2 or 3 minutes and listen/look for drift.  When it becomes audible/visual, set your cursor just before a fast attack and hover over the long file and tap "s" to split.  The montage will automatically xfade and shorten the file a little, but you can slide it in either direction to match up.  Now repeat the process until you reach the end.

Caution: the montage is in 32 bit float.  So, you get tons of headroom and will get overs.  You have these things called volume envelopes.  Hover over the centerline of a wave- zero crossing - (where you would look for dc offset) and an up/down arrow should appear.  Grab it and turn it down - both files.  Drop the volume envelopes and watch your meters while playing the section with the highest rms and give yourself some headroom.  When you render and dither you can normalize the rendered file in the process.

Hint: doble click on the zero crossing line and a volume envelope point will appear.  Do this just before a fast attack like a clipping drum crash and then put a point after the decay and you can pull the volume down a bit (think manual compression in a way).  You can also control the shape of your envelope curves etc...

Sorry for the long post, and if some of this is off since I am at work, it is hard to do out of memory.  Experiment with some of the ideas and it should fall into place.

Enjoy

[todd e]

i will, major thanks for the explaination!  have a good holiday!
+T

[todd e]

worked like a charm, keep your eyes peeled for the vinyl matrix going up in the next few hours. +T again.

[John P]

worked like a charm, keep your eyes peeled for the vinyl matrix going up in the next few hours. +T again.

Sweet!  Glad to hear it.  What do you think of the montage now that you messed around with it?  I can't say enough about how easy and deep it is.
+t

[todd e]

i think it is great, but i have this one question that is really bothering me.  does wavelab simply mix the signal's 50/50 assuming no volume envelope has been altered? 
i just was expecting to see a small breakout GUI or something that asked what % to use from each file. 

I will definitely try it out with Starr Hill shows now.  We always have access to the SBD, and we rarely optimize it since I do the audience rig 99% of the time.

Thanks again!

[John P]

i think it is great, but i have this one question that is really bothering me. does wavelab simply mix the signal's 50/50 assuming no volume envelope has been altered?
i just was expecting to see a small breakout GUI or something that asked what % to use from each file.

I will definitely try it out with Starr Hill shows now. We always have access to the SBD, and we rarely optimize it since I do the audience rig 99% of the time.

Thanks again!

WaveLab loads the sources into the montage at the level they were recorded at.  Use the volume envelopes to tune to your ear.  I would like the percentage factor myself, but oh well.  I might put up a feature request on the board for PG to consider.  He says there is no upgrade or patch planned for the near future btw.  Yamaha just bought Pinnacle so the Steinberg side of the company is up in the air right now.