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Topic: Normalize audio track within video file (Read 1832 times) previous topic - next topic
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Normalize audio track within video file

I shot HD video of a rock concert.
In the absence of XLR inputs,
I positioned the cam close to the stage speakers to minimize crowd noise.

I used Cyberlink Power Director to edit the video and output a .m2ts file.
But the audio is WAY TOO LOUD and I don't know how to fix it.
Ex: I need to keep the playback volume below 2 to keep the room from shaking.

I'm a CPD novice with no experience normalizing.

Normalize audio track within video file

Reply #1 –
Audacity should be able to open the audio/video file (if you've installed the optional FFMPEG import export library) but you'll only get the audio.  After editing you'll need to re-combine the audio & video with your video editor.

Lowering the volume is easy using the Amplify effect.  Simply enter a negative dB number.    Maybe start with -6 or dB, and if that's not enough try -3dB more and go from there.

Virtually all video editors allow you to adjust the volume and that should save you the extra steps of using an audio editor.  I don't use CPD so I can't tell you how to do it.

You DON'T want to "normalize".    Normalizing is sometimes called "maximizing".  It set the peaks to a "nominal" value of 100% = 0dBFS.  (You can normalize to different peak levels, but it's usually at or near 100%.)

But, volume is probably not the issue...  Most likely the audio is distorted.  If your camera has automatic volume control, that can cause all kinds of trouble with music.

You can try the Clip Fix effect but I don't hold-out that much hope...  In general, you can't remove distortion.    If the original recording has LPCM (uncompressed) audio, the clipping will be cleaner (waves with perfectly squared-off tops & bottoms) and this is easier to repair than compressed audio because the compression changes the wave shape.  With clipping, the original height & shape of the waveform is unknown, so it's impossible to accurately re-construct (un-distort) the signal.      If the clipping is severe, clipping repair tools will do more to make the waveform look good than they'll do for the sound quality.

Recording a rock concert isn't easy unless you can record in multitrack with closely spaced mics for all of the instruments.  Pro live concerts are multi-tracked much like you'd do in a studio.

The usual problem (besides having good mics and good mic positioning) is that the reverb & room sound that sounds great live usually sounds excessive coming from a pair of speakers in a small room.   

If it's a big show in a big venue where all of the sound is coming out of the PA, you can record the output from the mixer.    But usually much of the sound is direct from the drums & amplifiers on stage, so the PA mix isn't complete.