Dramatic audio level reduction

Question

Level 1

29 points

Dramatic audio level reduction

I am using A. Pack and just processed an AIFF with the standard settings: 2.0, 192KB, -31 dialogue, no RF, no Low Pass.

The resulting AC-3 is maybe a third of the audio level of the original AIFF and only playing out of the left speaker. And yes I dragged and dropped the file twice and assigned the left and right channels--which both contain audio. I have repeated the process with a wav as well with the same results. (I've checked the Info in the Monitor to confirm the -31 setting)

I am listening to the AC-3 in the A.Pack Monitor and comparing it with the AIFF in quicktime.

Any ideas about what is killing my audio level and eliminating my right channel? Is listening to the AC-3 in the Monitor and the AIFF in QT like camparing apples and oranges? Is there a more accurate way to compare levels? Is there an app I can import both into and meter the levels?

Thanks,
Thomas

G4 dual 800, Mac OS X (10.4.2)

Posted on Nov 16, 2005 10:19 PM

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Answer 1

Nov 17, 2005 12:46 AM in response to Thomas Lewis

all 3 audio formats can be brought into dvd studio pro. I would import them and see if the same issues occur.

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Answer 2

RobertvdV

Level 2

220 points

Nov 17, 2005 6:03 PM in response to Thomas Lewis

Did you select NONE in the preprocessing tab? Film compression will take the level down.

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Answer 3

Nov 17, 2005 6:37 PM in response to Thomas Lewis

Normalize at -27 instead of -31.

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Answer 4

Nov 17, 2005 8:03 PM in response to Mark Ezovski

Normalize at -27 instead of -31.

you should not normalize to -27. This will affect you audio levels, often times reducing them. -31 leaves the levels untouched.

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Answer 5

Nov 17, 2005 8:57 PM in response to ryan gallagher4

Normalize at -27 instead of -31.

you should not normalize to -27. This will affect you
audio levels, often times reducing them. -31 leaves
the levels untouched.

Not true--

This is from Martin Sitter, the guy thqat writes the Apple quickstart books--"To determine the dialog normalization value, subtract 15 from the... (avg. dialogue peak.)"

"It's common to mix audio...at an average volume of -12. Subtract 15 dB from -12 dB and you get -27dB!" (His exclamation point, not mine:P)

-31 is movie dnv--you notice how a dvd is way lower in volume than the tv? If you don't want the lowered volume, use -27 or whatever number your dnv comes out to if you mix differently than to -12. With higher dnv numbers come potential "gain pumping" issues...

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