Hi all,
I've been using LE for some years now to create backing tracks for my solo piano/singing gig. I'm encountering increasing difficulties managing the varying output volumes of each song while playing along. Every song seems to be different. I'm no LE expert by a long shot and I don't want to waste any more hours than I already do putting a backing track together, so I'd appreaciate some simple advice. One song is too loud, the next too soft, one is bass heavy or muffled, or sounds over compressed with no room in the spectrum for my voice.
I take MIDI files and import them into LE, but instead of using midi instruments, I use the Jampack AU plugins. I pull together what seems like a reasonable mix, making sure nothing's clipping and making some small edits within the matrix editor if there's an unusually loud kick drum (for example), use minimal compression on the drums and bass and a bit of reverb on the drums and guitars or brass if I use them in the arrangement. And I alter the panning if it's too extreme. Nothng too fancy.
But my backing tracks are all over the place with the volume. I export as MP3s to itunes and run them from my iPad on stage. I've tried using itunes Soundcheck to balance them out (useless) and also manually adjusting the output volume of each song in itunes (not very successful). These songs vary so widely depending on the house PA, yet sound fine when listening through my laptop or ipad. It's a nightmare to use live.
Aside from doing a sound engineering course, what can I do?
Thanks,
Ros
