Re: [linux-audio-user] Here is my dilemma

On Thu, 2005-07-28 at 18:18 -0400, Chaz Worm wrote:
>
> Here's my problem. I'm pretty sure it can be rectified with linux but I

Doesn't sound to me like the solution to your problem is at all
inherently linux related but there are sure lots of good tools available
for this OS.

> studio a few years ago. Although I loved the end result, the cd itself
> never had the loudness that a regular cd had. I would be playing it at
> a reletively loud range and then change cd's and always, the other cd
> would be nearly twice as loud.
> How can I make these songs louder?

If you are new to linux audio, I would suggest get Audacity from Planet
CCRMA, import the songs (ripped off your existing CD) into Audacity
(probably one at a time), use Audacity's "Normalize" or "Amplify" effect
and maybe play with one of the compressors in the plug-in lists (I've
used the "Dyson Compressor" to get a file that just almost touches 0 dB
in the loud parts and is nice and "fat" looking. You will have done a
very quick and dirty mastering job that should make it sound lots better
in your CD player.

> On my old recordings there were done with a cheesy four-track, how can I
> make there cleaner?

Jan Depner just suggested "Gnome Wave Cleaner (GWC) works great." I
haven't tried it but want to. I have tried Audacity's "Noise Removal"
with not very good results.

> Some of my old recordings that have been copied over from old tapes are
> too hot and therefore get a really annoying digital distortion. Can I
> clean those up too?

Audacity has a "Declipper" in it's plug-ins list (same plug-ins
available to all other linux apps) that seems to help some. But if the
file is badly clipped, it's going to take some pretty smart software
(and user) to fix it if it's even possible. Lost information can never
really be retrieved, only guessed at.

You'll like Audacity and after having some success with it you will be
ready to try the much more complex but way-cool JACK-Ardour-Jamin, etc,
etc route.

Good luck and feel free to email me with any Audacity questions you
have.

Mike
Mike Jewell
One-Up Audio
Received on Fri Jul 29 04:15:12 2005