How to equalize audio in VS X2

[Chief92]

I have several audio files that I added to a clip, but they are of different volumes. When one ends and the other starts there is quite a difference in the volume. Is there a way they can be set to the same volume?

[Black Lab]

There are several ways you can do it:

1. What I sometimes do is put the timeline in Audio View. Then when I play it (in Project Mode) I am not only listening, but I can also "see" the volume using the meter. That way I have a visual reference of where I want to level the volume for each audio clip.

2. Some like to make a Sound File of the project and export that to their favorite audio app where they can tweak it, then import it back to VS.

3. Still another alternative is to use the Normalize feature that you find on the final Burn page. If your music has a lot of fluctuation this may not work as well as if the differences were more subtle.

For a fine explanation of the audio filters, including the Normalize feature, please read http://forum.corel.com/EN/viewtopic.php?t=9909

[DVDDoug]

FYI - I understand what you mean by "Equalize", but in audio jargon, equalization (AKA "EQ"), it has a different meaning... It's a fancy kind of tone control. A typical "graphical equalizer" might have 10 controls for 10 different frequency-bands, etc.

[Black Lab]

Doug, that must be what is called "reading between the lines", as I don't see the word "equalize" mentioned.

[aljimenez]

Doug, that must be what is called "reading between the lines", as I don't see the word "equalize" mentioned.

See post title

[Black Lab]

Aaahhh. Nevermind.

[sjj1805]

I have several audio files that I added to a clip, but they are of different volumes. When one ends and the other starts there is quite a difference in the volume. Is there a way they can be set to the same volume?

Point taken about the title but clearly the subject is volume.
This emphasises the need to choose a clear title for a topic otherwise confusion will ensue.

[Black Lab]

No, just poor reading comprehension.

[less2008]

-
Audio filter Plug-in's ?

The forum thread link above speaks of finding and installing audio VST filters into VS ...

"After you find one, just copy it to C:\Program\...\VST\"

What is the "it" that gets copied to \VST\? And is the "it" copied into the VST folder or copied into another folder below the VST folder?

-I downloaded and installed to windows Audacity plug-in
-Audacity created a folder called C:\Program files\Audacity ....
-I started the program outside VS and it seemed to be a stand alone program
-I copied the contents (All of them, sub directories and all) of the Audacity folder to C:\...\VST\
-Started VS
-Couldn't find any additional effects or filters

Thanks
(And yes, I need some serious hand holding here ...LOL)

[Ken Berry]

As far as I knew, Audacity *is* a stand-alone audio editing program (and a good one too! ) but not a plug-in for any other program. Glad to be corrected, though, if it proves to be the case...

[sjj1805]

Audacity is not a plug-in, audacity is a stand alone program.

[rguthrie]

less2008,

As I stated in my tutorial, VST is an industry-standard plug-in that is supported by VideoStudio. VST stands for Virtual Studio Technology and was created by Steinberg. Essentially, VST plug-ins are meant to be software equivalents to audio hardware such as equalizer, reverb units, etc. VST plug-ins can also simulate synthesizers. So they are very powerful. Oh, and by the way, Corel has to pay a licensing fee to be able to support this wonderful technology.

So, to answer your question, the ¡§it¡¨ is the VST plug-in itself. So, what I'm going to do is work you through installing a VST plug-in now. Go to http://www.kjaerhusaudio.com/download.phpand look for the ¡§Classic¡¨ series as these are freeware. These are some excellent freeware VST plug-ins that I have found and used. Download the Reverb plug-in either to your Desktop or My Documents; it¡¦s a zipped file. Once the file is downloaded, choose Open. Now want to want to do is place the file ¡§Classic Reverb.dll¡¨ into the VST folder. As per the tutorial it is :

C:\Program Files\Ulead Systems\Ulead VideoStudio 9.0\aft_plug\VST\

But if you have VideoStudioX2, then it will be

C:\Program Files\Corel\Corel VideoStudio 12\aft_plug\VST\

Now that you have simply placed the file in the appropriate directory, that¡¦s it! VideoStudio knows to look there for any audio filters, and now you will see Classic Reverb as an available filter. I¡¦ll post a screenshot and some more instructions on using this plug-in, when I upload the screenshot, so stay tuned!

I hope this helps. Since I wrote that tutorial for a contest, I specifically tried to stay away from mentioning something other than VideoStudio (I guess I can update that now! or just write a tutorial on using VST plug-ins¡K¡Khmm, whatcha thinks guys? Give me feedback on this one). And thanks BlackLab for the kind words, I¡¦m glad that after all this time the tutorial is still useful!

[sjj1805]

Ron,
That would be very useful. Installing them is one thing, knowing how/when to use them is another kettle of fish.

[rguthrie]

As promised, I've uploaded a screenshot showing what the plug-in looks like when you've Added the filter and then select Options:



As you can see above, this VST has been nicely designed to emulate a rack mounted Reverb unit like what would be found in a professional audio studio (and it's free!). Now all of these "knobs" can seem intimidating, but the good news is that there are preset settings already! So where are they? Look at the top three icons on the screen - you'll see a Play, Stop, and what looks like a document icon. Click on this last one, and you'll see there are 33 presets waiting for you to use. And once you've selected a preset, you can still tweak the knobs to your liking - so experiment and have some fun! Once you're done experimenting with this VST plug-in, go back and grab the Classic EQ plug-in from http://www.kjaerhusaudio.com/download.php.


Again, I hope this has been helpful!

[Chief92]

Sorry for the wrong word useage in the subject line, but I think it was clear in the explanation of my problem what the issue was. Seems to have generated interesting discussion. I have used Audacity and it is an excellent program that I may need to use to level the volume. I also have another program called mp3 gain that does it automatically in a batch fashion, if you want. It works well to use on all the songs on your mp3 player so you don't have to fiddle with the volume control when different songs come on.
http://download.cnet.com/MP3Gain/3000-2 ... 75552.html