Consistent Levels in WL7

WaveLab
#1

Whats the easiest way to Level Match Audio in WL7… I have over 50 plus audio cues for a Play that need to be consistent. Some of the files have already been Limited, while others haven’t… Is there a way I can compare the RMS levels between multiple clips/files and normalize/batch process them?

My understanding is that… Analyzing Loudness between clips is best done against clips of the same audio files that have either been processed or rendered to A/B the difference…

I apologize for this novice question, I’m just trying to help a buddy whose on a tight deadline.

Any help or guidance is greatly appreciated.

#2

I am thinking that you mean that the cues are to be used ‘as is’ … so, probably the easiest and most efficient way is to simply incorporate all the cues as clips within a montage and adjust the relative clip levels by ear.

In the same way that you’d work when assembling a compilation.

Metering and analyzers can be useful tools but track content (eg lots of bass on one, none on the next) can easily skew results and are no substitute for ears … which of course the audience will be using.

Good luck with this project!

#3

EBU R128 recommendation is made for harmonization of loudness, i.e. to avoid “loudness jumps” between tracks, or in broadcasting between programmes (like commercials and other quieter parts of the shows).

You may have a look at: http://tech.ebu.ch/loudness.
A plugin for measuring loudness in compliance to EBU R128 recommandation can be found at http://www.nugenaudio.com/

Meanwhile I think it is time to implement the EBU loudness algorithm into WaveLab.
Maybe PG can give us some outlook?

Jean

#4

PG has announced in an earlier thread that he is considering implementing the EBU R128 loudness recommendations into Wavelab.
In the meantime, for your current project, I advice you to have a look at Wavelab’s loudness normalizer (shift+M), which already is pretty powerful and can give good results. In the batch processor workspace you can find this tool as plugin under “multipass-plugins”. It has and integrated limiter and even allows for psychoacoustic assessment of the different frequency distributions.
I agree that it would be a good idea to improve this loudness normalizer according to EBU R128. I have tested a trial version of NUGEN’s LMB software which works quite well.
If Wavelab would allow for selecting a compressor plugin of one’s choice for adjusting loudness range it could even exeed the NUGEN LMB (which btw costs more than the complete WL7). The NUGEN LMB currently is also missing a dithering option, so all processed 16 bit files are finally truncated without dithering, after they were processed with 32 bit internally (this is supposed to be improved in the next update). In Wavelab’s batch processor it would not be a problem to include a dither plugin before word length reduction.

#5

Thanks for the advice everyone… I really appreciate it.

#6

Hi,

My trick is in the Montage and jump between clips/wav or CD track
with the cursor back and forth and then listen, listen and then adjust
how does track 1 compares to 2, 3, 15, 3, 12 etc
and then listen in different cd players if a Audio CD Master

regards S-EH

#7

I forgot to mention the meta normalizer in the audio montage (tools tab) which can help you to normalize the clip loudness. Maybe this is more what you were looking for, as you are dealing with clips…

#8

“I forgot to mention the meta normalizer in the audio montage (tools tab) which can help you to normalize the clip loudness. Maybe this is more what you were looking for, as you are dealing with clips…”

LutzR… Thanks!!! This sounds exactly like what I looking for!!!