Registered: Oct 2005
Location: People's Republic of Ann Arbor
Cubase loudness
Why is it that everything is so much louder in Cubase SX? When I bounce to audio and listen in Winamp, tracks and clips are significantly quieter than when I am inside the sequencer. I checked to see if Winamp's EQ was on and if the volume was lower, but they weren't. Did the programmers deliberately make the work environment louder? Is there any way of changing this so I can hear the actual volume of everything I'm working with?
___________________
One always has to remember these days where the garbage pail is, because it's so easy to make sounds, and to put sounds together into something that appears to be music, but it's just as hard as it always was to make good music.
- Robert Moog
Dec-24-2005 07:14
IDarkISwordI
Supreme tranceaddict
Registered: Oct 2004
Location: Clay Center, USA
Hey. I notice a similar thing in FLS and it seems to have something to do with the way the ASIO drivers are written or something. It seems to vary between ASIO drivers but from my expirience, it seems they are always louder than using the WDM drivers or the standard audio drivers. It doesnt seem to really be fixable from within the sequencer other than switching to the standard driver. The obvious fix is to open it in a wave editer (or just do it when you bounce the tracks in Cubase), and then normalize the tracks to -1dB or 0dB. I'd recomend -1dB because usually youll have a few peaks clip and the louder you go, the more peaks will clip. Mastering will also take care of the quietness, when you add the limiting to your track but thats something you dont want to have to do more than a couple times .
the track always sounds so much louder, upfront and clearer before mixdown doesnt it!
i never understood either..
i find if you d/l a loudness maximiser/limiter and apply this to the
mixdown you end up with a lot louder outcome.
would be good if there was someone who could explain how to get as much volume from cubase before distorsion...
any ideas?
___________________
*** Sig edited -> no banner ads in sig
----------------------------------------
http://img404.**************/img404/2794/deresionbanneryx4.jpg www.deresion.com
Dec-24-2005 18:26
sot
shure!
Registered: Sep 2000
Location: and why see
i get the same problem in ableton and fruity..never understood it either..im guessing its a asio problem
Registered: Dec 2002
Location: Toronto, Self-proclaimed Centre of the Universe
This question is coming up often enough that maybe it should go on the FAQ...
There are three possible reasons:
1) Clipping. If the levels go higher than 0 dB in your sequencer, they will just play louder, but when the track is rendered it will clip. This is a MAJOR and FREQUENT problem I see with the producers on TA - people really need to learn to lower their master volume and bring it up later through mastering or normalizing.
2) DirectX/Wave volume control. Windows XP usually provides a volume control setting for both "master volume" and "Wave" or "Wave/DirectX" volume. Winamp usually plays through the latter, but sequencers which use ASIO will bypass this and go straight to the master volume. Volume levels will be equal if the "Wave" volume is turned all the way up.
3) The fader on Winamp. If your Winamp volume sounds lower than the volume in your sequencer, turn it up. It's just common sense.
___________________
My party schedule:
2009-02-21 - DJ Attention @ I'm So Popular
2009-06-18 - DJ Annoying @ People Need To Know Where I'll Be
2012-11-32 - DJ Insufferable ɸ Or At Least the Stalkers I Complain About
2048-06-66 - Spastic & Whocares ¶ Although I'm Actually Flattered
9999-45-81 - Tweaker Gimp ☼ I Probably Won't Even Go To This But I Have To Make Sure I Fill Up All The Available Space Here
Dec-24-2005 18:59
richg101
1010101010101010101010101
Registered: Apr 2005
Location: a universal nation
cheers nut
so if i burn a mixdown onto a cd using windows media player and play it on a cd player it will be equal to what it was before mixdown?
i always mixdown low enough to avoid clipping but it still sounds quieter on windows media player.
edit..
but wait... i dont have a windows volume control with mic, wave, cd etc... my 2496 has its own interface that must bypass it.. what you recon it is in my case?
___________________
*** Sig edited -> no banner ads in sig
----------------------------------------
http://img404.**************/img404/2794/deresionbanneryx4.jpg www.deresion.com
Dec-26-2005 21:08
DigiNut
You kids get off my lawn!
Registered: Dec 2002
Location: Toronto, Self-proclaimed Centre of the Universe
If you burn a mixdown onto a CD, the volume of the CD audio track will be exactly equal to the volume of the mixdown. Whether or not it plays at the same volume on your computer depends on your various volume settings (master, wave, CD Audio, etc.)
If you know your problem isn't clipping, then check your computer's volume control/mixer settings. If the standard Windows volume control isn't available (I can't understand why it wouldn't be) then presumably your sound card comes with its own mixer program - use that.
___________________
My party schedule:
2009-02-21 - DJ Attention @ I'm So Popular
2009-06-18 - DJ Annoying @ People Need To Know Where I'll Be
2012-11-32 - DJ Insufferable ɸ Or At Least the Stalkers I Complain About
2048-06-66 - Spastic & Whocares ¶ Although I'm Actually Flattered
9999-45-81 - Tweaker Gimp ☼ I Probably Won't Even Go To This But I Have To Make Sure I Fill Up All The Available Space Here
Dec-26-2005 21:32
armanivespucci
Supreme tranceaddict
Registered: Oct 2005
Location: People's Republic of Ann Arbor
Diginut was right, but there was an odd quirk.
When you are looking at the volume level properties in XP and you have a soundcard that has its own interface, be sure to go to "Sounds and Audio Devices", then go to the "Audio" tab. Click the "volume" button for your output. Then go to "properties" and then CHECK "wave". It was unchecked for me. Once I checked it, I was able to adjust the "wave" volume and bring it up to the level of Cubase.
I would've had wave all the way up had it not been hidden! How odd...
___________________
One always has to remember these days where the garbage pail is, because it's so easy to make sounds, and to put sounds together into something that appears to be music, but it's just as hard as it always was to make good music.
- Robert Moog