Production How do you fix Beatport.com mp3s with LOW Volume?

[darkmark]

I've got several mp3s that have low volume levels and I've analyzed them in a waveform editor. The waveform levels appear to be OK (the min and max are visibly at the peaks) and they show 100% when I run the normalization function and it scans the mp3 to determine the suggested normalization factor.

How do you fix these? Should I set the normalization at 150+% and see what happens? I've tried this but they still don't seem as loud and powerful when compared to other mp3s. And I'm also guessing that setting the normalization at 150+% will screw up the dynamic range.

Do I need to use some type of compressor tool? I've run out of ideas... Please help! Thanks.

[jeffrey collins]

Re: How do you fix Beatport.com mp3s with LOW Volume?

what kind of sound software do you have? If I have a track like that, and I wanna raise the level. I open up Ableton Live. Put the track in the arrangement and simply raise the volume with the fader, either that or bring in something else like the Utility effect and use that to raise the volume.

Don't know if that helped... Compressors can help, but most of the time the track that you got has already been compressed, so therefore you don't really wanna use more.

[gjg21]

Re: How do you fix Beatport.com mp3s with LOW Volume?

yeah, you don't want to compress.

I think the problem is that these days anyone with a computer can get a track released, and a big chunk of what's available on beatport reflects this. many of those tunes just don't have good sound quality from the production and/or mastering stage and there's little (that i know of) that can be done after that.

the thing that pisses me off about all of this is that there's really no way to tell just how good/bad the sound quality of a track is until you buy the actual mp3.

[Kinetic]

Re: How do you fix Beatport.com mp3s with LOW Volume?

what kind of sound software do you have? If I have a track like that, and I wanna raise the level. I open up Ableton Live. Put the track in the arrangement and simply raise the volume with the fader, either that or bring in something else like the Utility effect and use that to raise the volume.

Yep, this is a good suggestion if you use Ableton. I simply raise the clip/track gain in the clip properties window and save the clip like that.

But my guess is you?re using some kind of audio editor, try to see if it has any kind of limiting (not compression!) function, or loudness maximizing function.

Also, I believe there?s a freeware proggie called mp3Gain that might help you : http://mp3gain.sourceforge.net/

Let us know how it goes!

[Lorn]

Re: How do you fix Beatport.com mp3s with LOW Volume?

the thing that pisses me off about all of this is that there's really no way to tell just how good/bad the sound quality of a track is until you buy the actual mp3.

So true. And of course you have to buy the actual mp3 to hear the song in its entirety.

[jeffrey collins]

Re: How do you fix Beatport.com mp3s with LOW Volume?

Yeah, that and the file they put up for the little soundbyte is not encoded at 320KBPS.

[darkmark]

Re: How do you fix Beatport.com mp3s with LOW Volume?

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I was using Exact Audio Copy [EAC] and Adobe Premiere. Maybe EAC wasn't boosting the volume beyond 100%.

I dug up an old version of Sound Forge and it seems to have done the trick.

The track I was trying to fix was from Wippet (a UK download site), but I do have some beatport MP3s that exhibit the same issue.

[BobbyJassi]

Re: How do you fix Beatport.com mp3s with LOW Volume?

I usually use the hard limiting function in cooledit pro, set at -0.1dB.

[Taylor Norris]

Re: How do you fix Beatport.com mp3s with LOW Volume?

I usually use the hard limiting function in cooledit pro, set at -0.1dB.

I wouldnt recommend compressing or limiting any of the mp3's you buy. This can suck out all of the dynamic range (if any is left at all) in your track. Even if the mix and mastering was weak on the track, i promise it has been smacked with a limiter at the very least, then it is further compressed when converted to a mp3. The difference may not be very noticeable at home but if you play those tracks on a large club system they will sound awful.

Ever heard someone play a 192 in the club? With further compression that is what you are doing to your 320's....

Bumping up the fader in whatever DAW you may have would be the best solution. There is so much headroom that you should be safe from any noise getting in unless you were really pounding the meters.

[unkownartist]

Re: How do you fix Beatport.com mp3s with LOW Volume?

try t-racks, its a tube compressor and aswell as uppin the dynamic it will also add alot of warmth to the sound also comes with a basic eq

[unkownartist]

Re: How do you fix Beatport.com mp3s with LOW Volume?

demo cant be downloaded here http://www.t-racks.com/Main.html?TRDownload

[etincelles]

Re: How do you fix Beatport.com mp3s with LOW Volume?

.........

[BobbyJassi]

Re: How do you fix Beatport.com mp3s with LOW Volume?

I wouldnt recommend compressing or limiting any of the mp3's you buy. This can suck out all of the dynamic range (if any is left at all) in your track. Even if the mix and mastering was weak on the track, i promise it has been smacked with a limiter at the very least, then it is further compressed when converted to a mp3. The difference may not be very noticeable at home but if you play those tracks on a large club system they will sound awful.

Ever heard someone play a 192 in the club? With further compression that is what you are doing to your 320's....

Bumping up the fader in whatever DAW you may have would be the best solution. There is so much headroom that you should be safe from any noise getting in unless you were really pounding the meters.

Cheers for the advise mate, im using mp3 gain now. I have all my music files that i've downloaded in there original form backed up. so i can just bin the ones i've messed around with in cool edit.

[BobbyJassi]

Re: How do you fix Beatport.com mp3s with LOW Volume?

Btw, has anyone got a specific Target Volume setting that they use in MP3Gain? At present im using 97.0dB and im debating on whether i should bump it up too 98.0dB.

Thanks.

[Taylor Norris]

Re: How do you fix Beatport.com mp3s with LOW Volume?

not familiar with the program

just play vinyl.....