How to Make Vocals Louder
When the background music obscures the clarity and power of the vocals, a recording engineer must find ways to reduce the background noise, while clarifying and enhancing the vocals. Professional and free audio editors provide the tools necessary to complete this task. Securing a copy of the original multi-track master recording is essential. Without the multi-track recording, it becomes extremely difficult to increase the sound of the vocals. Multi-track masters have each instrument saved to a separate track. This makes it possible to edit each track individually. Audacity, Sonar and Peak Pro are all programs that can be used for editing audio.
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Instructions
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Multi-Track Recording
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Open your audio editor and drag the multi-track audio file into the main editing pane. Some programs may require you to use the "File" menu and select "Import Audio" from the drop-down menu.
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Select the vocal track by clicking once on the track title. In the "Effect" menu, select "Amplify" and drag the slider to right. The further you drag the cursor, the louder the track will become. You can select the "Preview" button to listen to the audio before confirming changes. This makes it possible to ensure you have selected the right volume. Press "OK" to adjust the track volume.
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Choose the "Effect" menu again and select "Compressor" from the drop-down menu. Leave all of the options at the default setting and click "OK." The compressor will help to even out the audio and balance the high and low frequencies.
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Tips & Warnings
When finished editing the audio, select the "Normalize" option from the "Effect" menu. Leave all the options at the default setting and click "OK." This will increase the audio volume to the maximum level without clipping.
If you don't have a multi-track recording, use the "Compressor" from the "Effect" menu. This will make it possible to balance the overall audio sound and help to bring out the vocals.
References
Resources
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