Audacity - horrible clipping!

[Redler]

Hi!

I'm working with a song on audacity. There's several tracks and no one of them are not clipping. I've normalize tracks (wav) (normalize maximum amplitude to -1.6). As I've convert the song to mp3 and open it again on Audacity it is clipping! See the attachement...

[phantasm777]

from what I know using audacity, you can bring down the vol of the instruments where the clipping gets big, or you can leave it as is and envelope it down below the clipping as a whole. there are other ways but I do not know enough about them to say.

[Greeny]

Hmmm. Either take the track volume down a notch or two on the left hand +/- control, or go to 'effects' and use the compressor to smooth everything out.

I'm no expert though!

I've never had this issue unless I try to INCREASE the gain in Audacity. It can clip like f*ck then.

[Geir]

I've had the same problem before. If you normalize all you're tracks and then leave them all on 0dB, there will be clipping, because the result will be more than 0dB. So just adjust the volume down on all tracks.

I can't remember ever having this problem on the BR's.

[Redler]

Problem solved! Yes, each track seemed ok on Audacity project, but accidentally I had moved volume/amplify slide to 5dB. I meant move the pan slide to the right! So, after converting, that extra 5 dB caused clipping, of course. Thanks for the replies.

Kari

[64Guitars]

accidentally I had moved volume/amplify slide to 5dB. I meant move the pan slide to the right! So, after converting, that extra 5 dB caused clipping, of course.

An easy way to set the level accurately is to double-click on the track's volume slider button. A Gain dialog will appear in which you can simply type the desired value and click the OK button. The same thing can be done in the mixer board (View menu/Mixer Board). So, if you've accidentally moved some sliders, you can type in a '0' to bring them back to normal. I often use this feature to adjust the master level since Audacity lacks a Master Level control. So, if I wanted to lower the master level by 2dB, for example, I'd double-click on the slider button for each track and type in a number that's 2dB lower than the track's current value. It's time-consuming but does the job. I often find this necessary during mixing when I've got the relative track levels exactly how I want them but the overall level is too high and clipping. The only way to fix that problem without disturbing the relative track levels is to reduce each track by exactly the same amount.

[Redler]

Thanks for the very useful tips!

[Speed Demon]

I like to keep my tracks at minus 3 DB throughout the editing process then bring the gain up using compression when mastering all tracks together.

[na_th_an]

When mixing, you should leave enough headroom. Don't let any of your tracks peak over -6db, even less. Leaving headroom is important 'cause that way you will avoid clipping PLUS you gain a lot of space for dynamics. Dynamics are great and sadly they are getting lost in the loudness wars. With enough headroom, if one of your tracks has a very loud crash, that very loud crash will stay loud in your song.

You can always compress later, or apply some loudness maximizer when mastering.

I always mix using a DAW (ACID Pro, in my case) - for example, when I have all my tracks in place I pull all the sliders down to 0 then slowly raise each one until the level is OK - the drums always comes first, and I make sure they peak at ~-9db, nothing more. Maybe -8. Then the vocals, then bass, then guitars, then anything else.

At the end you usually get your song averaging from -6 to -4.5 db with occasional peaks going higher. Make sure it will never peak.

Headroom is good! REMEMBER!

[Mike Huntingford]

I've had the same problem before. If you normalize all you're tracks and then leave them all on 0dB, there will be clipping, because the result will be more than 0dB. So just adjust the volume down on all tracks.

I can't remember ever having this problem on the BR's.

I am not a fan of NORMALIZING as it really takes away the dynamics of your recordings...IMHO.  I want those subtle lows and highs of an instrument - normalizing, to me, is like making everything scream at you.

Record with the instruments not so hot coming in.  You can always increase gain in the software, but getting rid of too hot an instrument in the mix... will also get rid of subtle sounds you may want to keep.

Mike