Technical Frustrations

[Julie Kenner]

So Evo checked out my sample episode, and I have the go-ahead to start uploading my first 5, but I'm running into some technical frustrations! I'm trying to maximize the sound and volume, and having trouble getting decent quality.

On my own podcast page, I was uploading m4a files, and didn't have to go through iTunes (just created in garageband and uploaded).

Now, though, I'm finding that even though the volume is nice and load in GarageBand, when I import it into iTunes, I lose volume. Lots of volume. Anyone else have that problem?

Also, I find that I'm not liking the output with Levelator. I don't think I'm doing anything wrong, since it's only drag and drop, but exclamations of fear and distress get dropped and sound smooshed.

Finally, I've recently started using SoundSoap, since learning about it from a panel on podcasting at DragonCon. It's pretty good at cleaning out the background noise in the dead spaces, but then the noise is back behind the voice, making the overall sound less consistent and, I think, more annoying.

Part of the problem is that I can't seem to get rid of an electronic noise that I get recording directly onto the computer. I've ordered the H2 Zoom, and am going to start using that, but I guess I was wondering if anyone had any advice for using SoundSoap, Levelator, and maximizing volume!!

Thanks.

[R.E. Chambliss]

Hi Julie!

I'm a complete newbie to audio tech everything, but am also trying to get my first five episodes ready. I had a similar volume problem using Garageband and itunes. What I ended up doing was finalizing the file in Garageband. Exporting it to itunes, and then taking the .aif file from itunes and bringing it into Audacity (which you can download for free: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/) where I could up the volume. When I accessed it again in itunes, the volume was loud enough. Then I could make it into an MP3 from itunes.

Kind of roundabout, but it worked for me. Good luck!

-Renee

[Julie Kenner]

Oh, that sounds promising. I was trying to figure out how to get an .aif file from iTunes earlier for a different reason, and in the version I have (the new 9) I can't figure out how to do that.

Could you point me in the right direction?

[R.E. Chambliss]

The way I do it is to go into my music directory, then the itunes directory, then itunes music. Then you'll find a list of artists and under your playlist, there should be your garageband exported .aif files. I opened the too quiet .air in Audacity, chose Amplify, and upped the whole thing to 5dB. Then I exported it as a .aiff file again to the same place in itunes and when I opened itunes, there it was.

As I said, I'm really new at all of this and I understand the potential problem of loss of quality, but since it stays an .aif file, I think it isn't converted back and forth. Anyway, I didn't notice a loss of quality, and Evo approved the final version of my first episode, where I used that method. (shrug)

Good luck with it all! There is certainly a lot to learn!

-Renee

[Patrick Lewis]

If you get the LAME plugin for audacity, you can export to MP3 directly from there.

I'm a bit of a sound n00b, but bear this in mind, a lot of file formats are what they call lossy. That means that they loose details in order to compress the file to a reasonable size. conversions from one file format to another may put in noise that wasn't already there. Generally it sounds like you are under digital water if you have enough conversions. I'm sure you've heard that from an overcompressed or poorly converted file.

The moral of the story is, try to do the least amount of file conversions. If you can get a Garageband file out as MP3, that is ideal, but if you can't, try to import it into something that will read your file and export it as MP3. Manipulation within a program is one thing, but when you are hopping around in file formats, the simpler the process the better.

Hope this helps.

[Julie Kenner]

I've tried everything, and even exporting GB directly as an MP3 creates huge loss (not sure if it's iTunes or GB, actually -- will open with Quicktime and see what the volume sitch is. UPDATE: The culprit is Garage Band. Exported a file with GB to MP3 format and opened that file in QuickTime, iTunes and Audacity. Low volume. Switch to GB, the volume rocks. So maybe I just need to learn how to use Audacity and blow off Garage Band.....

Unfortunate, as I really like the GB interface....

[Julie Kenner]

HA!!! I've isolated the problem. It's GARAGE BAND. The new version. Version 4 exports at the proper volume. The new version 5 drops the volume substantially. Unfortunately, I'll have to re-record some audio that I did on the new version (naturally, it's not downwardly compatable), but at least I know what the issue is. And I've got the old version on the laptop, so copying it over to the desktop. Going to call Apple in the morning and see if I'm missing some setting, but the problem seems pretty common after Googling. Hopefully the next update will fix the issue.

Yeesh.

[Craig Robertson]

As I said, I'm not techy, and someone else will be and comment I'm sure, but I do have a few thoughts. J D Sawyer has a few general tips I liked at http://www.podioracket.com/main/. For garage band, I found out that GB records and plays at whatever volume in BG, but when it converts to mp3 and exports to Itunes, it then applies some sound modifications which might be effecting you. First, there are the dB level slides to the left of the recording tracks and to the right of the 'male voice' female voice' areas. They are the slides w/speaker logos below the little whatyoucallits that show if your at good sound volume or chipping in the red. When you adjust your track volume w/these it applies on export, so you might have them set lower that you want, and you're exporting quiet. Also , the dials in that areas set balance, and I've moved them accidently and lost half a track, so check. The up (yellow) and down (blue) arrows designate subordinate or dominant track, so if you have voice subord to say music, you'll drop voice volume. Another trap I found was 'fading' and 'master volume'. If you adjust these at any point, they can lap over and effect other tracks, so that when you add track 1 and 2 and 3, you get the fade effecting track you didn't want them to. I know that sounds complicated, but if you didn't mess w/fade etc., don't worry. Evo loves Levelator, advises we all use it, and a lot do. I too felt it effected sound quality. One tip a techy told me was to Levelate before adding music or effects, and I tried it for short loops ( my promo), and it did seem better. At least these points will give you something to check while waiting for a techy....craig

[Craig Robertson]

Oh, I looked at the earlier discussion just now. I don't know if it helps, but if you grab and drag a '.band' file from an open GB file list, it drops into desktop as an 'aiff', which is easy to move to Audacity or levelator etc.

[Julie Kenner]

Thanks everybody! Sorry I'm late in responding. The system decided not to notify me of new responses by email! I'm still not in love with Levelator, but I've fiddled with settings and the H2 arrived, and I've done a zillion things that make me sound more techie than I am, and I'm pleased with the output (yay!). Tomorrow I'm going to upload the re-mixed first episode to the Libsyn site and officially get moving. Well, that and write :)

Thanks!

[John Dodds]

Hi, Julie

I tried GarageBand and ITunes combo at first, but it was unsatisfactory. What definitely works now is: 1) Record in Audacity (or recording software of your choice, but Audacity is great, and free), then edit all the blips and mistakes out, still in Audacity, 2) output as .aiff 3) put it through Levelator, 3) take it into Itunes as an .Aiff, then mix in music, atmosphere sounds, whatever, 5) export to ITunes as .aiff 6) change it in ITunes to MP3 format (you may have to fiddle with preferences in Itunes first, making sure you are importing aiff, so you can reformat later. Hope this helps