+ + Ardour allows adjusting region gain by a constant amount as opposed to + adjusting gain envelope where it's possible to change it gradually over time. + Like everything in Ardour, this is a non-destructive change. The result can be + adjusted at any a later time or discarded altogether. Internally, region gain + is an inherent property of regions, it can be edited directly in the region + properties dialog. +
+ +
+ + There are two additional ways to adjust region gain: by boosting or cutting + gain with a 1dB step, or by normalizing audio. +
+ ++ The quickest way to increase or decrease gain of selected regions without + involving the gain envelope is to use Boost Gain and + Cut Gain commands respectively. +
+ ++ These commands can be accessed via the main Region > Gain menu or + region's context menu. A much easier way is to use shortcuts: + Alt+6 boosts gain by 1dB, Alt+7 cuts gain + by 1dB. +
+ ++ When gain is boosted or cut, the region caption in the bottom of the affected + region specifies the amount in parentheses. In an example below, gain was cut + by 2dB. +
+ +
+ + Audio normalization is a way to bring the amplitude of a signal to a target + level by applying the same amount of gain to an entire piece of audio data. + Unlike other ways to treat perceived loudness, such as compression, + normalization retains the original dynamic range. +
+ ++ Normalization is a common step in exporting an entire project to an audio + file. However, with Ardour, it's also possible to normalize some of the + regions. This effectively changes the region gain setting, the same one that + the boost/cut gain commands change. +
+ ++ Region-level normalization in Ardour can be accessed via the Region > + Gain > Normalize… menu command +
+ +
+ + The normalization tool locates the part of the audio region that has the + largest amplitude and adjusts the whole region so that that part matches the + normalization target. In an example below, an audio region was normalized + to -3dBFS, which led to -2.5dB gain reduction, and this is the part with the + largest amplitude hitting the exact -3dBFS target: +
+ +
+ + It's also possible to apply additional constraints by analyzing perceieved + loudness of the material. The first option is to constraint root mean square + (RMS) to a certain amplitude value. The second option is to constrain loudness + units (LUFS) to a certain value. +
+ ++ The normalization tool will use the peak amplitude value, but will also + correct the calculated gain adjustment when the constraint demands that. + In the example below the same region as in example above was normalized to the + same peak amplitude of -3dB but with an additional constraint of -21LUFS. + The normalization tool took the peak amplitude into account and made sure it + wouldn't exceed the target value of -3dBFS, then adjusted the region gain + further from -2.5dB to -3.3dB to meet the LUFS constraint demands. This + resulted in the peak amplitude hitting -4.2dBFS rather than the target -3dBFS. +
+ +
+ + To reset gain correction for a region entirely you can either set it to + 0 in the region properties dialog or use the + Region > Gain > Reset Gain menu command. +
diff --git a/master-doc.txt b/master-doc.txt index d8d18a82..d2929e39 100644 --- a/master-doc.txt +++ b/master-doc.txt @@ -1262,11 +1262,25 @@ uri: editing-and-arranging/create-region-fades-and-crossfades part: chapter --- +--- +title: Adjusting Gain +link: adjusting-gain +uri: adjusting-gain +part: chapter +--- + +--- +title: Region Gain +include: region-gain-adjustment.html +link: region-gain-adjustment +part: subchapter +--- + --- title: Gain Envelopes include: gain-envelopes.html link: gain-envelopes -part: chapter +part: subchapter --- --- diff --git a/source/images/peak-normalization-with-lufs-zoomed-in.png b/source/images/peak-normalization-with-lufs-zoomed-in.png new file mode 100644 index 00000000..4d273576 Binary files /dev/null and b/source/images/peak-normalization-with-lufs-zoomed-in.png differ diff --git a/source/images/peak-normalization-zoomed-in.png b/source/images/peak-normalization-zoomed-in.png new file mode 100644 index 00000000..1230237c Binary files /dev/null and b/source/images/peak-normalization-zoomed-in.png differ