MusicalBox, my reaction was that mixing with headphones is fraught with danger imo. I do use them, but then I ALWAYS have to check with the speakers and I often find I have to tweak things. I also found it interesting that he uses some level settings as presets, which just doesn’t work at all for me; I do everything “by ear” but monitor visual levels for clipping.
Like you, I found the background level of the music too high in that video, but maybe it’s because I just don’t care for that style of music. There are so many esthetic choices to make!
I don’t know. I don’t particularly like the song either, but it sounds appropriate on a gaming related video. But I agree that it may contribute on distracting the mind from the voiceover.
I’m back home now and I took the time to watch the video again on my computer. And even with good quality headphones, I still find it very hard to understand the voiceover. The voice volume is too low compared with the music volume. And its speed was increased way too much.
So is Audio Gain the best effective audio filter tool available to balance between my VO chat, and background music, or in game sound effects?
If you knew what I told you, (voice over audio is +5 db, background music is -15db, and in game sound effects is -20 db), what would you suggest I use? Different Filter? Different Settings?
Sometimes, some videos, the background music and the sound effects, come from the same audio feed, as I was able to keep the background music that the video game already had. In that case, it’s just -20, and my voiceover remains +5 dbs.
You’re right, in that sampling my own stuff doesn’t tell me what others see, cause I already know my stuff and know what to expect! So, at the moment, you’re what I have of others and what they see. And I don’t know if there’s a better way to balance the audio then using Gain filters on each audio. So any suggestions on either would be helpful, useful, and I’d be grateful!
Your right. I did increase my audio wave form, or the speed. I was trying to include as much as I could of the video in shorter span, and I needed the audio to match the length. When I shortened it, I cut only the mp3 file, and edited it in Audacity, reducing the pitch, so It reduced the chipmunk sound effects. I thought it just sounded like me talking fast. I didn’t realize it was that noticeable.
Judging from the first couple of seconds of your video (where there is no music), I’d say that your voiceover level is too low to start with. So I’d add a few db to that track. I don’t know, maybe +10 db instead of +5? Then reduce the music level to maybe -25 db instead of -15?
Start with that and see how it sounds.
If I were you, I’d stick with the Gain filter. I believe the Limiter and Compressor filters can also be used to control the sound level. But I’m not very familiar with those.