PDA

View Full Version : New Levelizer Video



Bob L
06-20-2004, 11:55 PM
Hi all,

I finally finished the Levelizer video I have been promising for a long time now.

Its a fun look at how I use the Peak Limit and Normalize functions to maximize a mix for CD burn.

Hopefully there will be some good ideas in it for many of you.

Take a look at http://www.sawstudio-media.com/video/levelizer.wmv

If you have not experienced this plug-in's unique algorithm for maximizing audio, download the Levelizer demo and listen for yourself... it can really be an ear opener. :)

Bob L

AudioAstronomer
06-21-2004, 12:39 AM
Ahaha. I must try now :)

I didnt know choosing no actually appended. That is a very useful tool I can find many many uses for :)

Thank you for the video

matt
06-21-2004, 03:23 AM
Wow! That's awsome! That append function will save me a lot of time. I actually track and mix with the Peak Limit and Normalize on. It gives me a better idea of what things will ultimately sound like.
The Levelizer is a "must have" plugin.

bertie
06-21-2004, 04:28 AM
hi Bob, :)

Great help for all us SAW's:) :) :)

Bertie, (lifetime SAWStudio user) :)

Yura
06-21-2004, 06:21 AM
Ha ha!

i'v started now to load this WMV.
here aprox time to finish loading is about 1.5-2 hours! here is so.
nobody can call me this time on telephone!!!
BtW I have all Bob's videos on my disk that are avalible!

mghtx
06-21-2004, 06:25 AM
Thanks Bob. Yura, I also have all the videos on my HD. And on CD so I can take to a friends place and let them watch.

TotalSonic
06-21-2004, 07:07 AM
The Levelizer is a "must have" plugin.

Agreed!! As Bob demonstrates on the video if it is set correctly it truly can be amazingly transparent - definitely it is one of the best Peak Limiters I've heard and an incredibly steal at only $100.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

Ollie
06-21-2004, 09:26 AM
Bob,
Watching the videos of you working has been the greatest learning tool for me. I just seem to learn by watching you do it. Thanks for these learning tools again. :D

Oz Nimbus
06-21-2004, 09:33 AM
Damn Bob, that's downright brilliant.

-0z-

Pedro Itriago
06-21-2004, 11:38 AM
Hi Bob:

Excelent video. Great pedagogical way of showing how to do things with levelizer.

Remember when I told you long ago that I envy the way you were able to have your vision come true? (it's very far away, you don't have to remember); well now that I've become a teacher myself I have to tell you that not everybody can be so eloquent when trying to deliver an idea or example to others as you did on those videos but specially on this new levelizer how-to.

My kudos to you

Bob L
06-21-2004, 01:24 PM
Thanks for the kind comments.

It is really fun to see those videos come to life.. just wish I could find the time to do hundreds more of them. :)

Producing them on my laptop... even the Voice Overs and now the fades and edits in the Video WorkShop Alpha... never leaving the SAWStudio environment... or my desk... a very fun experience. :D

Bob L

AudioAstronomer
06-21-2004, 01:56 PM
My wife walked in while I was viewing it on the laptop.. commenting as she walked in... "Man, did Bob used to be a salesman?"... Few minutes after watching the video.. "Wow, I dont think he had to sell much, the levelizer really speaks for itself!".

Hehe, I agree!

spiritman
06-21-2004, 03:52 PM
And now I see my mistakes!! Thanks Bob. I WAS getting some artifacts. But now......

Yura
06-21-2004, 04:05 PM
I got it at last...
my wife... causes me to be jealous her to you.:eek:
by my beak, I have a splendid opportunity to practice my input english
in a live pronunciation.

brian
06-21-2004, 09:27 PM
It is really fun to see those videos come to life.. just wish I could find the time to do hundreds more of them. :)

:rolleyes:
I learn so much from just one video, I can't imagine even just a few more :D

Oz Nimbus
06-22-2004, 11:03 AM
Does the levelizer use Integer-Math as opposed to every other 32 bit float maximizing plug out there?

-0z-

Bob L
06-22-2004, 12:37 PM
Yes, integer math again... although the Key Eq filters use my EQ floating point code.

The peak limit and normalize functions demonstarted in the video are integer math.

Realize that this integer math is done in assembly language and I have complete control of the internal cpu registers when doing the math... this helps in keeping control of the long word lengths needed to maintain the resolution that most people think can only be accomplished with floating point.

Bob L

Oz Nimbus
06-24-2004, 09:22 AM
Just a couple of questions about the levelizer that came to mind over the last couple of days:

In the video, you mentioned to put it "post fader".... What if you're doing fadeouts? Wouldn't the Levelizer screw up your fade? (This might be a dumb question, but what the hell)

Could you tell us a bit more about the comp? Suggested settings (as a starting place) for complex mixes?

-0z-

AudioAstronomer
06-24-2004, 09:50 AM
You can do the fadeout with the levelizer volume parameter. :)

Bob L
06-24-2004, 10:06 AM
The peak limiting process works on high level transients and does not touch signals below the threshold where your fades would reside.

The Normalizing is a simple scaled volume adjustment, which is identical to you raising the master volume of the signal, except that it is calculated precisely.

When you raise the overall volume manually, does it mess up the fade that comes at the end of the song?... the Levelizer is no different.

The compressor in the Levelizer is identical to the built-in console algorithms. The settings are completely dependent on the source material and what you are trying to accomplish by the use of a compressor.

If you are just trying to maintain a little control on the dynamics of an instrument from jumping all over the place, you should keep the threshold settings in a place where the Gain Reduction meter is not pegging, but slightly jumping maybe 3 to 6db on the louder segments. Setting the Release time to shorter times will let the compressor recover faster and continue tracking the source audio more accurately after it compresses. Longer release times will hold the signal compressed for longer periods beyond the loud transient that caused the compressor to fire, altering the original signal envelope more noticably.

You really want to sit and experiment with various combinations of settings to start to get a feel for how to use a compressor in different situations... and then, try different compressor plugins, because each will react differently and add a different characteristic to the overall sound.

There are times when you want the compression to change the sound totally and create an EFFECT... like creating a thump on a snare hit... etc... but my compressor algorithms were designed with transparency in mind and are most useful when you are trying to just control dynamics without sounding like you are processing the signal, even though, you can adjust the settings to create all kinds of thumps and pumps as well as unique effects when using the Reverse Gate algortithm to create quasi compression effects.

Bob L

Bruce Callaway
06-27-2004, 12:19 AM
Hi Bob,

Every time I try to play the levelizer video, I get this error message:

Bandwidth Limit Exceeded
The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to the site owner reaching his/her bandwidth limit. Please try again later.
Apache/1.3.31 Server at www.sawstudio-media.com Port 80

Anyone else having this problem?

Cheers
Bruce

Bob L
06-27-2004, 12:42 AM
I guess we were'nt prepared for the number of hits on the videos.

Jeanne will be making some changes to extend our bandwidth... try em all again in a day or two.

Bob L

Oz Nimbus
06-27-2004, 10:33 AM
Well, I did my first "test master" with the levelizer yesterday morning.
I tried it out on my litmus test car stereo, and well, it sounded absolutely magnificent! No loss of detail from the mix, no surprises. Sounded exactly like in my control room. I'm blown away.

It's a great plug Bob! Well worth the investment.

-0z-

Bob L
06-27-2004, 11:42 AM
All the SAWStudio videos are back up on a newly extended bandwidth server plan.

Good work Jeanne. :)

Bob L

AudioAstronomer
06-27-2004, 01:46 PM
I guess we were'nt prepared for the number of hits on the videos.

Jeanne will be making some changes to extend our bandwidth... try em all again in a day or two.

Bob L

This forum makes a HUGE difference... now all of us can see it right away when it comes out.... before the forum it was word of mouth and newsgroup (which only maybe 10% of users visited) and the occasional check of www.sawstudio.com for updates...

Now many of us get to it right away, and thus making word of mouth much more powerful...

Bruce Callaway
06-30-2004, 07:52 PM
I was able to view this video at last, it was very educational. Thanks Bob.

Bob L
06-30-2004, 09:38 PM
Glad you enjoyed it... it's fun to get some of these details in a simple to watch format.

I am planning some new videos... keep an eye out.

Bob L

studio-c
07-04-2004, 10:43 AM
All this time I thought the peak-limit was going to flat-top my stuff, so I just used the limiter, then peak limited where I was willing to flat-top it (extreme transients).

Thanks so much for clarifying things! The Levelizer rocks!

brent
07-07-2004, 06:23 AM
If you have not experienced this plug-in's unique algorithm for maximizing audio, download the Levelizer demo and listen for yourself... it can really be an ear opener. :)
Bob L


Impressive. I can't do that, nor can I do it that quickly with Pro Tools HD and Waves L2, or any other leveler/2-bus "finalizer". It makes me sick, LOL.

Brent

UpTilDawn
07-14-2004, 01:06 PM
:D :D :D :D :D

I just had to pop in today to say what a HUGE difference this new video has made to the quality of my finished projects!

Thanks Bob for making this video. It has really clarified how to get and use the power of this great plug.

Being able to finally get the kind of volume I'd like has probably become the least important advantage I've achieved lately. I now find that my mixes are better balanced with half the effort and MUCH less need for micro-mixing. I also find that reverbs, the sound of brushes on a drum kit and other details pop out of the mixes as never before.

Many of the questions I have had in trying to achieve certain of the characteristics of commercial recordings are being answered for me in just reaching an understanding of this plug. The use of the soundfile view to visually test and compare the amount of peak limiting that needs to be applied has done wonders in and of itself........ I could never quite get there with my ear alone, not enough time for repeated experiments with a client's project and always being much too conservative with my adjustments for fear of damaging the dynamics of the recording. Now things are falling into place so easily I'm afraid I'll feel guilty that I charge too much. ;)

Could not have come at a better time either.... I'm in the middle stages of mixing a ten band, 15hr jazz fest I recorded over the fourth of July weekend and already, the rough reference cds sound good enough for airplay, yet all I've done so far is create a rough soundstage and added a little reverb here and there. In fact, I've already sent some of the promo clips to the radio station using these rough mixes. The natural imbalances that occur in a live recording and have required too much attention in the past don't even faze me because the overall balance is so superior to past projects.

I am so excited I think I'm getting giddy!
You can bet that people in my little pocket of the midwest are hearing the praises of Saw everytime I open my mouth these days. :)

spiritman
07-20-2004, 06:10 PM
Bob,
Is it possable to have an size option on your video's? I would really like to watch them at full screen. I'm sure that with this group of people most are on DSL or above. My comcast conn. (cable modem) is now 3meg down. So how bout stream'n some High Def?
Just a thought......

AudioAstronomer
07-20-2004, 06:22 PM
Bob,
Is it possable to have an size option on your video's? I would really like to watch them at full screen. I'm sure that with this group of people most are on DSL or above. My comcast conn. (cable modem) is now 3meg down. So how bout stream'n some High Def?
Just a thought......

Poor server got hit big already once... I think they oughta spend the time/money elsewhere ;) You can always fullscreen the videos at semi-low-res....

just turn your screen resolution down and it will look pretty good comparably.

Bruce Callaway
07-22-2004, 06:00 AM
Hey Bob,
I just finally got around to using the Levelizer as you demonstrate in the video and I too am a convert. The result is very impressive, just great.

Thanksagain,
Bruce :cool:

Bob L
07-22-2004, 09:45 AM
On my setup here, the videos popup in the media player and I can just grab the window and size it to any size I want. You can also double-click the media player window to set it to full screen.

Bob L

mghtx
07-22-2004, 06:10 PM
On my setup here, the videos popup in the media player and I can just grab the window and size it to any size I want. You can also double-click the media player window to set it to full screen.

This is what I do also.