Make audio a bit louder

[danjx]

I generally encode using the Divx5 guide and Gordian Knot. Everything normally goes well, but playback of audio usually requires me to max the controls on my notebook computer. The computer can play audio CDs quite loudly, so I know it is not an equipment fault.

I normally use this following Azid parameters, in Gordian Knot:
3_2ch: -L -3db -c normal
2_0ch: -L -0db -c normal

How should I change these settings to make audio a bit (say 20%)louder?

[Awatef]

1) It has nothing to do with loudness, but it is worth a small advice: 2ch sound don't have LFE channel, so you don't need the "-L -0db" at all!

2) AZID can't make the sound 10 or 20% louder, it can apply a gain.
If you want it to apply a gain automatically, so the sound get as loud as it can:

For 5.1 sound:
azid -a -c normal -L -3db filename.ac3 filename.wav

For 2.0 sound:
azid -a -c normal filename.ac3 filename.wav

This will make automatically 2 passes: a first pass to see how much gain to apply, then a second pass to apply the calculated gain.

[danjx]

Thanks for the response and the parameters! I'll try them out right away.

[danjx]

I tried the -a on a 5.1 channel files and cannot detect a difference in the volume. I'm not sure that is needed when using Gordian Knot. I was using the other parameters before. Looking at the log file, I noticed that dialog normalization was off:
------ AZID -------
Output Stereo mode: Dolby surround compatible
Total Gain: 0.0dB, Compression: Normal
LFE levels: To LR -3.0dB, To LFE 0.0dB
Center mix level: BSI
Surround mix level: BSI
Dialog normalization: No
Rear channels filtering: No
Source Sample-Rate: 48.0KHz

Should I turn this on to raise the soft parts of dialog? If so, how?

-Dan

[Awatef]

This has nothing to do with dialog normalisation
But I see in your attachment: "Total Gain: 0.0dB"

That means no gain was applied at all!

I don't know what's happening since I don't use GKnot.
So I suggest you process audio separately and then mux it later with the video (as I always do :D)
That means you go to the dos command line and make it manually. Then encode the WAV to mp3 in RazorLame, then mux with the video later in NanDub.

using the -a parameter with 5.1 sound should give you in most cases about 9 to 12db Gain, which is quite huge and very noticeable.

[FiW]

Originally posted by Awatef
1) It has nothing to do with loudness, but it is worth a small advice: 2ch sound don't have LFE channel, so you don't need the "-L -0db" at all!


brr... you all have mixed up

-L LRLFE_LEVEL
----------------
Default: 1.0 (or 0db)
This controls the downmix-level of the LFE channel into the LR channels.

[Awatef]

@ FiW
he?! and what have I said false?! :confused:

[FiW]

Originally posted by Awatef
For 5.1 sound:
azid -a -c normal -L -3db filename.ac3 filename.wav

For 2.0 sound:
azid -a -c normal filename.ac3 filename.wav


this true for INPUT 5.1/2.0 sound, not for OUTPUT 5.1/2.0 sound

it is necessary to render concrete - not all can understand immediately this...