How can I make custom sounds louder w/out clipping noise?

[Chammy]

Yeah, how do i do that?I have Goldwave.ANd Ntrack.Everyone says to use the compressor and limiter but I still cant get it right.Plus I lost my job.  

youre suposed to feel sorry for me.

[xenofanes]

I'm not sure I exactly understand what you mean, but you can make your sounds louder by copying everything in Goldwave and then you open a new window and press "Mix.." and here you can increase the volume with up to 500%. It is also possible to increase the volume in OFP in the description.ext file.....

[Chammy]

Well i notice that when i went to the edit menu the "mix" is not on it.I mean it is but it does not function.I have the trial version.

[xenofanes]

You probably have some older version. Download the newest version from www.download.com

[Chammy]

Yeah ha!!I  hav dawnloaded it!. :Dthanks.I shall try it.

[myke13021]

To get the maximum loudness of a audio file do "normalize" it's level. In Goldwave go to effect/volume/maximize. Set the "maximum (dB)" slider to 0dB and process the file. This scans the file for it's loudest points and adjusts then the entire file to it's maximum volume.

You can also use Dynamics to make it sound louder. Go to effect/dynamics and choose the preset "Amplify light". If your sound file does have just a few loud peaks but the rest is generally silent, you can also use compressor/expander (in the effects too) to raise the loudness of the silent parts. Just use the preset "boost quiet parts".

Just one small thing, whenever you did some thing with compressor/expaner and dynamics, always use the normalize function as described at the beginning. It may be necessary to reduce the overall level to prevent clipping.

:edit:
when maximizing the file, don't try to go over 0dB. If you have a good sound card, it may reproduce the file without clipping, but as i guess you want some others to play your mission, they might have a cheaper sound card which can't reproduce it without clipping.

[Chammy]

When maximizing the file, don't try to go over 0dB. If you have a good sound card, it may reproduce the file without clipping, but as i guess you want some others to play your mission, they might have a cheaper sound card which can't reproduce it without clipping.

Yeah, thats what I'm concerned with also that everyone is able to use my sound project.I want to make the  sounds as small a file as possible but yet make them as the way I'd like them.I notice that when making the sound file with a length of reverb it makes a big file therefore making the sound speradic when using full auto.But thanks myke.I will try it.

[Chammy]

Hey myke, I was wondering if you can help me here.Most of my soundds are calculating at lets say, a single shot with verb, from 158kbs and bursts are 212 to 313 kbs.I was wondering if its possible to make them into 32 rather than 44 ,or maybe lower the bit rate from 16 to ,I guess lower.Will that effect the game?Will it recognize it?I wonder if others will be able to use it.I notice that with other mods with their sounds, they are sometimes sporadic because the sound files are big.I am in the process of experimenting to see if they will work in the game.

[myke13021]

uhm..unsure what you're doin. If it is for an addon i can't help you as i have no clue about addon making. If it's just for simple ingame music and/or sound fx, as far as i know a lower quality shouldn't affect the playability.

Just as basic info about music files: What does 44.1kHz and 16 bit mean?
Well, basically the sample rate (kHz) defines the highest frequency which can be reproduced. Just half the given frequency (i.e. 44100Hz / 2 = 22050Hz = 22.05kHz). The Human ear technically can hear up to 16000Hz, everything above goes under "psychoacoustics"...some say you don't hear it, but you would remark the absence of it..(i should learn better english...)...i hope you see what i mean.
The Bitrate (16bit) actually tells us the accuracy of the sampling process. The lower you go with, the more you risk "digital noise" which is generally very disharmonic (as analog noise can be very harmonic and is often a wanted side effect of analog tubes).

However, reducing sample rate and reducing bitrate can reduce the file size. But it is always a search for compromises...better quality but higher file size or smaller file but lower quality...find out what fits your own requests.

I suggest, if you have more than 1 audio file, use always same settings for all files in the same mission, as some players m8 be irritated to have changing quality into the music.  ;D

[Chammy]

Yeah, well the music is up in the 44s and 16's.I just wonder how BIS made their sounds with such a low file.For example.When I went to decode one of their wss files on an ak47 burst, I noticed that the file was impressingly small.Any idea how they did it?

Thanks for the info myke.

[Sui]

I use a think called 'compression'... it's the same technique TV ads use to make their ad 'louder' without actually increasing the volume.

I'm not too sure how you do it in Goldwave though...
I think myke's on the right track. I've got a feeling that the normalize feature might be the same sort of thing...

[myke13021]

Actually the normalize function (in goldwave: maximize) only sets the volume up (or down) to it's maximum possible without clipping. It is the same as you do when just turn up the volume.  ;D

When you want to have your sound to appear louder than it really is, use the compressor expander.

For best results i suggest the following:

1. Open the file  
2. Use the normalize function (maximize) to set it's max level to 0dB
3. Add Compressor/Expander effects...better use it several times with moderate settings instead of once with extreme settings....try around with, use the preview function!
4. Normalize the file AGAIN!
5. Save the file with the required resolution...for weapon sounds a setting of 22.05kHz and 12bit (or even 8bit) should do the job.

But most of all...play around with Goldwave (or whatever you use) and try to find out what works for your purposes.