Explore the specifics of audio gain and soloing tracks in the field of web design. Learn about the importance of maintaining quality while adjusting audio levels, and hear firsthand experiences of an individual who pursued graphic design and acquired skills in these areas.
Key Insights
- The tutorial covers the fundamentals of audio gain and soloing tracks, which are vital skills in many digital media and web design careers.
- Manipulating audio levels is a delicate process, where adjustments must be made while preserving the audio quality.
- Waveforms are indicative of the gain in an audio, where smaller waveforms suggest that the audio has been recorded at a higher level.
- Adjusting the gain by 6 decibels can significantly enlarge the waveforms.
- Pursuing a career in graphic design can often require learning new skills, such as web design and understanding audio gain.
- Noble Desktop offers comprehensive tutorials and guides for learning and mastering these skills.
Audio Adjustment Tools
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Audio Gain (G)
Right-click clip > Audio Gain — adjust ±dB or normalize.
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Solo Track (S)
Hear only one track during preview by clicking Solo.
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Mute (M)
Silence a track without removing it.
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Audio Meters
Watch peaks — keep dialogue around -12 to -6 dB.
Video Transcription
Hi, This is Margaret from Noble Desktop. Today We Will Be Looking at an Introduction to Audio Gain and Soloing Tracks. This is Mute and This is Solo. You Can Mute a Tracklist to the Other Track or You Can Solo a Track. Let's Just Solo the Track. I'm Going to Just Hear the Interview for Solo.
For Every Page, Let's Look at the Audio Level. Things Not Only Look Good but They Read Well Too. the Waveforms Indicate Gain and This Line Indicates Volume. This is Your Volume Level; This is the Level That Could Be Called the Output Level. Now I'm Just Going to Actually Write 0 up Here in My Effects Control Where Volume is Just so That It's Balanced As It Was. the Waveforms Represent the Level That This Was Recorded At.
Small Waveforms I'm Going to Think That It's Been Recorded at a Higher Level. Meaning Whatever You're Using As an External Audio Source, Be It a Camera or Be It a Zoom Recorder or a DAT Recorder, They Could Have Been Recorded at a Higher Level. I'm to Press the Letter G, and I'm Going to Adjust the Gain by 6 DBS by 6 Decibels. Now That's When I Press OK Look What Happens to the Waveforms; They Get Larger.
Why Didn't I Just Move the Line up to Increase the Volume? the Main Reason is That Working with Gain First is Better at Preserving the Audio Quality. so It's Better to Start from Where It Began and How It Was Recorded. Now Let's Listen to It and Keep Your Eye on the Audio Meters for Every Page.
In College, I Got a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic Design. Maybe This Music Can Be Lowered Just a Smidge. I'm Going to Save Minus Two. I Got a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design. They Taught Me Print, but I Wanted to Learn web Design. It Was a Pretty Nice Level. I Did a Summer Internship Soloing Tracks and the Basics of Gain.
There's Going to Be an Entire Video on Gain Versus Volume and Also If You Might Have Noticed When I Pressed G You Had Other Options Here Which We Will Be Going over in an Upcoming Video.
I Hope You've Enjoyed This Introduction to Audio Gain and Soloing Tracks. This Has Been Margaret with Noble Desktop.
Video Transcription:
Full Video Transcript
Hi, this is Margaret from Noble Desktop, and today we will be looking at an introduction to audio gain and soloing tracks. This is mute and this is solo. You can mute a track to listen to the other track, or you can solo a track. Let's just solo the track—I'm going to just hear the interview. S for solo.
Understanding Audio Levels
For every page, let's look at the audio level. Things not only look good, but they read—they're actually quite low. For the narrator to have peaks around -24, that's quite low for a narrator. Let's solo the music.
That's peaking around -18, -14. For background music, if you want it to be pretty innocuous, that's actually quite a nice level. Maybe we'll leave that as it is.
Adjusting Track Size and Waveforms
By the way, these audio tracks have been enlarged. You might have noticed the way that I got them to enlarge is by pressing Option Plus. If I want them to be smaller, Option Minus. The waveforms indicate gain, and this line indicates volume. This is your volume level—this is the level that could be called the output level.
Now I'm just going to actually write zero up here in my Effects Control where volume is, just so that it's balanced as it was. The waveforms represent the level that this was recorded at.
Adjusting Gain for Better Audio Quality
Small waveforms—I'm going to think that it's been recorded at a lower level, meaning whatever you're using as an external audio source, be it a camera or be it a Zoom recorder or a DAT recorder, they could have been recorded at a higher level. I'm going to press the letter G, and I'm going to adjust the gain by 6 dB—by 6 decibels. And now when I press OK, look what happens to the waveforms: they get larger.
Now, why didn't I just move the line up to increase the volume? The main reason is working with gain first is better at preserving the quality of the audio, so it's better to start in a sense from where it began—how it was recorded.
Listening and Fine-Tuning Levels
Now let's listen to it and keep your eye on the audio meters. "For every page you must think of where the photos go and how they relate to the text, so things not only look good but they read well too. In college I got a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design."
Maybe this music can be lowered just a smidge, and I'm going to say minus two. "I got a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design. They taught me print, but I wanted to learn web design." That was a pretty nice level. "I did a summer intern—"
Wrap-Up and Next Steps
So that covers soloing tracks and the basics of gain. There's going to be an entire video on gain versus volume. Also, if you might have noticed, when I pressed G you had other options here, which we will be going over in an upcoming video. I hope you've enjoyed this introduction to gain and soloing tracks. This has been Margaret with Noble Desktop.
