Audio import TOO LOUD

here's what we do:
1) record in audacity,
2) do noise reduction and compression to reduce peaks and boost quiet parts.
3) we don't normalize, instead we amplify -4db's shy of 0 db.
4) bring the wav's into captivate, click 'adjust volume and click both check boxes (normalize, dynamics)

then we set the publish settings to FM quality and 22 kHz. We also use a pop screen when recording. Make a BIG difference.

Anyone know if this is still an issue in the NEW Captivate?

Having simar audio problems.
Pathetic.

Hi, we have recently purchased Captivate 2, and record our own WAVs from a professional mic into a 3rd party audio app. I was astounded how Captivate ruined our perfect recordings.
The only way we managed to get round it was to 'normalise' our files first, then apply a -3dB filter over the clip, thereby reducing the the volume of the clip by half.
This has worked, but I feel I shouldn't have to go through another step of post-processing.

Thanks, 3Buns.

I wonder why low quality recordings do not pose a problem for you?

For this project, all the audio files are simple voiceovers.... one per slide, just a woman talking. I tried the original WAVs as well as various quality MP3s (128kbs, 112, 96, 80, and 64kbs)... and even the low-quality 64kbs audio did this same auto-normalization thing. So that makes it even lower quality and the voice itself gets distorted.

Now I'm completely stumped... not just about the problem (why low quality "should" work better, but even that won't work for me)... but also why I'm one of very few who have apparently had an issue with this. A search would indicate this does not seem to be a widespread or oft-reported problem.... which baffles me even more why it's so bad on my voice recordings.

Okay, so it looks like this is just how Captivate does it... unfortunately a pretty nasty flaw that I'm surprised few other people have mentioned.

The software has nice features like normalizing and dynamic settings for audio, but those are rather futile if the audio you import is automatically ruined by Captivate by default. =(

This was a screen of the wave form as opened in Sound Forge:

http://206.132.206.79/public/Captivate2_AudioImport.gif

(before Captivate jacks it up and creates the "boxed" peaks).

But I have 73 files (plus more to come) so going in and editing the frequency limits of each one is unfortunately out of the question. That is a good idea, though, for small amounts of audio. It's a shame we need to use a workaround like that.

Perhaps this could be fixed in a patch? [crosses fingers that the developers are aware of this auto-normalizing that ruins audio quality....]

Thanks,
Chris

I have been playing with higher quality "studio" arrangements of dance music, and importing one of those into Captivate results in the "boxed" off area that you see.
The high and low end of the spectrum above 2 db is effectively cut out, and the result is a quality of audio that ends up worse than you would expect.

You may have to use an external editor to adjust the frequency limits used, in turn effecting the peaks and valleys of the wave. (which will lower the quality of the file somewhat. )
It appears that there is a bit of a tradeoff when working with audio files that are "too" high of quality for Captivate.
Can you open the file in Audacity or something similar to give a wave form output that shows high and low peaks without the "boxed" peaks?

Thanks.

Hi Shnoogins,

I have tried both WAV and MP3 formats.

And for these files I hadn't normalized in any program, as I wanted them to just be in their original, unmodified format. Does Captivate typically normalize for you? Is this just "how it is" or can that be changed or avoided?

Thanks,
Chris

Hi cwaz,

Weclome!

What format are your audio files in prior to import?

Are you "normalizing" the volume inside or outside of captivate (it appears that captivate may be normalizing for you)?

I see this never got a reply but came across it searching for the EXACT same problem.

I have a batch of professional-quality voiceover audio files, all set to the proper volume and good quality. But as soon as I import it into Captivate 2, it becomes loud and distorted.

As the previous poster said, looking at the wave forms, all the peaks are suddenly at 100% in Captivate... the peaks are at max, chopped flat at the top, causing distortion and clipping. I can go in and reduce the volume, but that blasted waveform and distorted sound is still there, just quieter.

Here's a screenshot of what Captivate is doing to my audio:

http://206.132.206.79/public/Captivate2_AudioImport.gif

Can this be avoided in any way? Or does Captivate do this to all audio? I hope it's not the latter, as that severely hurts my project's professionally-recorded audio.

Any help would be great. Thank you!