6 Replies Latest reply: Oct 12, 2008 9:33 AM by Bill Hunt RSS

    Uneven  Audio in Slide Show in PE 4

    Susan Verner Community Member
      I am working on a slide show in Premiere Elements 4, that has still pictures and a video clip. The still pictures are set to music. I am using three different songs. When I look at the Timeline, it appears that the volume for all three tracks is the same because the yellow line is in the same place (ie. continuous), but on playback one track seems louder than the other two. Adjusting clip volume didn't seem to work. It started out softer, but then got louder as the clip played. Is this because I had an audio transition at the beginning of the clip? Maybe I should take out the transition, adjust the volume and then add the transition back in? But it is still confusing that the timeline shows the volume as being equal.

      Meanwhile, the audio on the video clip is low. I boosted the clip volume to 6 db which seems to be the max, but it would be good to be able to go louder. Is it possible to boost the volume further?

      Thanks so much.
      Susan
        • 1. Re: Uneven  Audio in Slide Show in PE 4
          Steve Grisetti CommunityMVP
          Are you working timeline mode or sceneline mode?

          Sceneline mode only allows you to set the audio level for an entire track. In timeline mode you can not only raise and lower it for each clip, but you can use audio keyframes to control it at various places.

          Audio levels are going to vary from song to song. Nothing you can do about that. But the easiest way to ensure all three of your songs are of about the same volume level is to right click on each audio clip (in timeline mode) select Audio Gain and then click the Normalize button.
          • 2. Re: Uneven  Audio in Slide Show in PE 4
            Susan Verner Community Member
            Thanks, Steve. I will try that now.
            • 3. Re: Uneven  Audio in Slide Show in PE 4
              Susan Verner Community Member
              I tried normalizing using the Audio Gain in the timeline and that worked. The three tracks are at roughly the same volume. But now the first track has a lot of static. Is there some feature I can use to clean that up?

              Thanks,
              Susan
              • 4. Re: Uneven  Audio in Slide Show in PE 4
                Steve Grisetti CommunityMVP
                I'm not sure why it has static, Susan. Not without knowing where the file originated.

                But you may want to look into updating your audio card's drivers and the RealTek drivers for your system. Outdated drivers commonly cause pops and other noise during playback.
                http://www.adobeforums.com/webx/.3c057647
                • 5. Re: Uneven  Audio in Slide Show in PE 4
                  Ozpeter Community Member
                  Perhaps the track with "static" was recorded at too low a level, and normalising it has brought up the noise with the audio. Audio programs such as Adobe Audition can reduce steady noise in audio, but they tend not to be very inexpensive.
                  • 6. Re: Uneven  Audio in Slide Show in PE 4
                    Bill Hunt CommunityMVP
                    Yes, it sounds as though the noise-floor has been raised along with the rest.

                    I tend to do most of my Audio work in Audition, and seldom use the Normalize function. Reworking the levels usually also entails various other Effects, that Oxpeter and others have shared with me in the Audition forum. There is seldom a "one stop shopping" technique for compensating in post, what is usually more easily addressed in recording, unfortunately. Some is scientific, but most is "trial by ear."

                    Adobe Audition is a killer app, but as Ozpeter points out, not that inexpensive. Still, I could not live without it.

                    Hunt