Match Volume

Menu Command: Effect | Volume | Match Volume

Matches the volumes of separate files. If you have several songs with different volume levels you want to write to a CD, use this effect to adjust volume levels of each song so they sound similar.

Volume changes are based on the overall average volume level of the sound. The level is a root-mean-square average, with silent regions (below -44dB) excluded. Files with similar average levels will seem to have similar overall volume levels.

You need to use this effect on each file to set the Average to the same value. Use the File | Batch Processing command to apply this effect to a group of files. The average value to use depends on the files.

The Clipping control options specify the action to take if the audio exceeds the maximum level and must be clipped. By default, clipping is allowed. The Reduce... or Abort... settings are useful for batch processing when clipping must be avoided.

You should open each file and display the Match Volume effect to see what average value it has, then apply an overall average value to all the files. To avoid clipping distortion, it is best to use the minimum average across all files. For example, if one file has an average of -18dB and all the other files have a higher average, then use -18dB for all files.

Unlike the Maximize Volume effect, the Match Volume effect may result in clipping distortion if the average level is set too high. The Final peak area displays the resulting final peak level after processing. If the peak exceeds 0dB, the value is shown in red as a warning that clipping may occur. Use a lower average to avoid clipping.

This effect should not be used with Maximize Volume. Use one or the other, but not both (one cancels the other).