How to increase the sound volume of (a part of) an audio track?


Introduction

We often need to increase the sound volume of audio tracks. This can be done in 2 different ways depending on the type of the audio signal we are working with.

Recorded voice has a narrow dynamic range as a rule. To increase the sound volume of voice recordings it is usually enough to apply the Amplify effect.

Music recordings may have a wider dynamic range. Trying to increase the sound volume of such recordings by using the Amplify effect may result in unwanted noises and crackling. Using the Compressor effect helps you avoid these problems. Follow the guidelines below to learn how to apply the compressor to your music.


Step 1: Download and install Soft4Boost Audio Studio

Click here to download it. After the download is finished, run the S4BAudioStudio.exe file and follow the installation wizard instructions.

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Step 2: Run Soft4Boost Audio Studio and open an audio file

Run the Soft4Boost Audio Studio executable using the desktop shortcut or the Programs section of the Start menu. To open an audio file for editing click the Open button on the Home tab of the Ribbon Command Bar.

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Step 3: Select the effect application area (optional)

If you need to increase the sound volume of some particular part of your audio track, mark this part with the mouse in the Waveform Display - the selected fragment will be highlighted.

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Step 4: Apply the Compressor effect

To apply the Compressor effect, switch to the Effects tab and click the Compressor button. This will open the Compressor settings window.

In the opened window configure the Compressor parameters. We'll need to set the Threshold, Ratio and Post-Amplify values.

Threshold defines the sound level at which the compressor becomes active. That is, if you set the threshold to -8 dB, all sounds above this value will be affected by the compressor.

Ratio defines the amount of compression applied to the output signal. The bigger the value, the bigger the amount of compression applied.

To get rid of sound peaks, define where they go above the overall sound level and set this value in the Threshold filed. Next set Ratio to 1:100 to compress all sounds down to the threshold value.

Post-Amplify defines how much the sound will be amplified after the compressor has been applied. It is recommended to amplify the sound at least as much as you compressed it.

Use the Play control to listen to the results. Use the Undo button whenever you are not satisfied with the results of the editing performed.

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Step 5: Save the resulting audio

To save all the resulting tracks use the Save All option of the File tab. If you do not need all the tracks double click the required file at the Effects and Filters panel and use the Save as option to save this track with any name, location, format which can suit your needs best. For more detailed information on the saving options of Soft4Boost Audio Studio refer to the corresponding section of the Online Help.

That's the way how you can easily split a long audio file into so many parts as you need. Now you can proceed editing these resulting tracks taking advantage of various effects that Soft4Boost Audio Studio offers you.

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