Audacity amplify question

[dr4sight]

This may end up a rather dumb question but I'm still new to Audacity and sound editing software in general.

After I record a song I use the Normalize effect which changes the blue graph picture and obviously increases the volume of my song.

Then I use amplify and fill in New Peak Amplitude at -3.00 which reduces the overall volume.

Sometimes I decide that some section of the song should be a bit louder or softer and this is where I have trouble.  I would think that if I mechanically move the amplify slide bar a smidge to the left that I would be making the highlited section a bit lower in volume.  But quite often a small move to the left of that slider results in more amplitude.

My question is if I want to make a small change in volume, let's say to a lower volume, what's the best way to do this other than pure trial and error?

Thanks in advance.

Larry

[Normanfernandez]

Stick to Amplification (dB)

It will do it automatically for you.
New peak Amplitude is so that the track doesn't cross a the specified DB.

Regards Norman.

[dr4sight]

Thanks for the reply Norman but I must still be doing something wrong

I took an mp3 file and highlighted a section.  My goal was to reduce the volume of a small section that I've highlited.  The dB originally read 3.506.   When I change that number to 3.000 I expected the volume to go down.  It didn't.
Then I went in the other direction.  I undid the amplification and changed the 3.506 to 4.000.  Once again the section got louder.

This doesn't make sense to me.  What am I getting wrong?

Larry

[dr4sight]

Forgot to include the link

https://u.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=VZvEPzXZrY6xbEfUexFD4g98oxoQwHMjUEqk

[overover]

Hi Larry,

you may have overlooked the "minus" sign (-). To decrease the volume, the "Amplification (dB)" value must be negative (e.g. "-6.0").


Best regards
Chris

[dr4sight]

I don't think I missed a minus sign.

The dB reads   3.506  and there's no minus sign showing.

When I changed that number to 4.000 the highlited area got wider/ louder.  And when I changed it from 3.506 to 3.000 the same thing happened.  That's what is so confusing to me.

Larry

[attachment deleted by admin]

[overover]

Hi Larry,

please have a look at my little video:

I imported a MP3 file into Audacity and selected a part of the waveform using the mouse.

Then I called up "Effect > Ampify..." and demonstrated that the value "Amplification (dB)" can be positive or negative, depending on the position of the Slider.

Of course, you can also enter the desired value directly: For negative values (to decrease the amplitude of the current selection), just enter a minus sign in front of the value. Without a minus sign you have a positive value (that will increase the amplitude of the selection).

>>> https://www.dropbox.com/s/7hdip8qn6hwl13n/Audacity-AmplifyEffect.mp4?dl=0

(Use fullscreen mode to see more details!)


Best regards,
Chris

[dr4sight]

Chris,

Thanks for that.  I have watched.
Was there supposed to be sound?   I heard nothing and then double checked that my speakers were on and functioning.

Larry

[overover]

Chris,

Thanks for that.  I have watched.
Was there supposed to be sound?   I heard nothing and then double checked that my speakers were on and functioning.

Larry

Hi Larry,

no, there is no sound with this video. I just wanted to show the facts with the "negative values".


Best regards,
Chris