Level reduction for spoken comments

When spoken comments are combined with music it may be quite useful to reduce the volume of the music for the duration of the comment via the ramp band. In order to shape the ramp band it requires quite a number of nodes that need to be set, moved and aligned. The level reduction function can do all this for you:

1. Cut your speech/comment objects and place them at the correct location parallel with the music objects. Please note that all the comment objects need to be located on one single track to be able to use this function.

2. If you want the level reduction to apply to several comment objects but not to all the objects on the track you need to mark and highlight them. See also Marking objects.

3. Right-click one of the comment objects and select Special functions Level reduction...

4. The following dialog allows you to define the comment objects that are to cause a level reduction for objects on other tracks:

1. • All objects  ...highlights all objects on this track.

   • Selected objects only  ...highlights only the marked objects on this track.

   • The clicked object only  ...highlights the right-clicked object only.

Note: The figure in brackets gives you the number of objects selected for the corresponding option.

5. Now you need to define the objects for level reduction:

• On all other audio tracks  ...causes a level reduction for all objects located on an audio track.

• On selected audio tracks only  ...causes a level reduction for all objects located on a marked audio track.

6. The next step is to define the degree and time of level reduction:

7. Level reduction by  ...defines the value of decibel by which the level is to be reduced.

8. Fade out starts / ends at  ...the first value defines the time of the level reduction with reference to the beginning of the comment object. The second value defines the time when the full volume reduction has been achieved. The difference between the first and the second value is the fade out time.

9. Fade in starts / ends at  ...the first value defines the time sound is faded in again with reference to the end of the comment object. The second level defines the point of the time when the normal level has been reached again. The difference between the first and the second value is the fade in time.

7. After you have made the required settings click OK, following which the ramp bands are modified for level reduction.

• Please note that function Level reduction has no nodes for level reduction in fade ins /outs and crossfades.

• Moreover, the comment objects must all be located on one single track for the function to take effect. If there are any comment objects located on a second track you can repeat this function for these objects if the comment objects on the first and the second track do not overlap.

• An automatically created level reduction can be edited and optimized at any time later on. See Editing the ramp band.

• Should you have made a mistake in configuring the level reduction and not be able to achieve the required result you can use the Undo function  (Ctrl + Z) or reset the ramp band (Mark objects, right-click the object and select Ramp  Reset).