Stereo recordings record channels at different volumes -Sound Forge - PC

Subject:Stereo recordings record channels at different volumes Posted by: DukeMedia Date:6/25/2002 6:44:18 PM Sorry if this has been covered, but I searched and couldn't find an answer. I am digitizing audio, both voice and music, from cassette tapes. The tapes were recorded in stereo, and when played through a cassette player the left and right channels play at the same volume. However, when I record them with SF, it records one channel at a higher volume. The really weird thing is that it varies which channel is recorded at higher volume, and in fact sometimes it varies within a single recording. The recording will start with the right channel at higher volume, and then change to the left channel at higher volume, and often times it will switch one or more times again during longer recordings (30 minutes plus). Anyone have any ideas why this is happening, and what can be done to fix it? Thanks for the help.
Subject:RE: Stereo recordings record channels at different volumes Reply by: Chienworks Date:6/25/2002 7:26:09 PM Hard to know what's happening. My first two guesses are the sound card messing up or the cabling is bad. To fix it? You can use the Process / Pan Expand function to adjust the relative strength of the two channels. Click the Show wave option to give yourself a visual reference. You can then click on the envelope to add points and drag these points left or right as needed to follow the volume changes in the recording. You can also select a portion of the recording first before going to Pan if you need to work on a smaller section.
Subject:RE: Stereo recordings record channels at different volumes Reply by: Rednroll Date:6/25/2002 11:56:02 PM Sounds like your tape heads are getting dirty to me. Very likely with old tapes. Or your playback head on the cassette deck may be out of allignment. Seeing that the problem switches between channels, I would have to think this is a problem with your tape deck and not any setting going into sound forge or sound forge itself.

Subject:Stereo recordings record channels at different volumes

Posted by: DukeMedia

Date:6/25/2002 6:44:18 PM

Sorry if this has been covered, but I searched and couldn't find an answer. I am digitizing audio, both voice and music, from cassette tapes. The tapes were recorded in stereo, and when played through a cassette player the left and right channels play at the same volume. However, when I record them with SF, it records one channel at a higher volume. The really weird thing is that it varies which channel is recorded at higher volume, and in fact sometimes it varies within a single recording. The recording will start with the right channel at higher volume, and then change to the left channel at higher volume, and often times it will switch one or more times again during longer recordings (30 minutes plus). Anyone have any ideas why this is happening, and what can be done to fix it? Thanks for the help.

Subject:RE: Stereo recordings record channels at different volumes

Reply by: Chienworks

Date:6/25/2002 7:26:09 PM

Hard to know what's happening. My first two guesses are the sound card messing up or the cabling is bad.

To fix it? You can use the Process / Pan Expand function to adjust the relative strength of the two channels. Click the Show wave option to give yourself a visual reference. You can then click on the envelope to add points and drag these points left or right as needed to follow the volume changes in the recording. You can also select a portion of the recording first before going to Pan if you need to work on a smaller section.

Subject:RE: Stereo recordings record channels at different volumes

Reply by: Rednroll

Date:6/25/2002 11:56:02 PM

Sounds like your tape heads are getting dirty to me. Very likely with old tapes. Or your playback head on the cassette deck may be out of allignment. Seeing that the problem switches between channels, I would have to think this is a problem with your tape deck and not any setting going into sound forge or sound forge itself.