I've just completed my 1st compilation of remixes, edits and mashups of existing music imported from music CDs. One of the songs, Fresh from Kool + The Gang, is woefully lower in volume than all the others, even tho I boosted the gain when seguing it to match the louder songs before and after, on my compilation. Is there any way of opening the song, increasing the volume, save it and close the file/AIFF song? Or must one always 're-bounce'it after the changes have been made. Also, if I import a song, do nothing to it, and immediately bounce it - then burn a new CD with that bounced, unaltered song on it, will that song sound identical to how it sounded on its native CD? Or will the defaults in Logic Bouncing change the sound? thx guys,

Hi Retro, Yes, you're correct. If you import an audio file into Logic and make changes then you need to bounce it to make permanent changes to the audio file... well, that's not strictly true... there are "destructive" edits you can apply to your audio file in Logic's Sample Editor. - Double-click on the audio region in the Arrange area to open the file in Logic's Sample Editor. - Most of the commands in the local 'Functions' menu are destructive - so use with care. Here you can change gain, normalise the file (raise the level of the file by increasing the loudest part of the waveform up to 0dB...) I'd recommend saving a copy of the file first in the Sample Editor: Audio File > Create Backup or Audio File > Save a copy as... Once you've made a destructive edit... well, that's it! If you make changes to an audio region in Logic's arrange area (e.g. increase level, use plugins, etc) and save the Logic project, it only saves the data and info on the current state of the project file and as changes to plugins are non-destructive and can be easily reversed or altered... this is a very useful feature! RE: Bounce to CD question. This aspect of Mastering to CD is a tricky one, because it depends on what your bounce settings are and what the original file format is. For example, if you're working with a 24bit, 48kHz audio file then you'll need to change it's settings in the Bounce window to match CD spec: 44.1 khz sample rate 16 bit depth If going from a project with 24bit file to 16bit file then you should apply "dithering" when you perform the final bounce. All these options can subtly change your final sound. Check out this post on Export options in Logic: [url]http://www.macprovideo.com/blog/logic-pro/logic-9-howto-export-music-logic [/url] I'd also highly recommend checking out SteveH's Logic's Mastering Toolbox: [url]http://www.macprovideo.com/tutorial/logic9201[/url] Hope this helps! R

Thanks for your input. Here's another thing that's puzzling me. I'll Bounce a project of say, 6 music tracks, where I have every track reading close to 0.0 decibels. Then when I place the resultant 'bounce' into a new arrange window and play it, both the Input and Outputs read -4.7 decibels and it sounds noticeably softer than in the Arrange window with the same music on 6 tracks - pre-bounce. Why is that? If all my tracks are peaking near zero in each individual track, then why is the resultant bounce so much lower in volume? What am I doing wrong?

Hi Retro, It shouldn't work like this... Do you have any plugins on your stereo output channel strip? What does the level meter on the Output channel strip show prior to bouncing? Thanks Rounik

I have no plugins or anything in the Output strip. I am shortening and rearranging one song from the Tropic Thunder soundtrack CD, so I have 6 tracks that contain bits and pieces of the one song. When I Solo each track, both Input and Output strips read near zero from beginning to end (with minimal variations). But when I play the entire song, the Output levels jump when the playhead crosses one track's crossfade to another, up to +1.2 in the first instance, then it jumps to +4.7 as it moves thru the second crossfade section (this is the biggest jump of all the crossfades), and stays there till the end of the song. The input levels remain near zero. (these crossfades are done with automation. They are a fraction of a second in length and I use 0.0 as my base volume level. They are how I "splice" together rearranged sections of a song). However, if I stop the playhead while it is reading +4.7, then re-start the playhead at the same spot, the volume level on the Output strip drops back down to the normal levels that are consistent with every track when Soloed. It's like the crossfades and segues, i.e. where there are tracks overlapping tracks, big peaks are created, even tho everything sounds seamless with no big jump in volume while listening on my headphones. And in order to mitigate these isolated peaks, Logic is lowering the volume of the entire song so that the peaks are accommodated. But its not only volume, it's clarity too. The resultant bounce is much lower in volume, and quite muffled in sound... all the higher frequencies are gone... its a muffled mess. Whenever I Bounce, there's a Window that pops up with a progress bar - Normalizing. Could the set up/defaults in Normalizing be the prob?

hmmm... strange... OK. What exactly are the bounce settings? Turn OFF Normalize as well... I hate that function! :)

Or maybe I've inadvertently hit some command that is affecting the Output and/or the Bounce?... p.s. I tried the Sample Editor, but I don't get it. Doesn't seem to play the song in the Arrange Window as it has been edited, with all the crossfades, etc

What are your settings in the Bounce window? (When you choose File > Bounce...) :)

Bingo! Just bounced with Normalize turned off and everything is copacetic. You're a genius!

Excellent! .. and excellent word too: "copacetic"... I should use this more! :)