Louder recorded warnings?

Hoppy · Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 12:35 pm Post subject: Louder recorded warnings?

I got my daughter to record speed camera warnings through my TT 520 but the volume is very quite. Can I increase the volume of the warnings without getting her to shout into the TT.
_________________
TomTom Go 950 Live.
App 9.054
Europe v8.50
NA 2GB v8.45

GerryC · Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 1:56 pm Post subject:

Hoppy

You may be able to increase the volume using Audacity. It's a free download. Using the "Normalise" option should get it as loud as possible without distortion.

I would copy the alerts your daughter recorded over to your PC and do any editing there before copying back.

One thing I have found is that the TomTom does not increase the volume of the alerts with speed like it does with the navigation instructions.
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Gerry
TomTom730T
Cameralert for Android
Brodit ProClip mount

Andy_P · Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 1:57 pm Post subject:

Here you go...
The recordings will be saved as .wav files on your Go.
Speed camera warnings should have been saved into the "sounds" folder. Use Windows Explorer to find and view them.

Download any sound editor ("Audacity" is about the best free one) and simply load each of the files into that one by one, then use the "Normalise" function to make them as loud as possible, then re-save each one.

Extra note if you DO use Audacity: The Normalise function in this particular program is a little odd. It only works to raise the level to -3dB from maximum. So, you either need to do it in two stages (i.e. normalise and then raise the gain by 3dB with "Amplify"), or in fact, the "Amplify" function seems to have a better "Normalise" function already built in!

So
1. Open the file
2. Edit / select All
3. Effect / Amplify

This seems to automatically put the right numbers in the boxes to give you a peak of 0dB (the loudest possible).

Note that the above technique will only make the LOUDEST part of the waveform touch 0dB, so if the speech is generally quiet with only one loud moment, you may want to play with the "Compression" tools first, to make the whole speech a more 'even' in loudness. Be warned, you may end up playing for hours, though!

Hoppy · Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 2:12 pm Post subject:

Thanks a lot I'll give it a try when I get home tonight.
_________________
TomTom Go 950 Live.
App 9.054
Europe v8.50
NA 2GB v8.45

Andy_P · Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 2:56 pm Post subject:

Gerry/Hoppy, did you spot my note about Normalise not working how you'd expect on Audacity?

"Normalise" is the generic name of a function found in all sound editors, it's just the implementation in Audacity that is a bit weird. Use "Amplify" to get the same result.

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