Question on sampling, from a recording noob.

[Jeremy]

As an intro to the coverfest piece I'm recording, I've got a string of spoken samples (all legit, they're one or two word snippets from presidential speeches spliced together), but they span about 50 years of recordings and the volume levels are all over the map. In Reaper, is there a way I can equalize the levels without changing the recognizable voices? Also, is there a way I can slow it down a bit without damaging the audio?

If at all possible, I'd like to do it without assigning each sample its own track and adjusting the levels manually, though if it comes to that I'll do it.

 

[Kerouac]

Automation. I don't know how to do it in Reaper, but you can use either a control surface or even just your mouse to draw in a more even volume level.

 

[Jeremy]

Awesome, I'll check that out when I get home.

 

[Prages]

In addition to automation, you can put a compressor in the insert and help to level out some of the wide variences. If you overdo it with the compressor though, you'll be able to hear the compression, and if the source material is really varied from soft to loud, you'd probably have to use too much compression to get it all leveled.

So yeah, automation is probably your best bet, though a little compression on the whole thing probably wouldn't hurt.

 

[Jeremy]

Got it reasonably close with the automation. I'll add a little compression and that should handle the difference.

The only problem left is me. I can't come up with lyrics to save my life and I don't know if I could sing them if I did. I'll keep working on it though. At the very worst this'll get turned in vocal-less.