Some tracks are mastered louder or quieter than others, so one track can jump out of your mix even when all the settings look the same. This article explains how to get an even volume across your whole mix, and what to do when the volume spikes.
You may also be looking for: volume, loudness, gain, auto gain, autogain, normalize, too loud, too quiet, clipping, distortion, limiter, compressor, VU meter, spike, peak.
Quick answers
Question | Answer |
How do I make one track louder or quieter? | Put the playhead in the track, open the Effects tab and pull the Volume slider up or down. |
How do I balance all tracks automatically? | Turn on Settings > General > Audio > Normalize individual tracks during import. It works for tracks you add after turning it on. |
How do I make my whole mix louder? | Use Gain in the Master tab, with the Limiter on so it doesn't distort. |
Is Auto Gain still there? | Yes. It's the yellow A below the VU meter, and Settings > General > Auto Gain. |
The volume spikes when I press play. | That's usually Auto Gain. See Volume spikes. |
I can't change the volume of a track. | It's probably locked. Click the dot next to the label to unlock it. |
Where you control the volume
DJ.Studio has a few places to control the volume. From small to big:
Control | Where | Affects |
Normalize on import | Settings > General > Audio | Each track you add |
Track volume (gain) | Effects tab | One track |
Effect block volume | Effects tab, the slider on the right | One effect block |
Track compressor | Effects tab | One track |
Gain, Ceiling, Limiter, Compressor | Master tab | The whole mix |
Auto Gain | Yellow A below the VU meter | Playback and export of the whole mix |
Only the Limiter in the Master tab and Auto Gain affect your whole mix. Everything else works on one track, not on the whole lane or deck.
Master tab.
Gain and Comp of each track in your mix, side by side. Each strip changes only that track.
Limiter with Gain in and Ceiling: the volume of your whole mix.
Auto Gain (the A below the VU meter).
Normalize tracks when you add them
With this setting on, DJ.Studio adjusts the level of each track you add, so all tracks have about the same loudness. You can see the change on each track, and you can still fine-tune it yourself.
Go to Settings > General > Audio.
Turn on Normalize individual tracks during import.
This works for tracks you add from then on. Tracks that are already in your mix don't change.
Change the volume of one track
Put the playhead in the track.
Open the Effects tab.
Pull the Volume slider up or down, or double-click the value below it to type a number.
This only changes that track. The slider on the right in the Effects tab is for effect blocks, not for the track.
Yellow dot next to Gain? That means the volume of that track was normalized when you added it (see Normalize tracks when you add them). You can still change it yourself.
Want the volume to change during the track, for example a fade? Add volume automation (shortcut V). See Automation Editing.
Track compressor
Each track has its own compressor. It makes the loud and quiet parts of a track closer together. That's useful when you want a track louder without distortion: set the threshold to limit the loudest parts, then turn up the volume.
The Master tab: volume of the whole mix
The Limiter in the Master tab works on your whole mix. Click the yellow power button to turn it on or off.
Gain in: how much louder or quieter your whole mix goes into the limiter.
Ceiling: the maximum volume. Your mix never goes above it, so it doesn't distort.
On the left, the Master tab shows the Gain and Comp of every track in your mix, side by side. That's the easiest place to compare your tracks and even them out, without looking for each track in the timeline. A yellow dot next to Gain means that track was normalized when you added it.
Auto Gain
Auto Gain is the yellow A below the VU meter. You can also turn it on or off at Settings > General > Auto Gain.
When Auto Gain is on, DJ.Studio measures the audio at the moment you press play, and sets the level so your mix plays at around 0 dB. While it plays, it:
keeps louder parts from clipping (going over 0 dB),
slowly brings quieter tracks and parts closer to 0 dB.
Auto Gain also works when you export. Then it sets the level at the start of the mix, and keeps adjusting during the export in the same way.
Good to know:
Auto Gain is handy if you're not used to managing levels yourself. But it also hides how loud your tracks really are. For the best result, balance your track levels first (normalize on import, or the Volume slider), and use Auto Gain only as a final touch, or not at all.
Auto Gain can get in the way of the Limiter in the Master tab and of VST plugins that change volume or dynamics. If your export sounds different than expected, try it with Auto Gain off.
Volume spikes
Why does the volume spike when I press play?
This is usually Auto Gain. Auto Gain sets the level at the exact moment you press play. If playback starts right on a loud kick or peak, or on a track that is set too loud, you can hear a short spike before Auto Gain catches up. You notice it most at the start of a mix, or when you press play somewhere in the middle of the timeline.
What to try:
Turn off Auto Gain (the yellow A) and compare.
Balance your tracks first, so no single track is much louder than the rest.
Check whether the track itself has a very strong hit at that spot.
Why does the VU meter show higher peaks when I speed up or slow down a track?
When the tempo changes, the time stretcher (Rubberband or Elastique Pro) recalculates the audio. That can slightly reshape very short sounds, like drum hits. You don't hear a difference, but the VU meter can show slightly higher peaks. That's normal.
To keep the meter below 0 dB:
Lower the volume of the track a tiny bit, about 0.2 to 0.5 dB. You won't hear it.
Keep the Limiter on in the Master tab, with a Ceiling of about -0.3 dB.
FAQs
How do I make all my tracks equally loud?
Turn on Normalize individual tracks during import before you add your tracks.
Open the Master tab. It shows the Gain of every track side by side. Turn tracks that stand out up or down there.
Use Comp on tracks with big differences between loud and quiet parts, and keep the Limiter on for the whole mix.
My mix is too quiet. How do I make it louder?
In the Master tab, turn up Gain in at the Limiter, and keep the Limiter on so the loudest parts don't distort. If only some tracks are quiet, turn those up with their own Gain instead. These options are also in DJ.Studio 4.2.
What does the yellow dot next to Gain mean?
It means the volume of that track was normalized when you added it, because Normalize individual tracks during import was on. Tracks without a yellow dot were added before you turned the setting on, or with the setting off. You can still change the Gain of any track yourself.
I changed the volume while the mix was playing, but nothing was saved.
While the mix plays, changes are only a preview. Pause first, then change the volume. See Studio View.
Tracks spike or clip when I preview them in the Library on Windows.
That's a known Windows audio issue. Library previews play through Windows itself, not through DJ.Studio's audio engine. Version 5.0.3 makes it a bit better, and we're working on a real fix. It doesn't affect your mix or your export.
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