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How to achieve even volume on your vocals
Why consistent volume is important
When working with voice, we usually apply at least one compressor to our track—often two. Imagine this scenario: You want to use a fast compressor to catch the peaks. With the compressor’s threshold, you can determine the boundary at which the volume should be reduced. To catch only peaks, you would set the compressor just above the waveform. But where should the threshold (white line) be placed in this example?
In picture one, some parts will be overcompressed, and in picture two, some parts will remain untouched. This will result in a very inconsistent sound…
How can we solve this problem?
1. Clip Gain
Clip gain is one of the simplest ways to address our issue. By using this technique, you slice the file into many parts and adjust the loudness of each segment by changing the clip’s gain to achieve a more even signal.
To do this, zoom into your file, cut where the loud part begins, and either boost the quiet part or reduce the loud part to level them out.
This method is straightforward but time-consuming, especially with longer files like podcasts or audiobooks. So let’s explore another option…
2. Volume Automation
You can also write a volume automation. This ensures that your compressor or any other plugins in your chain receive an even signal, allowing them to work more consistently and maintain uniform sound across your vocals.
This also requires significant time to adjust each part manually. So let’s move on…
3. Vocal Rider
A vocal rider automates the process of writing volume automation.
For example, you can use our vocal rider GainAim — just set the speed mode and target loudness, and it’ll balance your vocals in real time, without spending too much time tweaking settings.
However, vocal riders have one major limitation — they can’t see into the future.
Since they only process audio in real time, they can’t analyze the entire file, meaning they’ll never write a perfect loudness automation.
Best of both worlds: DynAssist
DynAssist automates the entire process of writing volume automation.
It works with ARA — or in Transfer Mode for DAWs without ARA support.
Because DynAssist accesses the entire clip upfront through ARA, it already knows when your signal is about to get loud. This allows it to reduce the level before those peaks occur, resulting in a much more natural and musical vocal ride.
Additionally, DynAssist takes care of breath reduction, gating, and sibilance control, all powered by its built-in AI detection.
With its flexible parameters, you can combine your experience as a professional audio engineer with the speed and precision of AI.
Stop wasting time — let your AI assistant edit your voice.
