How to Use Dynamic Range Control in AudioDirector
Make an interview with uneven speaking levels comfortable to listen to.
Updated Nov. 14, 2026 · 4 min read
In a hurry? Use the Dynamic Range Control quick guide instead.
When some lines in an interview or voice-over are very quiet and others very loud, AudioDirector's Dynamic Range Control evens them out, so listeners don't keep reaching for the volume. Its Compressor turns the loud parts down, Output gain raises the whole clip, and the Limiter stops sudden loud peaks.
- In the Edit room, select a clip and click Dynamic Range Control under Apply Effect.
- Under Compressor, lower Threshold and raise Ratio.
- Raise Output gain, then lower the Limiter Threshold a little.
- Preview the Applied result, then click Apply.
- Click Export, name the file, choose a format, and click Export.
Steps to Balance Soft and Loud Audio in AudioDirector
Step 1: Open Dynamic Range Control
In the Edit room, select a clip in the library. In the Editing Tools panel below it, click Dynamic Range Control under Apply Effect. To see every tool in the list, choose All from the menu at the top right of the panel.
The whole clip is selected when the tool opens, so the effect applies to all of it. To change only part of the clip, drag across the waveform to select a range first.
In the Mix room, select the audio on a track first, or the Master Track to apply it to all tracks.
Step 2: Set the Compressor
The Dynamic Range Control window opens. Under Compressor, drag Threshold left and Ratio right. Sound above the threshold is turned down, so the loud parts move closer to the soft ones. This example uses -60.5 dB, low enough to catch even the very quiet part. The strong 19.5:1 ratio brings every line close to the same level.
Each part of the window fixes a different problem. This example uses all three, in Steps 2 to 4:
| If you hear | Change | What it did here |
|---|---|---|
| Loud lines much louder than quiet ones | Under Compressor, drag Threshold left and Ratio right | At -60.5 dB and 19.5:1, every line is turned down, the loud part most, so all three parts end up at almost the same level. |
| The whole clip got quieter | Drag Output gain right | At 30.0 dB, the maximum, the whole clip comes back up, and the very quiet part is as easy to hear as the rest. |
| Sudden loud peaks | Under Limiter, drag Threshold a little left | At -3.3 dB, peaks stay below that level, so the extra gain doesn't clip or distort. |
The Limiter, Compressor, and Gate/Expander sections have the same four sliders:
| Slider | What it does |
|---|---|
| Threshold | Sets the level where the section starts working, from -120 to 0 dB. Move it to change how much of the clip the section affects. |
| Ratio | Sets how strong the effect is, from 1 to 30 (0 to 30 for Gate/Expander). Higher ratios give more extreme compression, limiting, or expansion. |
| Attack | Sets how quickly the section reacts, from 0 to 500 ms, once the sound passes the threshold. |
| Release | Sets how quickly it stops working, from 0 to 5000 ms, after the sound falls back below the threshold. |
To undo a change, click Undo, the left arrow at the top left of the window. To set every slider back, click Back to default, the button to the right of the i icon at the top right.
Step 3: Raise the Output Gain
Turning down the loud parts makes the whole clip quieter. To make up for it, drag the Output gain slider at the top of the window to the right. It goes from -30 to 30 dB. This example uses 30.0 dB, the top of the range, because the low threshold and high ratio turned the whole clip down a lot.
Step 4: Set the Limiter
Under Limiter, drag Threshold a little to the left, here to -3.3 dB. The limiter firmly holds back sound above that level, so the extra gain doesn't cause clipping or distortion.
This example leaves Gate/Expander at its defaults.
Step 5: Preview and Click Apply
Under Preview, select Applied result and click Preview. The button changes to Pause while the clip plays. Select Original audio to compare it with the clip as it was. When it sounds right, click Apply.
AudioDirector adds the changed clip to the library as a new item marked with an asterisk, here *host_voice_uneven.wav, below the original. The asterisk marks an edited version that isn't exported yet. Your original file on disk doesn't change.
Step 6: Export the Clip
With the changed clip selected in the library, click Export at the top of the window. In Export Audio, type a File name and click the ... button next to Location to choose a folder. Choose a Format, then click Export.
The formats are WAV, WMA, MP3, M4A, FLAC, and APE. This example exports drc_after as a WAV file at 48000 Hz and 16 bits. AudioDirector adds it to the library too, and it's 16 seconds long, the same as the original.
The other settings in the dialog can stay as they are:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Bitrate | Sets the bitrate for formats such as MP3 and M4A. It's grayed out for WAV. FLAC and APE use a compression level instead: a higher level makes a smaller file but takes longer. |
| Sample rate, Bit depth, Channels | Set the quality and channels of the file. WAV and FLAC can have 5.1 or 7.1 channels. |
| CyberLink TrueTheater Surround | Improves the sound when you raise the number of channels. Choose Living Room, Theater, or Stadium. |
| Upload a copy to CyberLink Cloud | Also uploads the file to your CyberLink Cloud storage, if you have a subscription. |
We tested these steps in AudioDirector 365 version 17.0.6908 on Windows.
Don't have AudioDirector yet? Even out the quiet and loud lines of an interview or voice-over, and export it as a new file.
Download AudioDirector Free →FAQ About Dynamic Range Control
The Limiter firmly holds back high-level sound, so use it to prevent clipping and distortion. The Compressor gently controls medium-level sound and peaks, so use it to even out a voice that gets louder and softer.
The Compressor turns down the sound above its threshold, so the clip gets quieter overall. Drag Output gain to the right to make up for it. This example adds 30.0 dB, then sets the Limiter Threshold to -3.3 dB to hold back peaks above that level.
Yes. In the Edit room, drag across the waveform to select a range before you open Dynamic Range Control. Without a range, the effect applies to the whole clip.
