Subject:Normalize

Posted by: PatE

Date:1/18/2001 5:23:00 PM

I have read notices about normalizing and setting the
average RMS. I wonder if my problem is a little
different. I am converting old LP's to CD's - primarily
old Frank Sinatra's and some Perry Como's. Somehow, it
doesn't seem to me that they should be normalized up to 0.0
db's along with Garth Brooks. That just seems to be too
loud for the type music they sang.

On the other hand, I do want to be able to mix my CD's onto
a carousel player and not be blasted out with one CD and
not be able to hear the next. Suggestions?

Thanks for the great help. I truly appreciate it.

Subject:Re: Normalize

Reply by: Rednroll

Date:1/20/2001 3:24:00 PM

Patricia, sorry I posted a reply to your question
yesterday, but somehow my reply didn't show up. Sonic
Foundry has been having troubles with their forums. What
can we expect for a multimedia internet based software
company anyways?

What you want to do is goto the Normalize menu and check
Normalize using "peak level" and then slide the slider to
0dB. This will look through the entire waveform and find
the highest point of the waveform. It will move this up to
0dB and then the rest of the waveform up proportionately.
This does not alter the dynamic range like compression or
normalizing to a rms value does, and therefore will not
make it louder using those techniques. This just makes it
so that your Perry Cumo song goes onto a CD at it's maximum
level. If you would have recorded directly into soundforge
and the highest peak actually hit 0dB then you wouldn't
have to worry about this, but obviously this is extremely
dangerous because you risk digitally distorting your song,
by going over 0dB. To fully understand this, instead of
reading information on normalization, you need to read some
information on "mastering". There's a good article in this
months EQ magazine (January 2001) by Craig Anderton
titled "Compression and the Art of Mastering". This goes
into some beginner mastering techniques and explains it
quite well. Loudness is achieved through audio compression
techniques which increases "the average" level of a song
and that is why one song will appear louder than another
when placed on a CD and both songs have been normalized
with "peak" normalization.

Brian Franz
The Groove Factory Mastering :-)
Patricia V. Edwards wrote:
>>I have read notices about normalizing and setting the
>>average RMS. I wonder if my problem is a little
>>different. I am converting old LP's to CD's - primarily
>>old Frank Sinatra's and some Perry Como's. Somehow, it
>>doesn't seem to me that they should be normalized up to
0.0
>>db's along with Garth Brooks. That just seems to be too
>>loud for the type music they sang.
>>
>>On the other hand, I do want to be able to mix my CD's
onto
>>a carousel player and not be blasted out with one CD and
>>not be able to hear the next. Suggestions?
>>
>>Thanks for the great help. I truly appreciate it.

Subject:Re: Normalize

Reply by: PatE

Date:1/20/2001 7:54:00 PM

Brian,

Thanks for the answer. It was to the point, and I
understood it (pretty good for a novice.) I really
appreciate the time you took to answer me, and I have tried
your suggestion, and am pleased with the results. Thanks a
lot.



Brian Franz wrote:
>>Patricia, sorry I posted a reply to your question
>>yesterday, but somehow my reply didn't show up. Sonic
>>Foundry has been having troubles with their forums. What
>>can we expect for a multimedia internet based software
>>company anyways?
>>
>>What you want to do is goto the Normalize menu and check
>>Normalize using "peak level" and then slide the slider to
>>0dB. This will look through the entire waveform and find
>>the highest point of the waveform. It will move this up
to
>>0dB and then the rest of the waveform up
proportionately.
>>This does not alter the dynamic range like compression or
>>normalizing to a rms value does, and therefore will not
>>make it louder using those techniques. This just makes
it
>>so that your Perry Cumo song goes onto a CD at it's
maximum
>>level. If you would have recorded directly into
soundforge
>>and the highest peak actually hit 0dB then you wouldn't
>>have to worry about this, but obviously this is extremely
>>dangerous because you risk digitally distorting your
song,
>>by going over 0dB. To fully understand this, instead of
>>reading information on normalization, you need to read
some
>>information on "mastering". There's a good article in
this
>>months EQ magazine (January 2001) by Craig Anderton
>>titled "Compression and the Art of Mastering". This goes
>>into some beginner mastering techniques and explains it
>>quite well. Loudness is achieved through audio
compression
>>techniques which increases "the average" level of a song
>>and that is why one song will appear louder than another
>>when placed on a CD and both songs have been normalized
>>with "peak" normalization.
>>
>>Brian Franz
>>The Groove Factory Mastering :-)
>>Patricia V. Edwards wrote:
>>>>I have read notices about normalizing and setting the
>>>>average RMS. I wonder if my problem is a little
>>>>different. I am converting old LP's to CD's -
primarily
>>>>old Frank Sinatra's and some Perry Como's. Somehow, it
>>>>doesn't seem to me that they should be normalized up to
>>0.0
>>>>db's along with Garth Brooks. That just seems to be
too
>>>>loud for the type music they sang.
>>>>
>>>>On the other hand, I do want to be able to mix my CD's
>>onto
>>>>a carousel player and not be blasted out with one CD
and
>>>>not be able to hear the next. Suggestions?
>>>>
>>>>Thanks for the great help. I truly appreciate it.