How do I normalize? -Sound Forge - PC - MAGIX Community Forums Archive

Subject:How do I normalize? Posted by: ARHYTHMATIK Date:12/8/2003 10:31:38 AM I am having problems normalizing my songs so that they are as loud as they can get, but without distorting. I use ACID to put together all my vocals and music and nothing peaks over 0 db, but then when rendered as a wav, it is quiet and not as loud as a normal song. I normalize each track, as well as the finalized song in Sound Forge to it's maximum peak, but it still doesn't make the track any louder. How do i normalize my songs so that they are at a standard level of loudness?
Subject:RE: How do I normalize? Reply by: Iacobus Date:12/8/2003 12:34:51 PM Have you tried any compression? (Wave Hammer is a good starting point.) HTH, Iacobus ------- RodelWorks - Original Music for the Unafraid mD's ACIDplanet Page
Subject:RE: How do I normalize? Reply by: RiRo Date:12/8/2003 11:04:10 PM Wave hammer has its limitations. A better approach is a multi-band compressor like Ultrafunk's or dbm multiband limiter. The first has lots of good settings and you can tweak to get very loud without clipping. The dbm is not the same class of product, but you can stick the settings from a TC finalizer in there and tweak, for great loudness without the obvious compressor stuff you hear in wave hammer if you press the file that much. RiRo
Subject:RE: How do I normalize? Reply by: ARHYTHMATIK Date:12/9/2003 4:47:17 PM ok- so i compress the final mixed down version of the song, then raise the volume on the entire track to 0 db and it should be louder?
Subject:RE: How do I normalize? Reply by: Rednroll Date:12/9/2003 5:07:59 PM You're really entering into the art of mastering. If you're unfamiliar with this area I would really do some reading on the subject and then start experimenting around. If you're looking for a safer and quick 1 button method type of mastering, then I would do this. First Normalize your song using Peak Normalization with a 0dB peak setting in Sound Forge. Then use the RMS Normalization, with something around a -15dB setting. In the "If clipping occurs", set this to "apply dynamic compression". Somewhere between -15dB and -10dB will probably give you the levels you're looking that will compare to professionally mastered material without destroying the integrity of the mix. The other tools mentioned will easily destroy your mix if you are not familiar with the mastering process and the settings within them.

Subject:How do I normalize?

Posted by: ARHYTHMATIK

Date:12/8/2003 10:31:38 AM

I am having problems normalizing my songs so that they are as loud as they can get, but without distorting. I use ACID to put together all my vocals and music and nothing peaks over 0 db, but then when rendered as a wav, it is quiet and not as loud as a normal song. I normalize each track, as well as the finalized song in Sound Forge to it's maximum peak, but it still doesn't make the track any louder. How do i normalize my songs so that they are at a standard level of loudness?

Subject:RE: How do I normalize?

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:12/8/2003 12:34:51 PM

Have you tried any compression? (Wave Hammer is a good starting point.)

HTH,
Iacobus
-------
RodelWorks - Original Music for the Unafraid
mD's ACIDplanet Page

Subject:RE: How do I normalize?

Reply by: RiRo

Date:12/8/2003 11:04:10 PM

Wave hammer has its limitations. A better approach is a multi-band compressor like Ultrafunk's or dbm multiband limiter. The first has lots of good settings and you can tweak to get very loud without clipping. The dbm is not the same class of product, but you can stick the settings from a TC finalizer in there and tweak, for great loudness without the obvious compressor stuff you hear in wave hammer if you press the file that much.

RiRo

Subject:RE: How do I normalize?

Reply by: ARHYTHMATIK

Date:12/9/2003 4:47:17 PM

ok- so i compress the final mixed down version of the song, then raise the volume on the entire track to 0 db and it should be louder?

Subject:RE: How do I normalize?

Reply by: Rednroll

Date:12/9/2003 5:07:59 PM

You're really entering into the art of mastering. If you're unfamiliar with this area I would really do some reading on the subject and then start experimenting around. If you're looking for a safer and quick 1 button method type of mastering, then I would do this.

First Normalize your song using Peak Normalization with a 0dB peak setting in Sound Forge. Then use the RMS Normalization, with something around a -15dB setting. In the "If clipping occurs", set this to "apply dynamic compression". Somewhere between -15dB and -10dB will probably give you the levels you're looking that will compare to professionally mastered material without destroying the integrity of the mix.

The other tools mentioned will easily destroy your mix if you are not familiar with the mastering process and the settings within them.