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Posted by keithos27 on Mar-11-2009 08:00:

Amplify/Normalize question

Hey guys. I just recorded a mix in Traktor as a .wav. I have Audacity and was looking at some of the different effects. Before I go ahead and make the .wav into an enhanced podcast (.m4a) should I do anything to the .wav file? Perhaps amplify or normalize? Can someone please go into the pros/cons of these two effects and what exactly they do?

From what I understand amplify will make the wav louder by whatever DB setting I tell it (audacity's default was 1.9). What DB should I amplify by, if any, and how do you decide that?

Also what about normalize? My understanding is that this effect will analyze the entire wav to see what is the lowest point and make that point the entire "loudness" throughout the entire wav.

Are those correct? Should I do these and/or anything else before making the enhanced podcast?

Sorry for the n00b question. I'm not really all that familiar with editing audio.

-Keith

Posted by david.michael on Mar-11-2009 12:57:

Re: Amplify/Normalize question

quote:
Originally posted by keithos27
Also what about normalize? My understanding is that this effect will analyze the entire wav to see what is the lowest point and make that point the entire "loudness" throughout the entire wav.

Yowza, that would be a disaster.

No, it sees what the highest peak is in the recording and increases the loudness of the overall recording until that peak is at max volume.

Posted by echosystm on Mar-11-2009 13:30:

compressor/limiter, dither, profit

Posted by keithos27 on Mar-11-2009 15:29:

Re: Re: Amplify/Normalize question

quote:
Originally posted by david.michael
Yowza, that would be a disaster.

No, it sees what the highest peak is in the recording and increases the loudness of the overall recording until that peak is at max volume.

LOL that's what I get for posting at 4 AM. I meant the highest part, not the lowest.

quote:
Originally posted by echosysm
compressor/limiter, dither, profit

would you mind explaining, thanks.

Posted by echosystm on Mar-11-2009 21:54:

Re: Re: Re: Amplify/Normalize question

quote:
Originally posted by keithos27
would you mind explaining, thanks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_range_compression
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limiter
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dither
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profit