[audacity4blind] Re: Normalizing Versus Amplification Versus Gain
- From: Robert Hänggi <aarjay.robert@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: audacity4blind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 6 Dec 2014 06:32:37 +0100
Hi Rich
There's not much difference between amplify and normalize.
- Amplify: Raise Gain by x dB.
- Normalize: Raise gain to x dB.
The displayed value in the amplify effect is such that the new peak
will be 0 dB. However, you do not see this value in e.g. a chain
command. Also, if you repeat the effect (Ctrl+r), the same
amplification will be applied and not the one that is necessary to
reach 0 dB.
Normalize on the other hand will always raise the gain such that the
new peak matches the value you've entered.
For instance:
Peak of selection -> Effect -> New peak:
-10 dB -> Amplify -> 0 dB
-16 dB -> Ctrl-r (amplify again) -> -6 dB
-10 dB -> Normalize to 0 -> 0 dB
-16 dB -> Ctrl-r (normalize again) -> 0 dB
Normalize is good for a whole track just after it has been recorded.
It removes at the same time any DC offset, i.e. it centers the audio
vertically.
Amplify is good for short passages. You can reduce e.g. a single pop
or click or anything disturbing. You would mark the region and amplify
by a negative value. Here's the ctrl-r command helpful since you can
amplify gradually down by the value you've entered.
You could thus go down like -3 dB, -6 dB, -9 dB and so on until the
click disappears. With normalize, you should already know the target
level , e.g. -30 dB.
Gain, as the third option, applies only to the track with focus and to
its whole length.
The value of the gain slider is not applied immediately, only if the
audio is rendered.
Note that this is also the case for playback and not only for export.
If you've amplified to 0 dB, the gain value will be added in the end.
This can of course produce distortion on export if the gain is
positive.
The purpose of the gain slider is to find the perfect balance for a
project with multiple tracks.
(you should work with 32 bit float whenever the audio could be going
higher than 0 dB)
Once you've find the perfect mix, you'll still have to adjust the
overall level such that it is equal or less than 0 dB.
You can do that like so:
- Select all tracks
- mix and render to a new track (ctrl-shift-m). Select the "Mixed"
track too. Normalize or amplify all selected tracks to e.g. -3 dB.
Delete the mixed track.
This procedure should be applied just before export. Again, it is for
multi track projects and not for single tracks, normalization is
enough for that.
You'll probably have to read and try this post several times in order
to let it sink in... ;)
Robert
2014-12-06 0:46 GMT+01:00, Rich De Steno <ironrock@xxxxxxxxxxx>:
> I asked this question on December 2, but did not see a response:
> When I make a recording, I aim for a number maybe 4 to 6 below zero on
> the amplification scale. If it is significantly lower than that after
> it is recorded, I increase it by going into the amplify choice in the
> Effects menu and increasing it. I currently do not use normalization at
> all. Would I be better off just normalizing the recording or perhaps
> doing both normalization and amplification? I really don't know what
> normalization actually does. Also, if the level is a few points below
> zero on the amplify option, would raising the gain with shift-g cause
> distortion? What is the interaction between amplification and gain?
>
> --
> Rich De Steno
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