To normalize or not?

[benjam]

So im after some clarification on this. Is it considered bad practice to normalize your exported master? When making a track I tend to mix as I go then export the track and reopen the file in a new project. I used to just normalize the wav as Im reluctant to start messing around with mastering plugins when I dont understand the science behind it and in most cases im happy with the mix and just want the volume bumping up. Thing is ive read conflicting statements on here and other places about normalizing the master file. Can anyone explain shed some light on this? Cheers

[mthrfnk]

Normalizing raises the whole track until the largest peak in the track hits 0dB, so you may only be raising it by 0.1dbB if you have a largest peak at -0.1dB for example. You'd be better applying a simple limiter if you just want an even volume boost.

[benjam]

I shouldve said the track usually peaks at -6db before normalizing

[therapist]

Normalizing raises the whole track until the largest peak in the track hits 0dB, so you may only be raising it by 0.1dbB if you have a largest peak at -0.1dB for example. You'd be better applying a simple limiter if you just want an even volume boost.

An even volume boost? That's exactly what normalizing does, and exactly what a limiter does not do.

I don't get the fuss made about normalizing, yes it raises the noise floor as well as the intended signal, but you'd just turn it up at some point anyway. Unless there is something about the specific process (ie software used) to normalize that is causing a drop in quality.

If your track is exactly how you want it, but hits at -xdB, then by all means normalize it for convenience.

[Sharmaji]

normalizing is never the right tool for the job.

[mthrfnk]

Normalizing raises the whole track until the largest peak in the track hits 0dB, so you may only be raising it by 0.1dbB if you have a largest peak at -0.1dB for example. You'd be better applying a simple limiter if you just want an even volume boost.

An even volume boost? That's exactly what normalizing does, and exactly what a limiter does not do.

I kind of worded that badly, I meant even as in everything peaking at the same level - which limiting achieves, rather than an equal volume boost across the whole waveform - which normalizing achieves.

[benjam]

Yeah this is why im getting confused haha,is there a better way to go about this then?

[JTMMusicuk]

normalising is there to mask the problems you shouldnt be making

fix your mixdown

[benjam]

normalising is there to mask the problems you shouldnt be making

fix your mixdown

Did you even read my post?

[JTMMusicuk]

yes ...

[benjam]

yes ...

I said the mixdown was fine it peaks at around -6db and just needs turning up. Im asking the best way to do this

[JTMMusicuk]

turn the master up then

[benjam]

turn the master up then

So is that the 'problems I shouldnt be making' ? Mixing down to -6db?

[overture]

Mixing to -6db is perfectly fine, most people will mix to this before mastering anyway. I'd suggest just raising the master a bit for extra volume and then if normalising sounds good to you and gives you the volume you want then go for it. I only ever put a bit of EQ, multiband compression and then limiter on my "master" because that's the best I can do for now.

[JTMMusicuk]

if you dont want to master your own stuff or send it away to be mastered then you dont need to allow room for compressors/limiters to be turning everything up but you should still export with a bit of headroom, just use a limiter or compressor with very light settings (ratio turned all the way down)and use the gains to turn the master up after you have exported the mixdown
Normalising is like putting a limiter on your master without being able to fiddle with the settings to make it fit.. it may work but it may also take away all the punch from your track

Edit: hope this makes sense im trying to write this while at work

[therapist]

normalizing is never the right tool for the job.

Strange thing to say. Normalizing has no place at all? Or specifically just not for bumping up a master track?

Why is normalizing a track that is a couple of dBs short not a solution?

[Sharmaji]

normalizing is never the right tool for the job.

Strange thing to say. Normalizing has no place at all? Or specifically just not for bumping up a master track?

Why is normalizing a track that is a couple of dBs short not a solution?

no place at all in modern digital audio. none.

it was a decent-enough solution in the 16-and 20-bit ADAT days when, if you didn't have something that was pushing against the top, you were losing actual fidelity.

nowadays... no such concerns, when you're working at 32bit floating point and 24bit fixed point.

normalizing doesn't making things "louder." Loudness is a function of RMS, and increasing a song with a bunch of spikes that are 6db above everything else won't significantly change the volume of a track. it'll just make it so that there's no headroom.

thus, it's useless function that puts your entire bounce through another layer of calculations, complete with whatever percentage of digital errors are going to happen. it's a waste of a process.
if you want to increase volume, you need to decrease dynamic range via limiting and compression, and then bump everything up.

[therapist]

normalizing is never the right tool for the job.

Strange thing to say. Normalizing has no place at all? Or specifically just not for bumping up a master track?

Why is normalizing a track that is a couple of dBs short not a solution?

no place at all in modern digital audio. none.

it was a decent-enough solution in the 16-and 20-bit ADAT days when, if you didn't have something that was pushing against the top, you were losing actual fidelity.

nowadays... no such concerns, when you're working at 32bit floating point and 24bit fixed point.

normalizing doesn't making things "louder." Loudness is a function of RMS, and increasing a song with a bunch of spikes that are 6db above everything else won't significantly change the volume of a track. it'll just make it so that there's no headroom.

thus, it's useless function that puts your entire bounce through another layer of calculations, complete with whatever percentage of digital errors are going to happen. it's a waste of a process.
if you want to increase volume, you need to decrease dynamic range via limiting and compression, and then bump everything up.

That just seems like a different issue. I thought this question was going on the assumption the mix is right and, rather than trying to gain loudness through a higher RMS, he just wants to eek those couple of dBs more out of the track. If the actual process itself lowers the quality then fair enough, but is it markedly different from raising the master?

[didi]

If you're doing a home master, when compressing/limiting use output gain, or whatever you need to achieve the required peak level. There should be no need to normalise.

Normalizing can never improve the existing sound quality, and except for a very few
situations (usually when dealing with automated batch processing of files) normalizing is a
completely unnecessary procedure that should be avoided.
 Some DAWs have a normalize option in the bounce window. If this function is
enabled your final mix will have its peak level normalized to 0 dBFS. So if you had 3 dB of
headroom in your mix before clipping the master bus, normalizing would raise the total
level by 3 dB. However, if your mix was overloading by 3 dB, floating point normalizing
would bring your mix back to a peak level of 0 dBFS without clipping, and in the process
making your mix 3 dB lower. Logic Pro also offers an option called Overload Protection
Only, which works like floating point normalizing except it will never raise the level, only
lower it if necessary. However, none of these functions are recommended since you
should watch your mix levels and leave some extra headroom for mastering.

http://www.popmusic.dk/download/pdf/lev ... -audio.pdf

[wormcode]

Do any of you guys that use FL use the 'Normalize' button?
A friend of mine does it on every single sound and I try to get him to stop because everything sounds too loud and it brings out noise in quiet sounds, and they usually have to be turned back down in the mixer.