About Normalizing

Hi,
 
How do you normalize a track in Sonar Home Studio 7?
 
-musicman1982
 
OS System: Windows Vista

That's great information Beagle. I don't mean to hijack the thread, but in the past, On a guitar track with no effects, I've used the "Normalize to maximum peak value" If I read correctly, the best selection would be -1 or -2 db?

I think I have the bad habit of normalizing everything.  How do y'all judge this?  What input trim level do you aim for? What minimum do you insist on normalizing and if you do, what percentage do you normalize to to get to what level?  How much room do you leave for effects if this is a factor to consider?  Thanks a ton!  JP

Do you really mean that "Normalize" gives no hits in the help-files? I bet you would have found the answer in ten seconds there.

I am a proponent of using Normalize. 

BUT.... I only use it when it is needed in the tracking stages. If I have an audio track from my guitar that is too low, the FIRST thing I will do is work to get the input level up where it should be to start with.

You should be able to get a nice full, fat, pretty looking wave form in the track from your audio source. This is preferred. If for some reason this is not possible, ( as in what Beagle said about someone sending you a low level track)  normalize can often save your butt, but it should always be "PLAN B."

After I have mixed the song and exported it to my wave editor..... at that point I ALWAYS use normalize to bring the peak to 0db, and the result is that my tunes are all pretty close to the same volume levels when played back to back. In my process chain, normalize is the LAST thing that happens to the finished wave. At that point, all the EQ, compression, and other FX are in and final.... then and only then does it get the normalize treatment.

I have not experienced any problems using normalize in this manner. And.... no one has ever said to me they could tell my tune or track was normalized. 

ACE STOKES 2.0

Beagle


before I tell you I want to caution you about using this.  normalizing in itself is not necessarily a bad thing.  but it can cause problems.  first, it will raise your noise floor along with raising the overall gain of the track.  2nd - you should never normalize a track to the full 0dBfs.  when you do you leave no room for mixing.  all tracks should be recorded at 24bit so that you have the best resolution possible, then they should peak at no more than -6dB so that you have enough headroom for mixing.

having said all that, I do use it occassionally when I get a track sent to me that is recorded way too low.

Thanks Beagle!!
                         That makes so much sense to me now. I'm using CW GTP4. I always thought you HAD to bring everything up to digital 0!! Oh the NOISE!! I just got the point last night. I recorded a guitar part-my input gain was very high-the .wav was very small but loud-I normalized it-as not to have a small .wav like Robert mentioned (I think) and the noise was there even before the guitar started.

*It was Guitarhacker-not RobertB-I mis quoted sorry!!

I  never really use normalization. If you're tracking in 24 bit, then there is no need for it. In the master process, the important thing is the controlling the dynamic range of the material through compression and or limiting (Normalization doesn't do that). Typicaly the limiters ar tuned to leave  around -0.2 dB in he final process, so you are not supposed to use normalization either. Typically the effect of limiters or compressors in the master process on the perceived loudness is much higher than you can achieved by normalizing the track.