Normalization and compression are very useful. I have noticed that recent electronic albums have a very high peak level, around 0 dB. All the tracks are highly compressed, then normalized to maximum peak value. You need that if you don't want your track to sound weak compared to these professional albums.
But for a particular clip or track, you need to keep a headroom (maybe 1 or 2 dB) if you want to be able to add something else later without unwanted saturation.
 
I am not sure that we need another particular plugin to measure the overall level of our tracks. What's very difficult for me is to know whether I've got enough bass or not (and maybe enough brilliance, too). I use quality monitor headphones and because they are neutral I always think that the low frequencies are too weak, so I boost them but when I switch to bass boost consumer headphones, sometimes the low frequencies are much too high. So I would like a kind of metering plugin giving me an idea: is my track too bassy or not for the particular style of music I'm working on?

I use it all the time, but typically not to raise the level but rather to lower it. I have some drum mics that are a bit too hot even with the pre-amp levels all the way down. They don't clip, but come in with peaks around -3db or so. I have other drum mics that aren't so hot so they come in at a more reasonable level. 
 
when I record drums, generally the first thing I do after recording is select all the tracks, typically 10+ tracks and normalize all of them to -12db. 
 
This balances all the tracks and gets the levels to a place with enough headroom to mix in properly.  AND by the way, it reduces the noise floor. 
 
I strive for recording levels to always be around -12db, but am more prone to getting them a bit hotter than lower. For any of these tracks I generally normalize them back down to -12db to start. Gives plenty of headroom for applying FX and mixing. 
 
gabo

ebibault51
 
What's very difficult for me is to know whether I've got enough bass or not (and maybe enough brilliance, too). I use quality monitor headphones and because they are neutral I always think that the low frequencies are too weak, so I boost them but when I switch to bass boost consumer headphones, sometimes the low frequencies are much too high. So I would like a kind of metering plugin giving me an idea: is my track too bassy or not for the particular style of music I'm working on?

Razorwit dropped a gem in another thread specific to EQ matching -- his reference in particular to matching guitar tone between two sessions. In addition to playing with this, I found the #1 use (especially for anyone "monitor-challenged") to EQ match a reference commercial track to the "best master" you can achieve with what you have. Googling "EQ matching" returned two plugins primarily (Ozone and FabFliter Pro), and I tested this with Ozone... and the alterations it made were exactly the ones you pointed out (a 2dB notch in the lower (muddy) bass region, and a 2-4dB shelf in the upper (air) frequencies).
 
This technique is useful to anyone without "impeccable" mixing/monitoring environments available. The masters I specifically tested this with I did not have access to the mixes on, and arguably would have made some changes to the mix instead, but the results were positive in all cases. Not only that, but incredibly consistent (so I have great precision, just terrible accuracy ... I can miss by an identical amount each time!).
 
Please note, I do not mix at high volumes, nor get heavy on bass usage, so I am included in the "monitoring-challenged" by choice.

John T

BMOG
This is an old thread but after having a song mixed and mastered in Protools HD normalize was used and the effect was awesome.  Sine we have had many updates has a feature been created to replace or enhance the normalize feature?

In what way was the effect "awesome"? I'm struggling to imagine this. To normalise something is simply to either turn it up or down, relative to a reference level. That's it.

Keep in mind the engineer was using ProTools HD so I am not sure if our normalize and ProTools HD work the same way but when he used it on my tracks it took my track to the highest volume with no clipping.  I did not notice any noise increased buy it really brought my song to life

Yes!
 
Usually when a recording input is too low.
 
I have several variants set up depending on what I need... 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%.

The engineer using Pro Tools was obviously working with a lot more than just normalizing.
And yes a louder track will always sound "better" 
Some of the comments here are from people who may have not read this thread carefully,, so I'll say it again on behalf of those who have already explained this very clearly...
 
Normalizing is not at all like compression. It is almost identical to the "gain" function with the difference being with gain, you select an amount and apply it.  You can add or subtract db level. 
 
 With normalizing you set a limit like -1 db and apply. You automaticly know what will happen. 
 
With gain you risk going over the top unless you know what the original peak level was.  You certainly don't want to apply +12db of gain to a track that is already -8db. 
 
Most wave editors have a peak level analyser so you can make an intelligent decision on whether to normalize. 
I have done years of working with stereo files of everything from live recordings to tape and vinyl transfers. 
All it takes is one spike in the track and normalizing will do you no good. A low level recording with spikes through out will need manual removal of the peaks first. Often a compressor is just not fast enough. You really need to understand how it works and when to use all the tools that are available.
 
And this brings up the topic of needing to understand and use Average RMS levels( or the other new one) 
Even with manual editing of peaks and normalizing your track might end up at only -20 db Average RMS. 
 
Cakewalk mumbled something about improving Sonar's wave editing,, I for one would love this more than any possible other upgrade. I live for wave editing, and once you used a good one,Sonar's options are way under par. 

Well said Johnny.
 
Normalising doesn't make things sound better, only louder. The dynamic range is completely unaffected.