What is The Best Method To Normalize the Volume?

[badelman]

Hello, I have an old cd compilation I made myself from long ago and the volume level for the different tracks is not the same. It's not incredibly out of whack but I an tell somewhat. I don't want it to sound bad. Out of the two that I see could be used which is the best and what is the best way to go about applying the DSP?

Thx, Barry

[garym]

Re: What is The Best Method To Normalize the Volume?

Hello, I have an old cd compilation I made myself from long ago and the volume level for the different tracks is not the same. It's not incredibly out of whack but I an tell somewhat. I don't want it to sound bad. Out of the two that I see could be used which is the best and what is the best way to go about applying the DSP?

Thx, Barry

If your player handles ReplayGain tags, use those tags. This is the best approach. I'd add ALBUM and TRACK RG tags. If your player does not handle RG tags, you can use ReplayGain (Apply). The latter approach does change the audio data itself.

[Sugarlander]

Re: What is The Best Method To Normalize the Volume?

If your player handles ReplayGain tags, use those tags. This is the best approach. I'd add ALBUM and TRACK RG tags. If your player does not handle RG tags, you can use ReplayGain (Apply). The latter approach does change the audio data itself.

I'm a newbie that is also wanting to normalize the volume for all the albums (CDs) that I rip so that playing them will end the "too soft" or "too loud" problem that I see when shuffling songs from all my albums. I'm ripping a FLAC file that has no DSP added. I'm also using multi encoder to rip MP3 files at the same time. It is the MP3 files that I want volume normalized for all the various albums I rip.

When you say "if your player handles ReplayGain tags", what do you mean? In other words, are you saying the player will not play any music (no volume) or the player plays the music but the music volume is not normalized? If the former, I don't know what player I may use in the future so it appears that "ReplayGain (Apply)" is the safest choice to make sure the volume is normalized regardless of the player I use. (Even today I have multiple players. I'll use cell phone players (Apple), tablet player (Android), Windows Media Player, and iTunes.)

Also, when in the multi-encoder setting and applying the DSP, what do you mean by "I'd add ALBUM and TRACK RG tags"? How is this done? I see "ReplayGain" tag but I don't see a "ReplayGain ALBUM" single tag nor a "ReplayGain ALBUM and TRACK" single tag. Are you talking about stacking various tags in the dialogue box?

Please help this new comer before I spend wasted hours ripping.

Thanks,
Ed

Since I have the FLAC file I am not overly concerned about the MP3 file having the audio date itself changed. But if I can avoid it, that would be good too.

[garym]

Re: What is The Best Method To Normalize the Volume?

I'm a newbie that is also wanting to normalize the volume for all the albums (CDs) that I rip so that playing them will end the "too soft" or "too loud" problem that I see when shuffling songs from all my albums. I'm ripping a FLAC file that has no DSP added. I'm also using multi encoder to rip MP3 files at the same time. It is the MP3 files that I want volume normalized for all the various albums I rip.

When you say "if your player handles ReplayGain tags", what do you mean? In other words, are you saying the player will not play any music (no volume) or the player plays the music but the music volume is not normalized? If the former, I don't know what player I may use in the future so it appears that "ReplayGain (Apply)" is the safest choice to make sure the volume is normalized regardless of the player I use. (Even today I have multiple players. I'll use cell phone players (Apple), tablet player (Android), Windows Media Player, and iTunes.)

Also, when in the multi-encoder setting and applying the DSP, what do you mean by "I'd add ALBUM and TRACK RG tags"? How is this done? I see "ReplayGain" tag but I don't see a "ReplayGain ALBUM" single tag nor a "ReplayGain ALBUM and TRACK" single tag. Are you talking about stacking various tags in the dialogue box?

Please help this new comer before I spend wasted hours ripping.

Thanks,
Ed

Since I have the FLAC file I am not overly concerned about the MP3 file having the audio date itself changed. But if I can avoid it, that would be good too.

The player will play the music, but not all players will take the RG tag info and use it to adjust the volume.

for the FLAC, use REPLAYGAIN DSP (and in the settings, to the right of the DSP in the DSP section of the CD ripper (middle, lower part of screen) you can use the dropdown menu to select Track, Album, or TRACK and ALBUM (I recommend the latter). This will all just add tags that can be used in the future and don't interfere with the lossless rip.

for mp3 to be sure they are volume normalized everywhere in any kind of player, use the DSP REPLAYGAIN (Apply). in this case you can only choose track or Album values. I'd likely use the TRACK value in this case.

However, itunes, iphones, and ipods will all use ReplayGain information without needing to use the permanent volume normalize of RG(Apply) (not sure about android devices). However, they are using SOUNDCHECK (an apple thing). but in the advanced settings of the ReplayGain DSP, the WRITE dropdown menu will include the option to write track and album AND an itunes compatible tag (this is the soundcheck tag). But these options only show up on itunes compatible files. So to see these options in ReplayGain DSP settings menu, you need to be ripping to mp3, etc. (not FLAC).

[Sugarlander]

Re: What is The Best Method To Normalize the Volume?

Thank you, Gary. Your response was very helpful and much appreciated. I now have it set up and it appears to be working fine.

Ed

[garym]

Re: What is The Best Method To Normalize the Volume?

Thank you, Gary. Your response was very helpful and much appreciated. I now have it set up and it appears to be working fine.

Ed

perfect. enjoy!

[kamfai]

Re: What is The Best Method To Normalize the Volume?

perfect. enjoy!

i m new to these too.
so can i use both REPLAYGAIN and REPLAYGAIN (Apply) at the same time?
a screenshot attached

[Spoon]

Re: What is The Best Method To Normalize the Volume?

No instead use a single effect 'Volume Normalize'

[kamfai]

Re: What is The Best Method To Normalize the Volume?

No instead use a single effect 'Volume Normalize'

you meant : REPLAYGAIN or REPLAYGAIN (Apply)

just pick one?

[Spoon]

Re: What is The Best Method To Normalize the Volume?

No, Volume Normalize set to the replaygain option internally.

[garym]

Re: What is The Best Method To Normalize the Volume?

No, Volume Normalize set to the replaygain option internally.

I think the OP doesn't realize that RG and RG(apply) are both different from the option of "volume normalize" (but volume normalize "uses" the RG calculation)