Volume Leveling (Revisited)

[snowman69]

I know this has been discussed several times but would like to know why we cannot add a non-destructive volume leveling to the REPLAYGAIN encoder. I would use MP3Gain but I have files encoded in ALAC and will be converting a lot more in the next little while.

I use the Roku Soundbridge M1000 as my music player which is fed from an earlier version of TwonkyMedia (v4.4.3.1) if that matters.

Thanks

[xoas]

Re: Volume Leveling (Revisited)

I'm not sure if I understand what you are asking.

My understanding is that ReplayGain can be applied non-destructively (meaning without altering the characteristics of the original audio file) using the ReplayGain Utility codec or the ReplayGain DSP. In either case however the ReplayGain adjustments will only make a difference when the ReplayGain tracks are played by a player that can read and implement ReplayGain tag information. If ReplayGain tracks are played through a player that cannot interpret the ReplayGain tag information, the resulting playback should be exactly what it would have been as though ReplayGain had not been applied.

To address this issue, Music Converter also includes an option in the Volume Normalize DSP effect to rewrite an audio file according to ReplayGain characteristics but this is an irreversible process (the underlying audio characteristics of the original file are re-written and are lost in the converted files - the solution to this would be to save the original audio file as well).

Both of these methods differ from MP3Gain (where the original audio data is re-written so it can be played on any player but tag information is saved to allow the original audio track to be re-created using the MP3Gain program). Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages.

I hope this addresses your question.

Best wishes,
Bill

[snowman69]

Re: Volume Leveling (Revisited)

Thank you Bill.

The way you are explaining ReplayGain and the Volume Normalizer are my understanding as well. As for MP3Gain, I did not think the audio was re-written.

I'll rephrase my question. Does Volume Normalizing always require re-writing the file? Meaning that you are losing audio data thru the conversion? I am under the impression that it does not (at least with MP3Gain). Which is why my original question I was asking if when I use the ReplayGain codec (not the ReplayGain DSP), why could we not add an option to set the target volume (similar to what MP3Gain offers) but for all format (mp3, alac, flac, etc.). This way files would never be re-written.

I don't want to use the ReplayGain DSP for my ALAC files for the reason you explained in the previous thread.

Hoping this make more sense.


Sylvain

[dbfan]

Re: Volume Leveling (Revisited)

Lossy codecs are unique in that the amplitude of frames can be altered by multiplying the values, but this cannot be done to lossless codecs with out decoding + encoding.

[mville]

Re: Volume Leveling (Revisited)

Does Volume Normalizing always require re-writing the file? Meaning that you are losing audio data thru the conversion? I am under the impression that it does not (at least with MP3Gain). Which is why my original question I was asking if when I use the ReplayGain codec (not the ReplayGain DSP), why could we not add an option to set the target volume (similar to what MP3Gain offers) but for all format (mp3, alac, flac, etc.).

As I understand it, the ReplayGain codec and the ReplayGain DSP are the same and are non-destructive. ReplayGain values are written as metadata tags in the audio file. I think the target volume is preset in dBpoweramp but I am not sure.

The ReplayGain (Apply) DSP and the Volume Normaliser DSP are destructive. The digital audio is altered when applied. Whether the audio quality suffers, I do not know as I do not use these DSPs.

Hope this helps.

Please advise if the above is not correct.

[snowman69]

Re: Volume Leveling (Revisited)

Found the answer to make question. I am using ReplayGain with All files in Batch Same Album against my existing folders. It is giving me what I was looking for without the need of tempering with the audio.