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#60691 - 05/22/03 01:48 PM Normalize Recordings
lahawk Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 06/28/01
Posts: 2781
Loc: Lehigh Valley, Pa.
Does anyone know of a simple and cheap program that will "normalize" (same volume level for all songs) MP3's that I can use before I burn a CD or convert to the SD Card to play on the 7000?

Using Jukebox and converting MP3's to the SD Card, some recordings are loud, some are soft.

I have the same problem burning a CD using Roxio. To "normalize" using Roxio would be a costly upgrade.

It would be nice if I could make all MP3's the same volume level. Nothing worse then that sudden 'blast' when you're not ready for it.

Any ideas or help will be appreciated.

_______________
Thanks Larry Hawk
_________________________
Larry "Hawk"

Hawk Music
Sadly No More frown

♫ 🎹🎹 ♫ SX-900




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#60692 - 05/22/03 02:30 PM Re: Normalize Recordings
KN6 Guy Offline
Junior Member

Registered: 04/01/03
Posts: 23
Loc: Northern California
Hi Larry,

A compressor/limiter does wonders unless someone else has a better suggestion.

KN6 Guy

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#60693 - 05/22/03 02:59 PM Re: Normalize Recordings
technicsplayer Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 01/17/02
Posts: 3319
I find mp3 gain works fine, particularly since it is free: http://www.geocities.com/mp3gain/

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#60694 - 05/22/03 03:19 PM Re: Normalize Recordings
lahawk Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 06/28/01
Posts: 2781
Loc: Lehigh Valley, Pa.
Thanks...I downloaded the Beta MP3Gain It is a small download, simple to use, quick, and does a great job. Now all audio is the same volume level. Recommended !

One Item: MP3Gain has the option "Remove Tags". What are "Tags" in MP3'S and when, if ever should they be removed ?

Members of this forum always seems to have an answer. It's appreciated

Larry



[This message has been edited by lahawk (edited 05-22-2003).]
_________________________
Larry "Hawk"

Hawk Music
Sadly No More frown

♫ 🎹🎹 ♫ SX-900




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#60695 - 05/22/03 04:34 PM Re: Normalize Recordings
Walt Meyer Offline
Member

Registered: 10/02/02
Posts: 437
Loc: Silver City, NM USA
Larry,
On the same subject, Gold Wave does a good job and has the additional advantage that you can set thresholds for when the expander or compressor kicks in. I have used this to make CD's from various sources and of different levels and to reduce the dynamic range for use in the car. Commercial CD's, depending on the type of music, have tremendous dynamic range to the extent that if you set the radio volume control to a plesant level on the loud passages, the soft passages are not above the noise level in the vehicle. By reducing the dynamic range the music is listenable without blasting.
Adjusting the levels and the ranges are very desirable things to do depending on the application. Since this is done digitally, I find that if there is any noise or distortion added, I have never been able to hear it.
Walt

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#60696 - 05/22/03 07:11 PM Re: Normalize Recordings
bruno123 Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 06/04/02
Posts: 4912
Loc: West Palm Beach, FL 33417
When I record a wave file into my computer, and then record it onto the SD card via the Panasonic USB reader/writer , the recording plays clearly on the KN7000. But-----the volume is well below that of my normal playing volume.
My question; Is there any way to record to the SD card at a higher volume.
Thanks, John C.

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#60697 - 05/22/03 08:18 PM Re: Normalize Recordings
lahawk Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 06/28/01
Posts: 2781
Loc: Lehigh Valley, Pa.
Thanks Walt,
I have heard good things about GoldWave for years. The reason I never purchaced it was that it seemed a little too technical. Is it ?
Instead I opted for a program call Acoustica Audio Mixer. This used in conjunction with Roxio Easy CD Creator burned reasonably good CD's. However I always had the loud/soft volume difference between songs. I believe MP3Gain will help solve that problem. If not, I'll shell out the $40 for GoldWave or similar software.

bruno,
The only suggestion I have is to record the original wave file at a higher volume. If ALL your recordings are playing at a low sound level on the 7000, maybe, just maybe, you might have to turn up the volume on the chrome console, as this is independent of the 7000 master volume...naaa that's too easy ...sort of like :
Question > Why is my Radio not working ?
Answer > Did you plug it in ?

SeeYa
Larry Hawk


[This message has been edited by lahawk (edited 05-22-2003).]
_________________________
Larry "Hawk"

Hawk Music
Sadly No More frown

♫ 🎹🎹 ♫ SX-900




Top
#60698 - 05/23/03 04:43 AM Re: Normalize Recordings
technicsplayer Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 01/17/02
Posts: 3319
Goldwave is a fine entry level wave editor and can naturally do most of those things you would expect do with a wave editor, but you would have to process each mp3 individually, which takes a great deal of time.

Mp3gain can process the peak level of your entire mp3 collection automatically using a 'loudness' calculation to decide the shift required to make all songs seem the same subjective level.

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#60699 - 05/23/03 05:56 AM Re: Normalize Recordings
lahawk Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 06/28/01
Posts: 2781
Loc: Lehigh Valley, Pa.
In Alec's "Getting the Most from your 7000"
(still another shameless plug) he recommends burning CD'S using WAVE files rather then MP3, OR WMA files. I have recorded all three types to both a CD and the 7000 SD Card and can't really tell the difference.

What does make a difference, is the amount of KBPS Quality saved. On the software I use for recording, I have the option of saving anywhere between 15 KB (Mono) all the way up to 256 (Studio Quality)

Normally 192KB (CD Quality) is fine but 128 which is kind of the standard, is actually only Tape Quality.

So, in my opinion, if your going to burn a CD, it is probably more important to save the WAVE file at a higher quality kbps MP3 or WMA then to burn a CD or convert to SD with WAVE files. At least that is the results that are most pleasing to my ears.

Larry

[This message has been edited by lahawk (edited 05-23-2003).]

[This message has been edited by lahawk (edited 05-23-2003).]
_________________________
Larry "Hawk"

Hawk Music
Sadly No More frown

♫ 🎹🎹 ♫ SX-900




Top
#60700 - 05/23/03 06:23 AM Re: Normalize Recordings
technicsplayer Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 01/17/02
Posts: 3319
absolutely, but any mp3 will forever lose information in the original wave file, so if you are going to make an audio cd use the wave before you delete it, because as I explain in the book you can always make a mp3 of whatever kb/s you choose afterwards from this cd, and since the wave is there before you can make the mp3 anyway, it doesn't make sense to make audio cds from mp3s if the wave is available.

The advice is to give you the best quality archive medium, because compression formats will evolve and get better in the future and you can then get better quality results from this full spectrum master recording made from waves rather than an already compressed original.

and thanks for the plug

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