Volume balancing software for CD tracks

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

I want to burn some compilation cd's of my favorite oldies which will be
extracted from the many cd's I've acquired over the years. I'm looking
for a program that will make all these songs seem like they've been
recorded at the same volume, that is, I won't have to adjust the volume
of the pre-amp up and down as the cd plays. For a non pro like myself it
seems ideal if I could just drop the various AIFF files into a window
and have the program analyze them and rewrite them all to include the
appropriate new coordinated volumes (as needed). I have a mac G5 dual
running OS 10.3.5. I hear the features that are supposed to do this on
burning softwares like iTunes and Dragon Burn are very inadequate to
this job. Any recommendations on software out there that would do this
for me for not too much money? Thanks for your advice.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Paul Stamler" <pstamlerhell@pobox.com> wrote in message
news:gjmed.749717$Gx4.421259@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> Unfortunately, there is no software on earth that will do this other than
> that contained between your ears. Any audio editing program, and many
> ripping and MP3-making programs, will "normalize" the files -- that is,
> they'll adjust each file's level so that the highest peak falls at a
> pre-selected level, typically something like -0.5dBFS. But that probably
> won't make them sound like they're the same volume, because the average
> volume of one file might be 16dB below the highest peak, while the average
> volume of the next file might be 8dB below its highest peak. The latter
file
> will sound like it's 8dB louder than the former. Looking at the files with
> an old-fashioned VU meter (a real one, with the controlled ballistics
> endemic to the breed), and adjusting their levels so they all read the
same
> (carefully avoiding overs), will get you closer, but to get the tracks to
> really match to the ear, you have to use the ear(s).


Many normalise tools have an option to normalise to an average RMS for the
whole track. However this won't necessarily make a bunch of disparate
tracks sit well together without some intelligent user tweaking either...

geoff

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Wavelab - Ultra Maximizer, but you would have to get a PC for that! I'm not
saying it does a good job or that is is a substitute for a good master eng.
, but it is ok. I would also recommend ears.
Max Arwood

"Paul Stamler" <pstamlerhell@pobox.com> wrote in message
news:gjmed.749717$Gx4.421259@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> <mr.insister@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:mr.insister-0E4530.17201022102004@netnews.comcast.net...
> > I want to burn some compilation cd's of my favorite oldies which will be
> > extracted from the many cd's I've acquired over the years. I'm looking
> > for a program that will make all these songs seem like they've been
> > recorded at the same volume, that is, I won't have to adjust the volume
> > of the pre-amp up and down as the cd plays. For a non pro like myself it
> > seems ideal if I could just drop the various AIFF files into a window
> > and have the program analyze them and rewrite them all to include the
> > appropriate new coordinated volumes (as needed). I have a mac G5 dual
> > running OS 10.3.5. I hear the features that are supposed to do this on
> > burning softwares like iTunes and Dragon Burn are very inadequate to
> > this job. Any recommendations on software out there that would do this
> > for me for not too much money? Thanks for your advice.
>
> Unfortunately, there is no software on earth that will do this other than
> that contained between your ears. Any audio editing program, and many
> ripping and MP3-making programs, will "normalize" the files -- that is,
> they'll adjust each file's level so that the highest peak falls at a
> pre-selected level, typically something like -0.5dBFS. But that probably
> won't make them sound like they're the same volume, because the average
> volume of one file might be 16dB below the highest peak, while the average
> volume of the next file might be 8dB below its highest peak. The latter
file
> will sound like it's 8dB louder than the former. Looking at the files with
> an old-fashioned VU meter (a real one, with the controlled ballistics
> endemic to the breed), and adjusting their levels so they all read the
same
> (carefully avoiding overs), will get you closer, but to get the tracks to
> really match to the ear, you have to use the ear(s).
>
> Peace,
> Paul
>
>