Normalizing Vocals.

ShanPeyton

Member
Heyo Forum Folks!

I recently checked out a tutorial online that suggested i normalize vocal tracks before i do any kind of processing? Is this common? What does normalizing do? IS it affecting my dynamics at all ?
 
Normalizing only adjusts gain so that the highest peak reaches the set level. It does not affect dynamics.
 
I have never normalised anything. However I have adjusted the whole track volume up a little when I have had a very quiet recording.

Alan.
 
I don't know why, but I have never trusted the normalising function, I aways think it is somehow going to screw up the file. Depending on if you peak normalise or loudness normalise you could change the sound more than you want.

Alan.
 
Cool thanks guys, I don't really see any use fr it either? Maybe if my vocals or something got tracked at a really really low level, perhaps normalizing the track wouldn't make a compressor or some sort of dynamic effect work as hard?

I can't see any benefit from it at the moment.

Thanks again. I think i will bypass that step perhaps.
 
I use normalise regularly but usually in conjuction with dynamics processing. In effect I'm just using the normalise function to provide "make up gain" rather than letting the compressor do it in a single step--no particular reason, I just find it works for me.

Perhaps I'm a bit OCD but I like to get track levels to a point where, while mixing, I'm working the faders in the most linear point of their range rather than having some pushed way up and others turned way down.

I've never found normalising messes anything up but neither does it perform any magic. As said above, it's like pushing the fader up except that you can preset the maximum level rather than risking clipping on an unseen transient.
 
Let's say there's these voc clips, and they're recorded about 20dB low.
One's a verse, kind'a even, you normalize it. Then you normalize this next clip but it has this "woop-!" about ten' over the norm. Hmm, still low. Ok add some more 'trim somewhere else.

Seems like gain based on the abnorm' ;)
 
Yup. Normalising just finds the highest point in the whole track--even the briefest transient--and puts that at the level you've specified without any change at all to the dynamic range. It's no more or less than just pushing a fader up except you know you're protected against missing that one transient and pushing it into clipping.

However, that's why I mention mainly using normalise AFTER dynamics processing, basically as make up gain but, again, with the protection of knowing the highest level won't exceed a preset point. You could certainly mix without normalising but, as I said, it's just a personal preference to get all my tracks to a known starting point.

Normalising is just one of many tools in your kit. Use it or don't depending on what suits you--but don't reject it because of some myths about it messing up your sound or something.
 
Normalising is just one of many tools in your kit. Use it or don't depending on what suits you--but don't reject it because of some myths about it messing up your sound or something.

I actually never had any proof it messed up the sound, but I suppose that I thought that why add another step that was not necessary. I have had digital recording for a lot of years so maybe the early software was not as good at the normalising process and I had that in the back of my mind LOL.

Alan.
 
I first encountered a normalise option way back when I installed the brave new world of Cool Edit 96. I had a play to work out what it did, though, "Ooo, this could be useful" and have been using it ever since. I actually took my home use of normalise back into work a year or two later when we moved from a hardware-based DAR Sound Station to ProTools (yuck!). Never had a problem.
 
I use normalise regularly but usually in conjuction with dynamics processing. In effect I'm just using the normalise function to provide "make up gain" rather than letting the compressor do it in a single step--no particular reason, I just find it works for me.

Perhaps I'm a bit OCD but I like to get track levels to a point where, while mixing, I'm working the faders in the most linear point of their range rather than having some pushed way up and others turned way down.

I've never found normalising messes anything up but neither does it perform any magic. As said above, it's like pushing the fader up except that you can preset the maximum level rather than risking clipping on an unseen transient.

That's where I use 'normalize' too. Often when I'm mixing some vocal backing tracks, they've been recorded at an average level significantly lower than the instrument tracks. Usually this is because I have been singing the tracks at a lower level, as backing tracks, and also because my mic set up is in the next room from the computer and interface. I normalize each of these low-level tracks individually, so that when automating and/or working the sliders these tracks aren't maxed out while the instrument tracks are down at the bottom.
 
I actually never had any proof it messed up the sound, but I suppose that I thought that why add another step that was not necessary. I have had digital recording for a lot of years so maybe the early software was not as good at the normalising process and I had that in the back of my mind LOL.

Alan.


Normalizing, in theory, will not mess up your files. As stated above, it just turns the overall volume of the file up a consistent amount.

That being said, if the software you're using is badly written, it's possible that it could have undocumented effects. I'd do some research on the specific normalizing software you're working with to make sure that it doesn't have a reputation for normalizing inconsistently, introducing artifacts, or otherwise corrupting your data. If you can't find any specific instances of the software you're using breaking things, I wouldn't worry about it.
 
Okay, here's a normalising experiment to prove what a boring, sad old git I am on a Sunday afternoon waiting for the Grand Prix to start at 2130 our time.

Here's a short segment of a commercial CD ripped into Adobe Audition and saved as 192kHz MP3: MONEY

Here's the same the same CD rip after it's been normalised down and up 50 times: MONEY PLUS 50

If you can hear the slightest difference, you have better ears than me! (And I was listening to the original wave files.)

Now, that's just Audition but I can't imagine any reputable DAW that does anything more than move levels up or down on normalise.
 
Back
Top