Normalize to balance album?

E

EZWriter

New member
After rendering several songs what is the simplest way to assure they all have the same or similar volumes after being burned to a CD? Do you somehow 'normalize' all the 'masters?
 
Well, mastering isn't anything "simple."


But if you're main goal is to just get a consistent level across all of your final mixes, a limiter on the master and an eye on the master's RMS value will get you there.

I recommend using the K-Metering system for both mixing and mastering. Maybe someone with a bit more experience in mastering can chime in (ahem, MassiveMastering..)
 
I probably should have mentioned that normalizing just raises the highest peak to 0dBFS. It has nothing to do with consistent audio levels.

Most burning software can normalize audio. If you want consistency, RMS is what you should be focusing on.
 
d.bop said:
normalizing just raises the highest peak to 0dBFS. It has nothing to do with consistent audio levels.
Click to expand...

I thought normalizing meant adjusting the average volume of the tracks to make them sound coherent and smooth before putting them on a CD ?
 
Normalize just sets your highest peak in each song to the same level.
Provided you have no huge peaks and your songs are similar in construction then that should pretty well even out your album.
You can go into individual tracks long before you get to this stage and bring down your major peaks.
It works for me but I'm not into anything too complicated.
 
The JS crest factor meter in reaper and the master's RMS meter will help you a lot, theres a lot of info at bob katz's site on how to set it up
 
saads said:
I thought normalizing meant adjusting the average volume of the tracks to make them sound coherent and smooth before putting them on a CD ?
Click to expand...

No, not at all. Like d. bop and Jim lad said, normalize simply raises your highest peak.

The mastering process is what makes songs sound coherent, volume and other-wise.
 
pipelineaudio said:
The JS crest factor meter in reaper and the master's RMS meter will help you a lot, theres a lot of info at bob katz's site on how to set it up
Click to expand...

Thanks. Should I just google bob katz (funny I have a friend online with that exact real name but he's not into recording).?? Or is there a link here I missed in my newbieness?
 
d.bop said:
Well, mastering isn't anything "simple."


But if you're main goal is to just get a consistent level across all of your final mixes, a limiter on the master and an eye on the master's RMS value will get you there.

I recommend using the K-Metering system for both mixing and mastering. Maybe someone with a bit more experience in mastering can chime in (ahem, MassiveMastering..)
Click to expand...

Does one of the VST plugins in Reaper function as a limiter?
 
Yep! You can set up ReaComp as a brick wall limiter. Otherwise, there are quite a few JS limiters. I lean towards eventhorizon2, but there are a lot of others.

* Liteon/np1136peaklimiter
* LOSER/masterLimiter
* LOSER/MGA_JSLimiter
* LOSER/SP1LimiterJS
* Stillwell/eventhorizon
* Stillwell/eventhorizon2
* Utility/limiter


I'm know I'm missing a few. Just experiment and see which ones you like. :)
 
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