What is a simple way to normaliz? My songs are weak in volume

[MCI2424]

I guess I'm a newbie (although I feel old), and I have what is probably a very common question.

How do I normalize? I'm using guitar tracks pro to make my songs. I'm satisfied with most aspects of the recording process and getting some good sounds, but when I mix down to MP3 the songs are not nearly as loud as stuff on the radio or other guys recording. I have to turn up the volume.

Anyway. Simple question: How does one normalize after mixing?

YOU DON"T WANT TO NORMALIZE IF YOU WANT YOUR MIXES TO SOUND LIKE THIS.

Go back to your mix and get rid of the fast transients you can't see on the meters. Peak limiting is great for percussive sounds as well as compression to make instruments sit in the mix. It is all in the mix. Once you get it right, your CD should have a good healthy volume. I look at transeferring mixes to CD or MP3 as 50% art (like anything else I guess). Just throwing a mix done wrong on a CD or MP3 gets volume trouble everytime. I get this question all the time because people I record play my CDs at the volume they usually play their CDs and mine seem to blast them but good.

 

[IloveJesus]

See, finally a mature real answer.

Maybe that's a sign of a successful sound engineer?

Thanks, man, but what are transients?

 

[noisedude]

Classic HR.com thread!!!! It's like Wikipedia, where the truth isn't based on facts but on what the majority of uninformed people believe!!

Good post by Acorec or whoever he is, but as usual pay plenty of attention to the 4 or more other professional recording/mastering engineers who have posted here.

If you're still in doubt, do a forum search on 'normalize' and read the hundreds of threads on why you're barking up the wrong tree with regards to the 'loudness' of your mixes.

Nik

 

[NL5]

sure you can.

.....and I CAN jab a butter knife in my eyeball too.....

 

[NL5]

See, finally a mature real answer.

Maybe that's a sign of a successful sound engineer?

?

I answered you question twice, and offered a better alternative to normalizing.....how immature of me.

 

[DavidK]

Classic HR.com thread!!!!

Indeed. If you will notice, I was the only one who answered the question

I normalize CDs for my car. I dont have a particularly good system, I'm not really interested in critical listening in the car, just some tunes.

 

[pipelineaudio]

to be fair his "simple question" as he stated was modified by the paragraph above it

 

[mixsit]

See, finally a mature real answer.

Maybe that's a sign of a successful sound engineer?

I answered you question twice, and offered a better alternative to normalizing.....how immature of me.

Yep, and that was two days ago and one might have presumed that had pretty much covered it.

 

[IloveJesus]

Yeah, I am a newbie, but I'm learning.

A lot of time people who are advanced don't realize their talking over the heads of newbies.


More importantly to me (than normalizing and levels) is writing a decent song.


I stink at that too.

 

[mixsit]

Yeah, I am a newbie, but I'm learning.

A lot of time people who are advanced don't realize their talking over the heads of newbies.


More importantly to me (than normalizing and levels) is writing a decent song.

It's all good.

 

[mixsit]

Comity for Abnormalization

Nero it has a tick box asking if I want to normalise the songs..

Oh man. This does not bode well for this campaign..

Next I guess will be those pop-ups that follow your mouse pointer around..
'Wan'na 'Normal? Wan'na 'Normal? "Click me "Click me

The very next phase

 

[noisedude]

Indeed. If you will notice, I was the only one who answered the question

I normalize CDs for my car. I dont have a particularly good system, I'm not really interested in critical listening in the car, just some tunes.

That's cool then because if you believe everything you read, Pipeline mixes on 6x9" speakers anyway.

You're basically his target audience, just with less metal and more violins.

 

[pipelineaudio]

if it doesnt sound good in a musclecar on Jensen 6X9's what difference does it make?

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

if it doesnt sound good in a musclecar on Jensen 6X9's what difference does it make?

Well, the coax I could see. But NOTHING sounds good on a triax.

G.

 

[noisedude]

if it doesnt sound good in a musclecar on Jensen 6X9's what difference does it make?

I like to sit in my car plugged into the auxiliary input on the stereo because my clients drive cheaper cars and it had jolly well better sound good on Ford stock speakers with rattling plastic grilles.

 

[pipelineaudio]

I like to sit in my car plugged into the auxiliary input on the stereo because my clients drive cheaper cars and it had jolly well better sound good on Ford stock speakers with rattling plastic grilles.

Guess what just got a LOT cheaper ? (Mostly because it for the most part just got a lot illegal, but hey)

http://www.mwpersons.com/Used-FM-Transmitters.html

Your very own FM transmitter for your console output

Won't get too much range, but itll be enough for your customers' cars.

 

[ofajen]

.....and I CAN jab a butter knife in my eyeball too.....

LOL.... Yeah, just make sure you do it as hard as possible without pushing the knife all the way into the skull cavity... you don't want to waste any bits!

Cheers,

Otto

 

[bigtoe]

i normalize at a pals place in wavelab for totally budget cds that won't master. sounds fine. masterlink - does not - wipes out the low end. why? no clue.

bliss,

Mike

 

[NL5]

i normalize at a pals place in wavelab for totally budget cds that won't master.

What does that even mean?

 

[IloveJesus]

I hereby discontinue this thread.

I'm not into it anymore.

I learned about levels a little more, and normalizing isn't on the ticket.

Plus, I found some really good loops I'm working on.


So, you are all dismissed. Thanks