EAC question and using normalize function!!! POLL inside....

[Sundog]

OK, I am finally using EAC w/Lame.

I just wanted to kmow how many people use the normalize function and any comments you have good or bad about using that function.

Thanks...


Edit: Please list/post why you do or do not use the normailize function!

 

[joinT]

I don't use it because EAC does a perfect job of ripping & any minor volume variations would be in the source already.
I believe (tho not 100% sure, I'd ask Workin') that it's the encoding to MP3 that creates poor volume settings/results.

 

[Workin']

I don't typically normalize because if you are ripping from an audio CD all the volume variation from track-to-track is how the producer intended. As far as CD-to-CD volume variation it's not usually that large and I would rather leave it as the original producer intended.

 

[Sundog]

Originally posted by: Workin'
I don't typically normalize because if you are ripping from an audio CD all the volume variation from track-to-track is how the producer intended. As far as CD-to-CD volume variation it's not usually that large and I would rather leave it as the original producer intended.

What if I left the high at 100, and the low at 85% (this is for many types of music spanning about 400 CDs). When I make a compliation CD would this the leave the louder songs alone but boost up the really quite ones (so that I do not constantly have to fiddle with the volume in the car).

Thanks....

 

[mk]

Normalizing WAV's before encoding is generally a bad idea. By doing that you can pretty much only degrade the sound quality of your MP3's (though it might be only barely audible).

It would be a much better idea to normalize the volume of your MP3's with MP3Gain instead.

 

[Workin']

MP3Gain might be a better way, I've never tried it but it claims to be able to do a smarter job of normalizing than the peak normalization that EAC will perform. The problem with peak normalization is that it makes your quiet acoustic songs have the same peak levels as your rap metal songs, so you still will be reaching for the volume knob. MP3Gain supposedly does what you would expect would happen, i.e., make them all sound appropriately loud. If you try it let us know how it works, or maybe if Mk4 has tried it he could post his experience.

 

[Sundog]

I will give it a try....I am just ripping everything into .wav files first!!!!

EAC and SCSI!