Your .02: Normalization.

lostnthesound

lostnthesound

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Thought I'd post this for discussion. Normalization: Do you use it and when is it best to use it/leave it alone?

I rarely touch it, but I've read some articles where producers speak of it as something they can't live without.

Cheers.
 
Sometimes,for instance when i record sample and it is to quiet,but i have tendency to normalize all my kicks and snares then send to to different channels and from there i control volume..i really don't know why i use that maybe for little bit louder sound,so i don't need to use volume maximizers...
 
^^^

when the sample is too quiet and the gain isnt enough.

normally leave it alone tho, just makes no sens to me. why dont use the gain? if you normalise ANYthing, you will have to turn it back down in context to the tune anyways, so why bother?
 
Generally i use this when i am layering kicks and snares,because i have more control over mix of those elements,and this helps me to "glue" them better..This method works fine for me:)
 
I'm against it normally, but you knew that because we work together.

---------- Post added at 20:24 ---------- Previous post was at 20:23 ----------

i see it as a "cheap" way to make something louder
 
Excellent. Thanks for the input all.

I was feeling that normalization is best suited for recording samples (i.e. from vinyl, instrument(s), etc.) and this just confirmed my belief.

Cheers.
 
Yes.

I'd just add that it's particularly useful if you record a sample at 24-bit 88.2Khz, normalize at 24-bit 88.2, then export at 16-bit. However, if you're producing in 24-bit it just goes back to what everyone's mentioned - you could just think of it as a standardization of sound sources so you don't have to get zany with gains.

I've heard that the higher quality of 24 vs 16 is only apparent at low volumes - so when I record vinyl DJ sets I feel confident now to give myself plenty of headroom cause I know that the higher bit depth will preserve details that may have been lost in a low-level 16-bit recording and it's better than accidently clipping.
 
Lucider said:
Yes.

I'd just add that it's particularly useful if you record a sample at 24-bit 88.2Khz, normalize at 24-bit 88.2, then export at 16-bit. However, if you're producing in 24-bit it just goes back to what everyone's mentioned - you could just think of it as a standardization of sound sources so you don't have to get zany with gains.

I've heard that the higher quality of 24 vs 16 is only apparent at low volumes - so when I record vinyl DJ sets I feel confident now to give myself plenty of headroom cause I know that the higher bit depth will preserve details that may have been lost in a low-level 16-bit recording and it's better than accidently clipping.
Click to expand...

You're spot on regarding recording live at 24bit@88.1, especially when it comes to capturing all the audio "nuances" when recording from vinyl–the extra headroom goes a long way especially when it comes time for post production.

You bring up an interesting point in that I've recorded live samples at the same ratio (24bit/88.1) but never thought to apply normalization when the sample was still in its raw 24/88 resolution, which makes perfect sense...and I feel like a bit of an arse for not "connecting the dots" earier. Thanks Lucider.

Cheers.
 
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