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Topic: MP3 Normalizers (Read 18402 times) previous topic - next topic
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MP3 Normalizers

Can someone suggest a good MP3 normalizer with a link?
I tried downloading MP3 Doctor 5.0.4.e but it won't download.
Thanks

MP3 Normalizers

Reply #1 –
Why do you need to normalize your MP3's?

It is a bad idea for almost any normal use. You might want to look into ReplayGain/MP3Gain instead.

MP3 Normalizers

Reply #3 –
Quote
Why do you need to normalize your MP3's?

It is a bad idea for almost any normal use. You might want to look into ReplayGain/MP3Gain instead.

why is normalizing mp3s a bad idea?

how is this different then replaygain/mp3gain

MP3 Normalizers

Reply #4 –
Quote
why is normalizing mp3s a bad idea?

how is this different then replaygain/mp3gain

Replay Gain doesn't just scan for peaks like normalization does. Check this page to see all the calculations it does. After analyzing each file, Replay Gain changes the volume of the file so that the perceived volume of each file is the same.

Here's why normalizing doesn't work well for the task of making each file sound equally loud.

MP3 Normalizers

Reply #5 –
Does anyone know wether the Sound Check feature in iTunes does normalisation or is based on replaygain?

It reports a +/- dB figure for each track. Can I just compare this with a value generated by a normalisation program and replaygain or is there more to it?

MP3 Normalizers

Reply #6 –
Quote
I tried downloading MP3 Doctor 5.0.4.e but it won't download.
Thanks

I'm so sorry for digging up an ancient thread, but I could not resist after reading the MP3 Doctor website
That's definitely another way to define volume normalization..

Quote
Mp3 Doctor, on the contrary, makes the volume of a Mp3 to become excellent, so that none of its parts have low volume It is really amazing , to hear how the Mp3 Doctor is capable of harmonizing the volume of every part of a Mp3 .

What is more, it is possible many times, to identify sounds or instruments that without it, had been unnoticed to the human hearing .

MP3 Normalizers

Reply #7 –
Quote
Quote
I tried downloading MP3 Doctor 5.0.4.e but it won't download.
Thanks

I'm so sorry for digging up an ancient thread, but I could not resist after reading the MP3 Doctor website
That's definitely another way to define volume normalization..

Quote
Mp3 Doctor, on the contrary, makes the volume of a Mp3 to become excellent, so that none of its parts have low volume It is really amazing , to hear how the Mp3 Doctor is capable of harmonizing the volume of every part of a Mp3 .

What is more, it is possible many times, to identify sounds or instruments that without it, had been unnoticed to the human hearing .

I think thats just dynamic compression and regular normalization.  Could be wrong though.  You're welcome to download that thing, but based on the site i don't really want to touch it 

MP3 Normalizers

Reply #8 –
I just want all my 3000 files fixed so that when I burn a CD to listen to in the car the volumes aren't all different and most of the time they are drastically different. MP3 Doctor appears (according to them and the website) to be better than MP3Gain, because not only does it normalize all the different files, but it preserves/normalizes the volume dynamics within each individual song. But I have no idea which is better, therefore...

Has anyone used both MP3 Doctor and MP3Gain? Noticed which one is better quality? I'm trying to decide which to use. Thanks

MP3 Normalizers

Reply #9 –
Quote from: scarface7810 on
I just want all my 3000 files fixed so that when I burn a CD to listen to in the car the volumes aren't all different and most of the time they are drastically different.


Then you want to use some form of Replaygain.

Quote
MP3 Doctor appears (according to them and the website) to be better than MP3Gain, because not only does it normalize all the different files, but it preserves/normalizes the volume dynamics within each individual song.


Replaygain does that as well.  Have you looked at the replaygain website?  All of this is explained there.

Quote
Has anyone used both MP3 Doctor and MP3Gain? Noticed which one is better quality? I'm trying to decide which to use. Thanks


I'm not sure what you mean by quality.  They're just adjusting volume.  There is no quality involved; either it works or it does not.  Replaygain does work for what you want.  MP3 Doctor may or may not, since we don't know what it does.  However, given that they repeatidly say that it normalizes, I would guess that it will probably not work correctly.  YMMV.

MP3 Normalizers

Reply #10 –
No idea about that Doctor thing, but mp3gain does exactly what you need.

MP3 Normalizers

Reply #11 –
Quote from: sony666 on
No idea about that Doctor thing, but mp3gain does exactly what you need.

I'll second that, though my Beatles albums still sound louder to me than the rest of my collection.

MP3 Normalizers

Reply #12 –
Beatles albums are.. special. A lot of it is mono or fake stereo and sounds weird by todays standards  I can only guess that confused the algorithm.

Replaygain was a little off for me, too a few times, mostly with older albums that are a little "dull".

For modern rock music with values around -10dB it is spot on though.

I remember one song where it was totally off (at least for my voulme perception, it was a Sisters of Mercy track...  "1959" I think)  Had to reduce it by another 4 dB manually or it would hurt my ears with headphones.

But dont worry OP, mp3/replaygain is a wonderful gift that will enhance your life considerably.

MP3 Normalizers

Reply #13 –
Quote from: sony666 on
Beatles albums are.. special. A lot of it is mono or fake stereo and sounds weird by todays standards  I can only guess that confused the algorithm.

I'm more a fan of their later material so I don't tracks being in mono is a problem.  Perhaps it's because the vocals are mixed louder than just about everything else I listen to?

MP3 Normalizers

Reply #14 –
Okay so mp3doctor is out, but I still have reservations about which is better, replaygain or mp3gain. After reading up on replaygain, it sounds as if it may not work the way I need it to. Replaygain uses tags to fix the volume and mp3gain changes the mp3 data itself. So, obviously if the mp3 data is changed itself, the volume changes will accompany each file no matter what player it is played on (but it's more risky than using tags). My concern is that since replaygain uses tags, the volume changes won't be recognized on say my aftermarket car stereo or my home theater dvd player, in which case, it defeats the purpose. So if I use replaygain to adjust all my mp3s, will my mp3 discs play on my (or any other) car stereo with the proper volume adjustments, or will it only work on certain portable players and stereos? The mp3gain way seems more universal??????????????

MP3 Normalizers

Reply #15 –
Quote from: scarface7810 on
Okay so mp3doctor is out, but I still have reservations about which is better, replaygain or mp3gain.


MP3gain is one of many programs that implement the Replaygain standard.

Quote
After reading up on replaygain, it sounds as if it may not work the way I need it to. Replaygain uses tags to fix the volume and mp3gain changes the mp3 data itself. So, obviously if the mp3 data is changed itself, the volume changes will accompany each file no matter what player it is played on (but it's more risky than using tags). My concern is that since replaygain uses tags, the volume changes won't be recognized on say my aftermarket car stereo or my home theater dvd player, in which case, it defeats the purpose. So if I use replaygain to adjust all my mp3s, will my mp3 discs play on my (or any other) car stereo with the proper volume adjustments, or will it only work on certain portable players and stereos? The mp3gain way seems more universal??????????????


Are you burning MP3 CDs, or standard Audio CDs?  If the former, you should use Mp3gain.  If the latter, you probably want to burn your files with a replaygain aware program.  I recommend using foobar2000 since it can replaygain files, and then use tags to burn them.  You could also use mp3gain and then burn off of the mp3 files, but that would involve more steps and be slower.

MP3 Normalizers

Reply #16 –
Quote from: SometimesWarrior on
Replay Gain doesn't just scan for peaks like normalization does. Check this page to see all the calculations it does. After analyzing each file, Replay Gain changes the volume of the file so that the perceived volume of each file is the same.

Here's why normalizing doesn't work well for the task of making each file sound equally loud.



If I have an MP3 recording some speech (like that of a group of people in a meeting) then would normalization would compress the peaks with the result of making it more intelligible?

Hmmm, maybe what I should be asking about is an MP3 audio compression tool?  I'm sure many audio purists would never ever use compression on music but maybe on making speech more intelligible they might let me off!  :-)

MP3 Normalizers

Reply #17 –
I want it to work universally. In other words I want the mp3 files, or wav files to have the volume correction no matter how they are played. Wired from my computer straight to my stereo receiver (without the iTunes sound check on), or on burned mp3 discs, or on regular wav discs.

MP3 Normalizers

Reply #18 –
When Mp3gain and replaygain will increase or decrease the volume in all the file the normalizer will make some points more or less loudest  depending of your adjust.
Sorry for my bad english.

MP3 Normalizers

Reply #19 –
Quote from: moonshot on
If I have an MP3 recording some speech (like that of a group of people in a meeting) then would normalization would compress the peaks with the result of making it more intelligible?

Hmmm, maybe what I should be asking about is an MP3 audio compression tool?  I'm sure many audio purists would never ever use compression on music but maybe on making speech more intelligible they might let me off!  :-)

Normalisation is linear, as far as I know. It merely scales the volume, with no dynamics compression. If you want to do dynamics compression on MP3 files, you're out of luck unless you uncompress to .wav, apply dynamics compression, and recompress to MP3. But nobody here would recommend that, I think.

---

http://www.mp3doctor.com/normalize.htm

<not sarcasm>Oh the horror! Dynamics compression! Transcoding! Resampling!</not sarcasm>

MP3 Normalizers

Reply #20 –
Quote from: scarface7810 on
I want it to work universally. In other words I want the mp3 files, or wav files to have the volume correction no matter how they are played.

Use MP3Gain. It's lossless, and the resulting files will work on any player. The only limitation is that the volume can only be changed in 1.5dB steps.

MP3 Normalizers

Reply #21 –
To cut off all these confusion, check this HA wiki page. It explains the similarity and difference between MP3Gain and other replaygaining techniques (e.g. foobar2000's).

MP3 Normalizers

Reply #22 –
I like using MP3Gain.
I just wish I could have more control over the amount of adjustment,
instead of everything being adjusted in 1.5db steps.
Like if I had two files, one analyzed @ 90.5 and another @ 92.6,
I could adjust the 90.5 by -1.5 and the 92.6 by -3.6,
thus making both files exactly 89.0.

MP3 Normalizers

Reply #23 –
Quote from: papadoc on
I like using MP3Gain.
I just wish I could have more control over the amount of adjustment,
instead of everything being adjusted in 1.5db steps.
Like if I had two files, one analyzed @ 90.5 and another @ 92.6,
I could adjust the 90.5 by -1.5 and the 92.6 by -3.6,
thus making both files exactly 89.0.

It can't happen.  The global gain adjustment is limited to 8 bits.

But honestly, is 1.5dB really too coarse or are you just looking for perfection?

I seriously doubt that you'll be able to hear the difference considering that it should be no more than 0.75dB.

MP3 Normalizers

Reply #24 –
I guess I'm just looking for perfection.
If a difference of 0.75dB is as close to it as I can get, then I'm happy with that.