How To Use Mp3 Gain ?, 3 guides - normalization - maximizing Options

[westgroveg]

[*]MP3Gain now supports writing changes to ID3 tag so it is 100% lossless.

Maybe "completely reversible" is a better term than "100% lossless" which is slightly misleading in my opinion.

Well if you create a copy of an mp3 file, apply MP3Gain to the copy, then restore the gain values & compare the original file with the modified file they will be bit exact so yes the MP3Gain process is 100% lossless.

This post has been edited by westgroveg: Jan 24 2005, 07:30

[esa372]

I've got a (noob) question about the MP3Gain values...

If I use MP3Gain on a track (for example, Fiona Apple's A Mistake, from "When The Pawn..."), Foobar reports the Track Gain as "-0.030000" and the Album Gain as "-0.460000".

On the other hand, if I use ReplayGain on the same album/track, Foobar reports the Track Gain as "-6.10" and the Album Gain as "-6.45", yet both tracks yield the same volume level.



How can the numbers be so different and yet produce the same results?

Thanks in advance,

~esa

[kindofblue]

I have a couple of noob questions too.

1. How do you apply the maximum no clip gain via commandline?
2. How do you set the target gain at 92dB (instead of the default 89dB) via the commandline?

Appreciate any help. Thanks in advance.

kindofblue

edit: minor edits for clarity

This post has been edited by kindofblue: Feb 15 2005, 08:28

[RocknRoland]

Hi

I have been a user of mp3gain for a while but I know I haven't been using it to it's fullest potential.

I ran across this thread (the only one I have seen yet that gave any detailed instructions) and began reading to try to eliminate clips etc. The problem is there are instructions that doesn't pertain to the version I am using 1.2.5 (recently upgraded from 1.2.4) such as "radio analysis". I only have seen "album" and "track" on any versions I have used.

I had previously thought that some of my files that had a reading of "Y" under the clip(track) column could not be corrected. But since reading the earlier posts to this thread I now think differently.

Any guidance for eliminating clipping as mentioned before with the newer versions would be greatly appreciated.

A little background:

99.9% of my files are tracks that I have chosen (personal choice for "best ofs")
I always use the "apply track gain" @ a target level of 92 dB
Other than that it is at it's default settings.

TIA

This post has been edited by RocknRoland: Jun 26 2005, 02:18

[mazzie]

I am TRYING to get myself a copy of MP3 Gain and have tried downloading it 5 times now. I am unable to find it on my computer after download....where am I going wrong as even the computer can't find it.
I desperately need a program to ensure all my Iriver MP3's play at the same sound level as I'm fed up of having to adjust the volume all the time.
I'm running Win XP and use both iriver and Windows media player.
I've compiled a large selection of music from various sources and need to have them at the same general volume.....
Can someone please help....?????

[Squeller]

I am TRYING to get myself a copy of MP3 Gain and have tried downloading it 5 times now. I am unable to find it on my computer after download....where am I going wrong as even the computer can't find it.

You're pretty offtopic here if you don't know how your browser/os/computer works. You have alternatives like firefox, opera, wget, ....

This post has been edited by Squeller: Nov 6 2005, 11:56

[bleedlikeme]

Can somebody help me! I have no idea how to use this program but I want to normalize Pablo Honey and make it sound better. The guide is a bit outdated it is not?
I have version 1.2.5
Is there a how to use mp3gain for dummys guide around?
Thanks

[AnEnigma66]

It's a simple program, why don't you just read the help file?

[clintb]

I've got a (noob) question about the MP3Gain values...

If I use MP3Gain on a track (for example, Fiona Apple's A Mistake, from "When The Pawn..."), Foobar reports the Track Gain as "-0.030000" and the Album Gain as "-0.460000".

On the other hand, if I use ReplayGain on the same album/track, Foobar reports the Track Gain as "-6.10" and the Album Gain as "-6.45", yet both tracks yield the same volume level.



How can the numbers be so different and yet produce the same results?

Thanks in advance,

~esa

I don't have a definitive answer, but I *think* mp3gain has a limitiation of 1.5db increments and ReplayGain doesn't. I'm not sure if that would cause such a large gap in numbers. Thinking about it though, are the two using differnent scales of sorts? Percentage vs. decibel change, perhaps?

[DreamTactix291]

MP3Gain modifies the global gain field in each mp3 frame header so that's why it's limited to 1.5dB steps. Replaygain (in tag form) however just tells the Replaygain-aware decoder to attenuate the volume by that value.

[soundstory]

Hey everybody

I've all ways had the target vol set at 89, when i do an album analysis it shows anything over 89 as clipping

How is this possible when i'm reducing the volume?

[Gilgamesh577]

@ AreteOne: I'd like to add that when you normalize in step 3, or whenever you normalize a WAV for that matter, you lose data. It has to actually rescale the data, its like changing the resolution of a digital image in say Photoshop. There are roundoff errors. You should only normalize a file that is already MP3, where it can be lossless.

[Alex B]

If I use MP3Gain on a track (for example, Fiona Apple's A Mistake, from "When The Pawn..."), Foobar reports the Track Gain as "-0.030000" and the Album Gain as "-0.460000".

On the other hand, if I use ReplayGain on the same album/track, Foobar reports the Track Gain as "-6.10" and the Album Gain as "-6.45", yet both tracks yield the same volume level.



How can the numbers be so different and yet produce the same results?

I assume you used the default 89 dB target value in MP3Gain, correct?

If so, I think you are experiencing this:

MP3Gain fixed the file volume. It adjusted the volume -6 dB (four -1.5 dB steps) and wrote the new replay gain values to the file tags. These new tags are valid for the already changed file. A player can use the remaining very small correction value for making a precise final adjustment.

When you use only the Replay Gain analyzer foobar reports correctly different values because the measured file is the original unadjusted file.

Edit: The remaining negligible differences (0.07 & 0.01 dB) are caused by a bit different decoders or analyzers.

Edit again: Damn, I really didn't notice that Esa372's question was 18 months old. However, perhaps this answer is useful for someone.

This post has been edited by Alex B: Jul 10 2006, 02:35

[KarnEvil9]

On some albums I've used MP3Gain on, many of the tracks still show clipping after it's done. Is there a way to prevent that while still using Album Gain? I guess I could lower the target volume (I'm using the default), but is there something automatic, such as the Don't clip when doing Track Gain setting?

[Gilgamesh577]

Oh nice. Noone told me Mp3gain was going to modify all my MP3's whether I asked it to or not, just by doing track analysis. What a piece of crap. It changed all the modified dates, that alone is a disaster. I wanted to know how old each of my mp3's was.

Anyway, instead of that POS, I would now recommend MP3TrimPro, which can do about the same things but is more professional, as the name suggests. It doesn't alter any files at all until you tell it to. And it does work in batch mode, so you don't lose that feature.

This post has been edited by Gilgamesh577: Jul 11 2006, 18:03

[arpeggio]

Oh nice. Noone told me Mp3gain was going to modify all my MP3's whether I asked it to or not, just by doing track analysis. What a piece of crap. It changed all the modified dates, that alone is a disaster. I wanted to know how old each of my mp3's was.

This is not true. You'd better read the 114 posts before yours to learn exactly how Mp3Gain works.

As to the audio data, the actual audio data is not modified at all. The only thing that will be adjusted is the gain of the mp3 files so that they all have the same loudness without any quality loss.
The great advantage of this tool is that after the analysis it will store the adjustment in a tag within the file, so it can be brought back to the original level. The process is lossless, or better said reversible.

If you don't want Mp3Gain to change the file dates you should check the option "Preserve file date/time" in the Options menu.

[arpeggio]

.... but is there something automatic, such as the Don't clip when doing Track Gain setting?

Yes, there is. Checking the "Don't clip when doing Track Gain" option from the Options menu will work in Album Gain mode too.

[KarnEvil9]

.... but is there something automatic, such as the Don't clip when doing Track Gain setting?

Yes, there is. Checking the "Don't clip when doing Track Gain" option from the Options menu will work in Album Gain mode too.

It doesn't here. I've long had that checked, and still get some albums in which some if not most of the tracks show clipping after processing.

[arpeggio]

It doesn't here. I've long had that checked, and still get some albums in which some if not most of the tracks show clipping after processing.

Well maybe you might try the "Apply max no-clip gain for Album" option from the Modify Gain menu.

edit: You might find it informative to add a field called "Max Noclip Gain" to the Filelist window. Check the "Enable Maximizing Features" option from the Options / Advanced menu (you can disregard the warning message). This field will show the 'headroom' of the actual volume of each track before clipping or the how much it exceeds the level of clipping.

This post has been edited by arpeggio: Jul 11 2006, 21:08

[zipr]

Does anyone know if there's any way to know how much clipping there is in a file? I wonder how many of my mp3 files I've lowered in volume because of a tiny amount of clipping.

[arpeggio]

Does anyone know if there's any way to know how much clipping there is in a file?

Have a look at the edit in my previous post. Enable the "Max Noclip Gain" field in Mp3Gain filelist window. If a track is clipping this field will show a negative number. This represents the amount of clipping. The "clipping" field will also show "Y".

This post has been edited by arpeggio: Jul 11 2006, 22:40

[haregoo]

@KarnEvil9
Clipping was minimized by Album Gain(89.0db).
I recommend foobar 2000 replaygain scan after Album Gain to avoid slight clipping.

@zipr
Check the peak value of replaygain info if you use foobar2000 replaygain scanner.
If the value is greater than 1.000000, the mp3 is clipping.

This post has been edited by haregoo: Jul 11 2006, 21:43

[FormerlyDFox]

What about in MP3Gain 1.25, and you have a Y under Clipping and (Clip)Track, anyway to get rid of the Y for clipping, so that you no longer see it, and know that there is no longer any clipping?

THANKS

P.S. My bad I just lowered the target volume...

One other question all you do is just type in the Target Volume you want and it changes it after you type it, you don't need to run Track Analysis, or Track Gain? Because in 1.25 it seems like that's all I have to do...

It's odd the Help says to run the Track Analysis, or Track Gain after you've set the target volume, but when I do nothing happens with it, hmm strange, all I do is just change the volume and it works, hehe...



This post has been edited by DasFox: Nov 22 2008, 05:29

[twostar]

Hi everyone. Sorry to resurrect an old thread. Just a few quick questions.
1. Where is the Options\Each Folder Is Album in the latest version?
2. Is Options\Advanced\Enable Maximising Features still recommended? There's warning message not to enable it.
3. Are steps 7 and 8 still necessary with the latest version?
4. Should I just follow the help file? It recommends to leave the defaults and just steps 4, 5 and 6.

MP3-CD album-based MP3Gain adjustment for newbies

written by Shadow RD
« on: January 30, 2002, 03:44:40 PM »

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I made this list up for myself (yeah I'm a bit lame!) and I thought it may lessen questions to Snelg and help others in the process if I posted it:

------------------------------------------------------------
How To Perform Optimised Album-based MP3 Gain Adjustment For Multiple Albums of MP3s for putting onto MP3-CDs
------------------------------------------------------------

(1) Put MP3 files in sub-folders sorted by album

(2) Open MP3 Gain, adjust:
Options\Each Folder Is Album (tick)
Options\Add Subfolders (tick)
Options\Show Path\File (tick)
Options\Advanced\Performance (tick both boxes)
Options\Advanced\Enable Maximising Features (tick)

(3) Set Target "Normal" Volume to 89 dB (if not already)
- Using 89 dB for the target volume will probably ensure
that no clipping will happen even for older albums
with greater dynamic range
- if clipping does occur with 89 dB you will have to reduce
the value

(4) File\Add Folder - choose folder containing all the album
subfolders

(5) Analysis\Album Analysis - does MP3 Gain Analysis album
by album

(6) Modify Gain\Album Gain - normalizes the MP3 Gain of all
albums relative to each other and as close as possible
to 89 dB

(7) Order files by Max Noclip Gain column (first do Radio
Analysis if Replay Gain information is not there
anymore) and note smallest value in the column

(8) Modify Gain\Apply Constant Gain - select value noted in
(7) to increase files gain by (if this is 0.0 then do
not adjust volume)

------------------------------------------------------------
This should ensure that the MP3s of each album are of comparable loudness and that the overall volume level is optimised.

------------------------------------------------------------

[а.п.т.]

Hi everyone. Sorry to resurrect an old thread. Just a few quick questions.
1. Where is the Options\Each Folder Is Album in the latest version?
2. Is Options\Advanced\Enable Maximising Features still recommended? There's warning message not to enable it.
3. Are steps 7 and 8 still necessary with the latest version?
4. Should I just follow the help file? It recommends to leave the defaults and just steps 4, 5 and 6.

HI,

1 - It is on by default (or at least it works for me in this way)
2 - No, it's never been recommended, unless you want to prepare the album for burning on a CD
3 - No, because it (increasing of volume) compromise the RG idea. However, you can optionally tick "Options\Don't clip when doing Track Gain" in order to avoid clipping when you apply RG in Track mode (for example Various Artists albums, compilations etc.)
4 - Yes, I would recommend that.

BTW, in order to avoid accidental processing, you can activate "Options\Work on Selected files only" and then, between step 4 and 5 choose either "File\Select All Files" or manually select just desired albums (tracks).

This post has been edited by а.п.т.: Sep 25 2009, 10:34