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Topic: Applying ReplayGain to existing FLACs (Read 4737 times) previous topic - next topic
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Applying ReplayGain to existing FLACs

Hi,

my first post here after a long time of lurking.

I ripped a lot of my CDs to FLAC, one file per track. Encoding was done either with EAC + FLAC or with FLAC frontend. I did not use ReplayGain (RG) on that occasion, but want to add RG now. Maybe I missed something obvious, but I can't find a way to add RG to existing FLAC files at all.

N.B.: The reason for not using RG in the first encoding was that I couldn't find a way to adjust the gain volume level from the standard 89 dB to, say, 92 dB SPL. FLAC frontend only has a switch to apply RG without additional adjustments (unlike e.g. WaveGain, which I used on another occasion). From what I read about FLAC's command line switches, it doesn't have an option for additional gain. But due to the miserable state of portable DAPs' output volumes (esp. in Europe), I need to adjust the values for louder output.

How could I accomplish this?

TIA
rbz

P.S.: I already thought about transcoding FLAC -> FLAC, but that way, I would lose my tags/comments/cover art into which I put a lot of work, wouldn't I? And I still couldn't alter the SPL.

Applying ReplayGain to existing FLACs

Reply #1
Install foobar2000.

Import FLAC library.

Select All

Right click > replaygain > scan tracks as albums by tags.

Apply scanned values.
lossyWAV -q X -a 4 -s h -A --feedback 2 --limit 15848 --scale 0.5 | FLAC -5 -e -p -b 512 -P=4096 -S- (having set foobar to output 24-bit PCM; scaling by 0.5 gives the ANS headroom to work)

Applying ReplayGain to existing FLACs

Reply #2
Thanks,

but will fb2k let me add an additional 2-3 dB gain? While still applying clipping prevention, of course (the way that WaveGain does it)?

rbz

Applying ReplayGain to existing FLACs

Reply #3
When you use WaveGain or MP3Gain, you are allowed to set the target gain because that's sort of a "final" state.

On the other hand, replaygain is a tag, and the tag is defined to be at a specific gain (the spec originally said 83, but soon it became 89).

Most players that support replaygain, allow to apply an extra gain to adjust to the user preferences.

In foobar2000, this is in "File->Preferences -> Playback", and adjusting the "with RG info".
In Winamp, this is in "Options->Preferences -> Playback -> Replaygain adjustments tab" and adjusting the "Replaygain preamp gain".
Other players might have the option as well.

Applying ReplayGain to existing FLACs

Reply #4

When you use WaveGain or MP3Gain, you are allowed to set the target gain because that's sort of a "final" state.

On the other hand, replaygain is a tag, and the tag is defined to be at a specific gain (the spec originally said 83, but soon it became 89).

Most players that support replaygain, allow to apply an extra gain to adjust to the user preferences.

In foobar2000, this is in "File->Preferences -> Playback", and adjusting the "with RG info".
In Winamp, this is in "Options->Preferences -> Playback -> Replaygain adjustments tab" and adjusting the "Replaygain preamp gain".
Other players might have the option as well.

So this is a playback only setting (apart from WaveGain/MP3Gain)?
Pity.
I don't quite understand how this can work on playback while still having clipping prevention. Do those programs parse the entire file and recalculate the gain before playing the track to prevent clipping or do they reduce the volume once clipping occurs?
In both cases I can't see how true album gain can work (unless the programs parse a complete set of files in advance as an 'album').