MP3Gain - getting overall library averages Options

[BFG]

I have a quick MP3Gain question, for those familiar with the tool.
I know how to use Track Analysis, Album Analysis, etc. to get overall "sounds like" decibel levels for a given track or album.

But I'm interested in seeing what the overall "sounds like" level for my entire pre-ReplayGain library is. The only way I know to do that is to copy my entire collection into a single folder, treat it as an album, and do an Album Analysis. Is there a quicker way?

(I'm doing this because, rather than using the recommended dB levels of 83 or 89, I'd simply like to move everything to the "average" for my collection.)

[DVDdoug]

(I'm doing this because, rather than using the recommended dB levels of 83 or 89, I'd simply like to move everything to the "average" for my collection.)

Hear's another issue...

Many/most of your files are likely normalzed (0dB peaks), including many of your quieter-sounding files. If you boost these files in order to bring them up to average, they will clip (distort).

Since you can't boost all of your quiet-sounding files (without clipping), you can only match volumes by reducing the volume of most songs, and your average will (probably) be lower after applying MP3gain. That's just the nature of loudness perception and digital files...

The 89dB level means that most songs can be volume-matched without clipping, but you may still have a few songs that can't be matched without clipping. (MP3gain gives you the option of allowing clipping, or boosting as much as possible without clipping.)

In theory, you could scan your collection and find the "ideal setting" for your files. But, there is a good chance that your ideal level would be less than 89dB, and if you add a song everything might change and your ideal level might go lower.