Current mp3gain alternatives for reducing clipping?, Clipping determined to have been caused by iTunes equalizer. Options

[BrownNote80]

Hi All,

First time poster, long time reader.
I've been using mp3gain for years, and I basically just want to know if there are any modern equivalents or alternatives to reduce clipping in mp3 files. This is all that I use mp3gain for. I do not use it to make all tracks or albums the same volume. I actually prefer there to be volume differences between songs and albums.

I'm surprised that "clipping" is not a more-discussed issue among all music listeners, not just audiophiles. I have countless examples of songs that, during their regular volume, even at 320 kbps, produce distortion that to my ears is unbearable. Like a fuzzy crackle whenever the levels push through the ceiling. After applying mp3gain to bring below the clipping level, these tracks sound perfect to my ears, and the clipping is totally eliminated. I can't imagine not lowering the gain on most tracks, and I guess that is why I'm surprised that there are not a plethora of programs that try to address it.

Anyway, mp3gain does what I need, which is "apply constant gain". I don't necessarily need track/album gain, target volume, or max-no-clip. I just like to be able to manually reduce tracks by a few decibels to eliminate clipping. Basically, my question is:

- Are there any other programs that do the same thing (i.e. reversible process to apply constant, custom gain reductions without loss in audio quality)? Are there any where the focus is removing clipping rather than equalizing volumes? I guess this is an odd thing to ask since mp3gain serves my purpose, but I can't help but think that this program is old, and support for it has run out. Surely there must be something equivalent that's more current? I've tried many recommended alternatives, but none of them seem to satisfy my needs - they're either way overboard (too many features I don't need), or they are missing key features. I'm also looking for a Mac equivalent, but none of the current Mac mp3gain ports have all of the following:
- Reversible
- Can analyze for clipping
- No loss in audio quality
- Can apply custom, constant gain changes to files/albums

Sorry for the long post, and many thanks for any help.

This post has been edited by BrownNote80: Dec 18 2012, 05:12

[greynol]

Try EQ-ing in such a way that none of the sliders are above 0dB. You might get the same result by adjusting the preamp control downward.