Hi Everybody

I've uploaded Mp3 for my original cd's

When I run MP3 Gain & Analize them they show clipping.

I have the target volume set at 89db as recommended.

Is it showing Clipping because they are recorded at a higher volume than 89db or because there is ACTUAL clipping?

If you only hit "Analyze", it doesn't do anything with the mp3 (except of writing the APE tag containing the gain/peak data). Most loud-mastered (or better clippressed) cds hit the -0dB, the highest peak possible in CD resolution (16-bit fixed), far often. The lossy modification done by encoding to mp3 does slightly change the amplitude and because of this "quantization errors" the peaks are getting higher than they were before. Just Apply MP3Gain and the clipping will be gone, because the MP3 format can store information above -0dB. It doesn't clip while encoding, but while decoding. Making the mp3 quiter with mp3gain does also reduce the highest peak, so it will then (most likely) be below -0dB.

Will using fb2k dsp - advanced limiter - help in this respect? Does this clipping affect adversely any amp/speakers? Sorry if they are noob questions.

Yes, it should help - but it's not the same as reducing gain with replay/mp3-gain. You are hard-limiting, which means it doesn't clip, but the peaks are reduced to stay at -0dB -- overdoing this can have a bad impact on quality, too.

Ok - maybe i need to reword it

I've uploaded cds etc & when i do an album analysis (set at 89db) anything over 89db shows clipping

Is that because its telling me my files are over 89db? (which will be dealt with one i change it to 89db or is it because there is ACTUAL clipping on the original uploeads (if so how?)

Hope that makes more sense!

So, to clarify this a bit, I made a screenshot.


Your tracks are only ACTUALLY clipping if there is a red 'Y' under the 'clipping' column. The 'MAX Noclip Gain' column shows the maximum gain change possible before it clips. If it's minus-signed, that means that it clips and that the gain needs to be REDUCED to avoid clipping while decoding. If it's plus-signed, that means gain can be INCREASED to the given amount without introducing clipping. (Well and if it's 0 it is at the maximum gain without clipping.)
The 'Y' under clip(track) and clip(album) shows whether the track will be clipping after Applying track/album gain.

As I said there can be clipping in your 'uploads' (whatever that'll mean...) but this results from encoding. It's the case if there's a 'Y' under the 'clipping' column. In this case, just gain to Max Noclip Gain or below (will most likely be below if gaining to 89dB) and the clipping will be gone. Note however that if your mp3's are extensively clipping (like the first album on my screenshot, that something must be wrong with your recordings -- they're simply too overcompressed. A Max Noclip Gain of -1.5dB can be normal after encoding, but if it's 3 or even more than it's most likely that your recording is heavily overcompressed.

Hi Gasmann,

Thanks for replying.

If the problem is in the encoding, what settings do you recommend?

Iam using CDex and using Lame on alt-prest-insane.

Just reduce gain after encoding and the clipping will be gone. You don't need to change encoder settings, it will always clip with some tracks. This is not a bad thing as it can be perfectly undone by mp3gain.