The thing I'm trying to say is: normalization won't make the low parts higher and the high parts lower, it's just turning up or down the volume of EVERYTHING by the same amount. You would get the same effect by turning your speakers up or down.k o star wrote:Thanks Wes...
Thanks for the link Mazz...
Looks pretty technical... em
If Normalization helps to even out a drastically dynamic piece so that the softest & the loudest parts are closer... then... it might be useful if I'm tryna achieve leveling a dynamic piece I think?
Cos... after bouncing out a track, I open it in another system & bring down the highest peak vol to -3db...
& the problem I faced before was that when I do that, the softest part of the cue becomes way too soft...
Correct me if I'm wrong but this might serve a purpose with what I'm tryna achieve...
First, I normalize the track... so all parts are evenly close to 0db...
Then I open it in an Audio editor & bring the highest part down to -3db...
Would that be a good method? compared to drawing all the soft levels up in Logic...
Would I be messing up my mixes with this method?
Is there a better way to even the levels of an extremely dynamic piece?
K
Compression is what you need to use. By the nature of it's name, it compresses the dynamic range. It was originally designed for radio to keep stations from overmodulating the signal and interfering with stations on the next band over and also for vinyl because too much dynamic range would affect the phonograph's ability to play back the record and could actually make the needle jump out of the groove.
Another way to do it would be "fader riding" or drawing up the levels in Logic, and yes, you'd be messing with your mixes for sure. If you would be messing them up is really up to you and what you intend to achieve with your music.
With 24 bit recording, normalization isn't really all that necessary and I certainly wouldn't normalize every track, it's just not necessary. Have you heard a normalized orchestral bell (glockenspiel) track? It'll tear your head off!! It already cuts through the mix!!
Your music often sounds over compressed probably because that's the aesthetic you're used to from hard rock music. If you left Ozone off while you were mixing and only put it on at the end, you might have some revelations on dynamic range that you aren't getting because Ozone is already working against you on some of the more dynamic passages. It's very tempting to do loudness maximizing, etc. on stuff because it really puts it in your face and sounds cool right away. But listen closely to some film scores and you'll hear more depth and hugeness even from the soft stuff, partly because of the orchestration and partly because of the natural acoustic depth created just by the front to back distances in an orchestral layout. Let the music breathe and allow the audience to come to you. Imagine the audience leaning in instead of being pushed back by the energy of the sound.
Normalization isn't really necessary these days.
Mazz
