Normalising......Good or bad?
 

Back in the day.....when I had just started out, I would automatically normalise any audio I was working with. Someone came along and told me that it was probably not a good idea (he had a very good, technical explanation, which I dont recall unfortunately).......All was good, until a friend of mine came over to do some audio editing and started reaching for the normalise function.

I immediately told him it wasn't good to normalise, and when he asked why, I couldn't explain myself. So I was just hoping someone out there could enlighten me as to the benefits of normalisation, and when/if it is necessary...

Thanks!

Jase

normalize destroyes all the dynamics of an audio.
if you want to do that normalize if you dont just leave it without.
i usualy normalize only audio loops which i want to squash so i normalize
just to get everything close to 0 and then compress the hell out of it.
but thats the only case i use normalizing.
the rest is just slight compression and haveyer when is needed.

I only will normalize on the mastering stage. I don't think normalizing takes away the dynamics of audio. It only will boost the highest level of the file to 0db. Compressing/limiting on the other hand does take away dynamics.

From what I have read, many mastering engineers will normalize before compression/limiting and eq. Whether all of them do this, I wouldn't have a clue.

Trying to limit a file that is -3db at the mastering stage so it renders at 0db (0db to match pro CD productions version of 0db) would be quite hard to do me thinks - not to mention killing dynamics completely.

Juho?

Thanks for the reply's,

I guess there are a few people out there a little unsure of what normalising actually does....... Im glad it is not just me! Im going to do a search and find out a little more...

Cheers,

Jase

Hang on, I thought you normalised your tracks together before you burnt it onto CD to get them all to the same level. I haven't used it yet but this is what I thought it was for.

Most professional Mastering Houses wil NEVER normalise - it is considered as the biggest taboo in mastering.

It does indeed mess with the dynamics of the track.

There is a good few articles that can be found on this subject at http://recording.org/modules.php?name=Forums.

Personally, I never normalise. I used to but I just make sure I get my recording levels correct or use compressors where you at least have control over the dynamics.

As Martynreid mentioned normalising should be avoided as long as possible because it changes the dynamics and causes aliasing and other stuff like that. You avoid normalising best by keeping recording levels suitable all the time. If you have to normalise all the time you should punch yourself and add some gain to your inputs.

If you mix well you don't need to normalise in any stage. Just do multiband and brickwall compression to the final mix and off you go.

Shit, well you learn something new everyday!

I will get the mix as close to zero db during recording and mixing, but I have always used normalizing at the mastering stage - I have always thought it was the less destructive option. Maybe the next master I'll tread carefully around it.

Hey Jasedee, you are studying this at school, what do they say about it there?

Also, why is there a normailze function at all then? If it is such a bad thing to do, why do all the latest packages have it as an option?

Unfortunately at school, we havent covered the software (or "home studio") side of audio engineering. We have mainly used Digital multi-tracks...........and big ol' analogue desks.

Next semester we go into the pro-tools room, so maybe we will cover it then...... but as I suspected, it looks like we should try not to reach for the "normalise" button.

Thanks everyone for the info!

Jase

This has really opened a can of worms for me though.

If anyone has some info/technical details of why we shouldn't be reaching for that button, I'd love to hear/read them. I'd really like to read how it does actually change the dynamics of audio.

That site that you placed a link Martyn seems very interesting, but a direct link to a thread there wouldn't go a stray. Although I have found some other interesting reads there.

By the way Martyn, you do seem to know your stuff on the technical side of things, how about linking us to a few of your tracks. I'd love to take a listen.