27-04-2003 00:29									#1
	Normalize MP3s. Support Apolyton, pre-order Civilization IV

I have audiocatalyst. Can someone tell me what I should do to normalize MP3s? I have to convert them to Wav. Then I have to choose something like 91%. Where exactly? In which window option of normalize?

Those who have used audiocatalyst, are you happy with its normalize feature? Would you suggest some other program?

Thanks.

	27-04-2003 00:29									#2
	Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

Audio Piracy.

	27-04-2003 00:30									#3
	Browse Apolyton AD-FREE

How do you know? Could be anything really. My own spectacular guitar ventures.

	27-04-2003 00:31									#4
	Remove this text

Besides there's a program, audiocatalyst, and I ask about a function of it. If I got more legal they'd have to close me in a monastery.

	27-04-2003 00:32									#5
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

you must be rather lame if you listen to your own music. Or immensly creative.

I am inclined to believe the former.

	27-04-2003 00:34									#6
	Get a bigger avatar today!

Shut up, Azael. Mr. Ethics.


I don't know the program. I know 128 is standard CD.

That's about all I know.

	27-04-2003 00:35									#7
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

That's ok.
Anyone knows something about what I asked I'd appreciate it.

	27-04-2003 00:36									#8
	Get a bigger avatar today!

quote: Originally posted by SlowwHand I don't know the program. I know 128 is standard CD.

Nice. I always wondered about that too but never got a clear answer. But I had never asked a Texan before.

	27-04-2003 00:37									#9
	Increase the size of your Attachments

Have you checked at maybe www.PCWorld.com ?
Maybe just at www.download.com ?

	27-04-2003 00:40									#10
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

Nope but I have acquired a full functioning version of Audiocatalyst. I'd like to see if it's any good and be sure as to how it works before I search for something else. But thanks for the links.

	27-04-2003 00:44									#11
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

I mean, just to see if any reading material available about the program itself.

	27-04-2003 00:44									#12
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

Sloww

	27-04-2003 00:49									#14
	Full PM-box? Change here!

quote: Originally posted by SlowwHand I mean, just to see if any reading material available about the program itself.

op, good thinking. I could check for the rating of the users.

download doesn't have it. pcworld does and it's sixth on the download chart of these kind of programs. I know how to normalize with audiocatalyst (it's in the help file), I just want to be 100% sure by someone who's done it sinc ethere are a couple of gray areas.

	27-04-2003 01:07									#15
	Get a bigger avatar today!

Normalizing changes the volume of the whole file based on what the loudest volume the file hits is. The more than 98% or less than 91% thing in Audiocatalyst means it will only normalize if the max volume is more than 98% of the loudest possible (in which case it will lower the overall volume of the mp3) or if the max volume is less than 91% (in which case it will raise the overall volume of the file).

There should be an option in audiocatalyst that will rip, normalize, and encode all at once. When I used to use the program (I don't now because it doesn't work with my system anymore) I would encode mp3s at 256 kbps with normalizing at the less than 93% or greater than 99%.

Click the normalize button and there should just be an option to turn it on. Then click the mp3 button and set the options there. Then select the tracks. Then click encode or go I think it is and you should be all good.

	27-04-2003 01:10									#16
	Get a bigger avatar today!

256? What are you, a dog?

Too much space expended.

	27-04-2003 01:15									#17
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

I've said it before and I'll say it again. When stuff is encoded at 128 it sounds like crap and you can hear the compression. Sometimes it's ok at 192 and sometimes you can still hear it. I encode at 256 so I know it sounds good with no treble distortion.

And space... nah, I've got hundreds of gigs to kill . I'm only at about 20 for music right now. I don't anticipate running out anytime soon.

	27-04-2003 01:18									#18
	Full PM-box? Change here!

Everything above 128 sounds the same to me. I can hear the compression if it gets lower than that, though.

	27-04-2003 01:18									#19
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

Hundreds? Hundreds?? What a hog.

	27-04-2003 01:21									#20
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

A hog dog!

	27-04-2003 04:09									#21
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

bustamike, there is also a window option which asks to which % it should normalize. Where should that setting be in your opinion?

and thanks.

	27-04-2003 04:33									#22
	Put an end to popups!

quote: Originally posted by ixnay Everything above 128 sounds the same to me. I can hear the compression if it gets lower than that, though.

Out of curiosity, what sound card/speakers do you have? I never used to notice the difference between 128/192 either, until I got a nice new set of speakers about a year ago, and ever since all my 128 MP3s sound a little bit "poppy", some more than others. I've taken to encoding at 192 ever since.

	27-04-2003 04:58									#23
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

why not use OGG vorbis? It has better quality than MP3 and is free. MP3 has cutoff at 16 OGG has cutoff at around 18. I might use AAC if Dolby used different policy for its using. So my format isn't designed. Well OGG is currently best choice.

http://dspguru.doom9.net/
IIRC Nero burning ROM had normalise option.

Ogg -q6 to -q10 has nice sound. BTW I have listeneble files encoded at 72 kHz and reasonably nice are at 92 kHz.

	27-04-2003 11:26									#24
	Full PM-box? Change here!

until recently, ogg vorbis wasn't as widely accepted as a standard as mp3 was... hence, most people have either not heard of it or just not used it.

it's nice, i admit-- i like it. but most websites where musicians upload music accept only mp3s, not ogg, and quite a few portable devices made before this year don't have ogg capability.

	28-04-2003 03:43									#25
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

quote: Originally posted by paiktis22 bustamike, there is also a window option which asks to which % it should normalize. Where should that setting be in your opinion? and thanks.

Probably 97 or 98. It's really not terribly important. I don't use it when I encode anymore. It's only an option in the first place because some CD's (mostly older stuff) are noticeably lower in volume than some other CD's.

quote: A hog dog!

Is that good or bad?

I've noticed that it is much harder to tell the difference in compression on crappy speakers, but that's cause everything sounds bad on crappy speakers. Currently I have a Soundblaster Audigy 2 Platinum plugged into a relatively powerful amp with 5.1 speakers so my setup is pretty choice.

	28-04-2003 03:44									#26
	Inflate your Upload Space

ok bustamike, thank you very much

	01-05-2003 00:10									#27
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

BUMP!

Bustamike, I normalized with audiocatalyst using the option to normalize if outside the 91%-99% range. Some of the songs were still noticeably lower in volume than the others


This time I will try to normalize all of them at say, 95% or 100% to see if I get better results.


Also I read somewhere that there is some degradation of the audiofiles if you normalize them (since they are re-encoded). Is that so much as to be of concern?


Again thanks

	01-05-2003 00:28									#28
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

Does anyone know of a program to normalize already existing MP3's prior to burning a digital CD. I've found that some of the MP3's from my CD's are at different levels (some are quite low for listening with headphones). Since I didnt change any controls I'm kinda at a loss to explain it. I'd like to just normalize a batch prior to burning the disc. It sound like audiocatalyst might do it but its a "Real" product and I'm boycotting them (they dont seem to have noticed though) .

EDIT: I should mention that I have all the software to normalize them by converting them back to wavs first. I found a freeware program that said it would do what I want so we'll see. So has anyone tried this.

Last edited by SpencerH on 01-05-2003 at 00:36

	01-05-2003 00:31									#29
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

Spencer, good question I have the same question too.

Now I tried to normalize MP3s using Nero's option but the result was dissapointing: the MP3s actually got louder (as I wanted them too) but the quality was reduced by half. (from 160 to 86 or so)

	01-05-2003 00:32									#30
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

Oh and audiocatalyst does not normalize MP3s. You have to convert them to WAV first. (And BTW winamp I think is one of the best programs to do that for you).