Cool Edit and normalizing

[Larry Naramore]

What's the best setting for normalizing a compialation of songs so one song isn't loud and the next song isn't?

Thanks.

[mudbone]

Bumping.

I've been wondering the same thing.

mud-

[Sckott]

You would have to open and normalize each track. Easiest (and best) way is this:

1. Open song
2. Transform...Amplitude....Amplify.
3. See where it says Normalizaton? Hit the button that says "Calculate Now"

It will find a point for normalization without clipping ONCE. You will notice then under "Constant Amplification" both amplification levels will go up.

Now, don't do this so much to selections from the same album, especially if dynamics between songs go up or down. But if from different sources some songs are just too low, try it.

If you want to be analitical, you can choose to "Show Settings In dB." which will mean "without clipping" in the digital domain is 0.

[Grant]

It depends on which version of Cool Edit you have. Only the newer 2.1 Cool Edit Pro will allow you to automatically adjust the level of songs in a compilation (RMS).

Anyway, for the newer version, I would pick -12.00db for most comps. I don't mind a bit of limiting on extreme peaks. Cool Edit's Group Normalization feature will top out at 100%, or 0db, but after I run the GWN, I lower the volume by -.3db to ensure that some older or cheap CD player converter won't distort.

If I want to do some horrors, i'll do the RMS up to -9. or more to make it as loud as a commercial CD. A better way to do that is to use a compressor first, and then limit that. I only do this if a make a CD-R for someone and they want it loud.

The other method is to do a Sckott says and find the absolute peak of the loudest file and then normalize the rest of them to the same. This can also be done with the GWN, but you could also do this all by ear. The GWN algorhythn works very well in CEP 2.1. I use it almost exclusively.

BTW, guys, Adobe just bought Syntrillium Software. Unofficially, it is now Adobe Cool Edit.

[mudbone]

Originally posted by Grant

BTW, guys, Adobe just bought Syntrillium Software. Unofficially, it is now Adobe Cool Edit.

Great. Now I can make my songs into PDF files!

mud-:D

Thanks for the info, guys.

[Larry Naramore]

Thanks Grant and Sckott.

I'd of bet money that you two would reply.

Can't believe that Sckott beat you though Grant...

...were you cat napping?

[proufo]

Originally posted by Grant
BTW, guys, Adobe just bought Syntrillium Software. Unofficially, it is now Adobe Cool Edit.
What!!!!???

Next thing you'll know is Sony purchasing a Hollywood studio :laugh:

Good for the CE guys!! Hope they got a bundle.

[Grant]

Originally posted by Larry Naramore
Thanks Grant and Sckott.

I'd of bet money that you two would reply.

Can't believe that Sckott beat you though Grant...

...were you cat napping?

No, I was cleaning up record labels and cleaning up records, both in Adobe!

[Grant]

Originally posted by proufo

What!!!!???

Next thing you'll know is Sony purchasing a Hollywood studio :laugh:

Good for the CE guys!! Hope they got a bundle.

They already have one, Sony Pictures. But Sony did buy Sonic Foundry, makers of Sound Forge, Acid, and Video Factory last month.

[Sckott]

I STILL use 1.2 CEP just because it runs like buttah with very little to use in resources in the immediate fashion. Multi-track editing is also very quick....

The newer versions are great, but tend to be "chunky" in the front end. :(

[Grant]

Have you upgraded to 2.1?

[Sckott]

Yeah, I had it for a while, but I work real fast with CEP 1.2 for simple 2-track, and that's what I use it for mainly. I have a 1.13gHz machine, but 1.2 flies around with NO PROBLEM.

2.1 is really neat, but just a little too bulky in the source for my tastes, especially when I want things "right now".....

[JonUrban]

Originally posted by Grant


BTW, guys, Adobe just bought Syntrillium Software. Unofficially, it is now Adobe Cool Edit.


Hmmm, do you think they will raise the price along the way. Adobe is one of the few software companies that still has fairly high pricing on their stuff. I hope they keep the same people. CEP 21 is good stuff, and a GREAT value!!!

[Grant]

Originally posted by Sckott
Yeah, I had it for a while, but I work real fast with CEP 1.2 for simple 2-track, and that's what I use it for mainly. I have a 1.13gHz machine, but 1.2 flies around with NO PROBLEM.

2.1 is really neat, but just a little too bulky in the source for my tastes, especially when I want things "right now".....

Actually, that's why I keep CEP1.2 and Cool Edit 2000 loaded on my machine as well. My main work is done on 2.1, but I use 2000 for simple editing and complex de-clicking, and I really don't know why I keep 1.2 on there.

I have both SF 5.0 and 6.0, but I have no use for 5.0. I have DCArt32 on too, but haven't used it in three years. I guess I just like having every tool available for anything that may come up.

[Grant]

Originally posted by oblio98



Hmmm, do you think they will raise the price along the way. Adobe is one of the few software companies that still has fairly high pricing on their stuff. I hope they keep the same people. CEP 21 is good stuff, and a GREAT value!!!

I don't know about price, but I just hope Adobe realizes that a good chunk of their business comes from CE2k users.

As far as I can determine, all the same people are in place. I don't know if Bob Ellison is still involved in any capacity. He created Cool Edit.

[Sckott]

Is that the early version of DART? I remember a program called "Dart32" which was an EVIL tick and hiss remover, and did horrible things when you let it loose on a good sounding piece of vinyl. Holy smokes!

[Grant]

DART is a different company, but, yes, it is an earlier version of DCArt32. It didn't dither, and only worked in 16-bit. It did awful things to audio. Their new version suports 32-bit floating point and all else, but I can't find $99 bucks to buy it. I never cared for it's GUI.

[Grant]

BTW, a correction:

David Johnston created Cool Edit, not Bob Ellison. Bob is the president.

[rontokyo]

Getting back to normalization, you'll have to let your ear judge the appropriate level for some songs--especially ballads and the like--as normalization will boost some to inappropriate levels compared to other more rockin' songs.

[Grant]

Originally posted by rontokyo
Getting back to normalization, you'll have to let your ear judge the appropriate level for some songs--especially ballads and the like--as normalization will boost some to inappropriate levels compared to other more rockin' songs.

Not if you use the RMS normalizing, and the equal loudness contour! I never just normalize files.