Topic: Soundforge question - SBD Mastering

[jctibbitts]

I did a recording saturday:

sbd > ua-5 (wmod) > jb3

i had the levels a little low the ua-5 out to the jb3 and i could use a little 'beef up'  on the wav file.

i did a 'normalize' on soundforge 7, but really don't know the parameters i should do.  will that fuck up the validity of the recording?  is there an editing tool that can just 'beef up' the highs and lows?

thanks in advance

[F.O.Bean]

im looking at it now, select the music you want to "normalize", the just go to processes, then go to normalize, make sure it is set at 100% (0db)make sure its set to "peak level", and not "rms level", which will bring the average level up to (0db), so just leave most be and make sure its at 100%, level, and your good to go

you can even do a scan in the bottom left if desired

bean

[jctibbitts]

bean...thanks +t

so normalize is the only feature i want to use?  it won't screw up the accuracy of the recording, just boosts the levels?  i have never used my soundforge before, but this show is too good to have these levels so low

thanks man

[joemango]

The only time normalization will "foul" your sound is when you use the RMS option.  That mode actually applies compression to the sound on a dynamic basis, which can sound good, but not always.

Otherwise (using peak level) it simply scales the waveform so that the highest peak moves to 0dB (or whatever you set it to).   It essentially does EXACTLY what DarkstarJedi says to do, but automated.

The only time I ever use RMS normalize is when I've got a so-so recording that I otherwise would not listen to, save for the fact that it's my only copy.

[dklein]

I don't think RMS has anything to do with compression.  It stands for Root Mean Square, and is a statistical method.

Where you might get some compression is if you boost the levels such that the peaks will go over 0dB (and in the digital domain, can't).  So you hit the limit on the loud stuff but still raise the level on the low stuff - that would be a primitive type of compression.

Anyways, normalizing to peaks is what you're after if you don't want mess up the sound.