Topic: Soundforge 8- Add vol, then normalize?

[newplanet7]

Hello all.
I have aquired sf8 recently.
I haven't ever added or subtracted anything from my recordings.
So being a noob to post production I was wondering if adding volume and then normalizing is the way to go?
-todd

[JasonSobel]

Todd -
Normalizing is the same thing as adding gain.  Basically, what normalizing will do is look for the highest peak, then determine how much gain is needed to make that peak 0dB (or -0.5dB or whatever you set it to).  Then, that amount of gain is applyed to the whole file.  So you add as much gain as possible without pushing any peaks into clipping and without losing any dynamic range relative to what you started with.

[newplanet7]

So the adding volume feature is just for specific sections of a waveform?
Thanks for the reply jason.

[JasonSobel]

So the adding volume feature is just for specific sections of a waveform?
Thanks for the reply jason.

yeah, I assume its for adding gain to just a specific section.  or you could select the whole file and apply a set gain across the whole file.  which would achieve similar results as the normalize function.  but you just have to be careful not to push any peaks into clipping.  thats why normalize is nice, because it takes out the guesswork.

[StuStu]

So the adding volume feature is just for specific sections of a waveform?
Thanks for the reply jason.

yeah, I assume its for adding gain to just a specific section.  or you could select the whole file and apply a set gain across the whole file.  which would achieve similar results as the normalize function.  but you just have to be careful not to push any peaks into clipping.  thats why normalize is nice, because it takes out the guesswork.

Or if you opt to use volume instead of normalizing, you can go to tools>find>largest peak. If you play that section of your recording you can see what your highest peak is. 

[newplanet7]

Thanks mang!
Plus tizzle