Quote:
Originally Posted by roosterino  This is over my head. Had I skipped the normalization, and just boosted the volume via compressors and eq in mastering, are you saying that's different than boosting the volume through normalizing and then mastering it through the same compressors? Is it the extra step of saving the file? Is it something about the normalizing process? Do I lose something everytime I process and re-save the file (like with mp3's)? |
I was just nitpicking on the word "*exactly*" in dkatz42's post. :) There is a mathematical difference but it is extremely unlikely that this is audible.
The bit about saving the file has to do with how a lot of applications work internally. They often use floating point maths. Floating point formats have a mantissa and an exponent. 32 bit float uses a 24 bit mantissa and a 8 bit exponent. You can look at the mantissa as being the actual resolution of your audio and the exponent as being the level.
Thanks to this exponent figure, you can increase or lower the level of a signal by huge amounts (below and above 0 dBfs) without really affecting the resolution of the signal. (If my memory serves me right, 32 bit float gives you 1538 dB of dynamic range).
In the end, for the signal to actually be audible, it needs to go back to a 16 or 24 bit fixed point format for which all the usual rules apply (anything above 0 dBfs clips and anything too low disappears in the (dither) noise floor).
When working in these floating point applications, the intermediary steps will be kept in floating point formats. Hence the comment about saving the intermediary file in 24 bit.
Back on topic: It depends a bit on your set-up but most DAWs have various points where you can boost the level if needed. Also most plug-ins (if you use any) have output level controls which can be used to boost the signal. In light of this, it is unusual to need normalisation to get the signals at the right level.
Alistair