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#551639 08/28/19 04:33 AM
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lambada Offline OP
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When I render a wav file with normalize mix switched on I get a render fail message. Without normalize, it seems to work fine and normalizing individual tracks is ok. Anyone else get this problem? (I've got the latest version etc).

Last edited by lambada; 08/28/19 04:35 AM.

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Are you referring to exporting with rendering?

I tend to export my files after I generate them to audio just as they are created. Back in the earlier days of using BB/RB there were some pretty thin waves created in some of the real tracks. I don't recall seeing anything weak and thin in quite a while.

However..... if I do happen to encounter a thin file, I always do the normalize in Sonar which is after the file has been created and imported. This way, it's only being normalized. One thing at a time.

I have done some render/export and normalize together and don't recall any sort of issues.

That's how I tend to work.

BTW: even some of the thin files seemed to work just fine in their thin state of being. I had the fader at a reasonable level, and after I normalized the file I had to pull it down..... so 6 of one, half a dozen of the other.


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I normalize each track first,then mix, then export as a stereo wav file, then open in RB again as a wav file, normalize the stereo file, apply MASTERMIX multiband compressor, export again and done.
You may need to normalize after using a compressor.


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Normalizing brings out disparate opinions. Some use and love it, but some purists despise it.

I do my normalizing in a stereo audio editor. I have never tried it using BIAB. I like John's general approach.

There is a whole lot to this subject that makes me wonder if normalizing a group of files would be a good idea. Normalizing just adjusts levels upward from the loudest sound in a file, but it doesn't help with the average perceived volume of the song. In other words, I think it would result in terrible differences in perceived volume of a group of songs. But again, not having tried it, I don't know how BIAB does it.


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I normalize each track in BiaB by dragging the Master to the + box with the Normalize box checked. Never gotten a render fail message.


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Hi what a subject,
And that’s it its all very subjective you wont get two sound engineers with the same ideas or totally agreeing on this one.
When to Normalise when to use a compressor. When to work on the whole mix or a track by track instrument basis.
I guess it depends on how well you balanced the original tracks and final mix of the whole.

The less after work required the better in my opinion. But if at the end of day you finish up with a good sounding mix at a decent level above the noise floor except that you have a kick drum or brass instrument that’s a bit aggressive you will probably get away with compression just to tame the beast, but then again, if you had taken more care on the offending instrument at the time (assuming recorded separately) maybe you should have compressed it then if it was say a drum sample the kick may have been a bit lively before you started.
Of course compression is a subject on its own and can be level and or frequency conscious as well.

Where as normalise is more to do with levels, again maybe at individual track level or the final recording.
You have to be careful not to overdo any of this especially when working at track instrument level, mind you don’t remove you intended expression and feeling that you played in . or you can finish up with a bland over sanitised sound.

Here is a chart to show the musical equivelents of midi keyboard velocity or expression 0-127
It will at least remind you that you can have different levels on tracks.

An extremely good idea if we could map these concepts of loudness to MIDI note velocities. Lo and behold it has already been done. In XGworks, the first "proper" sequencing program I ever used, it uses ppp through fff against the note velocities in both the "staff view" and the "piano roll" windows and also within "list view" window too.

It works like this:
fff = 120.
ff = 104.
f = 88.
mf = 72.
mp = 56.
p = 40.
pp = 24.
ppp = 8.

These are, in fact, centre values, so for instance ppp is from 1 through 8 to 15, pp is 16 through 24 to 31, and so on.

Have fun
Mike


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Originally Posted By: lambada
When I render a wav file with normalize mix switched on I get a render fail message. Without normalize, it seems to work fine and normalizing individual tracks is ok. Anyone else get this problem? (I've got the latest version etc).


Hi Neil,

I just tried rendering a songfile with "normalise mix" on and "normalise individual tracks" off. I used both BIAB 32-bit and 64-bit and it worked fine.

When I checked the wav file in Goldwave, it looked like it was normalised to 0.9 and not 1.0 (Goldwave's scale) so it had around 10% headroom -- which is good for uploading to locations like Soundcloud.

Does the problem you're experiencing apply to multiple songs or just one?

Regards,
Noel


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At present the normalise option in BIAB when exporting sets all tracks very hot (almost clipping in some cases). I set all tracks to flat & centred and export with normalise set. Then I pull the tracks into a DAW (Reaper) select all tracks drop the level to about -12dB then commence to mix. This way most faders require little movement. Then the last stage in my “mastering” process is to use a limiter (in Ozone) to lift the track to about agree with the LUFS meter requirements.

That way there is no clipping and things are fairly easy to mix most of the time.

My thoughts

Tony


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I always render the BIAB (or in my case ReaalBand) mix to wav as it is then normalize in Audacity.

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Originally Posted By: Bob Calver
I always render the BIAB (or in my case ReaalBand) mix to wav as it is then normalize in Audacity.



Similar workflow here. The only time that I may normalize is on the final mix wav. I also use Audacity to normalize.


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Hi

I think the important thing here is to understand exactly what your version of Compressor or Normaliser do and don’t do, they are certainly not all the same.
Does your flavour of normaliser just level work up or down or both.
Is your compressor frequency sensitive (dependent) or just level concerned with Level
Is it straight line classic or does it have an adjustable Knee.

I wont go on but just say the thing I really hate is any form of A V C (automatic volume control) in the recording chain.
Remember some of those Audio cassette recorders and tape recorders with this, it was impossible to record music with any sort of crescendo with out it slamming in the AVC and killing the recording, up and down like a fiddlers elbow.

I once lost a whole recording of a local symphony orchestra, playing Wagner, by proudly taking along my brand new untried tape recorder. Did not realise AVC was on till I got home.
That taught me a lesson about using untried new equipment on important jobs no matter how good the spec and hype says.

Mike


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Proper recording techniques make a normalized unnecessary in reality.Use compression/peak limitation on the front end and record hot.

Last edited by silvertones; 08/30/19 06:47 AM.

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