Originally Posted By: Charlie Fogle
I have gotten satisfactory results with Audacity by using light compression and then the normalize function to -1db so that the normalization results in a peak drop rather than rise. I try to keep the meter levels between 12-18 db during the tracking. At those levels, compressing at 1.5 does not cause clipping. Normalizing peaks down instead of upward appears not to raise the noise level of the recorded material to my hearing.


You can also do a similar procedure in Real Band. Open your master in RB save it as a different name like FILENAME_NORMALIZED. Select the entire track. Edit>Audio Effects>Gain Change> check Pre-normalize,Gain Change,Post Peak Limit set gain change to 0, Process.

This procedure cannot be reversed, so that is why you rename the file, if the result is not what you want close without saving and reopen the _normalized.seq file, always leave the original untouched, so you preserve your rough master.

Practice using the Gain Change function this way, you may uncheck the pre-normalize box(which is the default) listen and look at the resultant wave form.
This 1 effect has 4 handy processes. Normalization, just check the top box and bottom box, Gain Change plus or minus center box(with the top or bottom box checked or all 3 boxes checked), and lower box peak limit added to either 1 or 2 of the other options.

If you want to do a very cool fade check the variable gain change box top right, and select only the end or beginning of a track and you can go from 100% volume to 0% (or 1,2, 3,etc %) over the length of the selected track. Also the variable gain change can go from 100 to 75 creating a smooth volume change in this example 25% lower volume at the end of the fade.

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