Burning CD's

[MikeAB]

Like others I expect, I have always made CDR's of those tracks I can manage to play from the UBH/Workout Cd's etc. This is to simply avoid constantly changing CD's - especially when some of the original CD's only have one track I can, or maybe want to, manage!

Obviously this means some of my CDR's can have tracks from many different CD sources on them - and hence wildly different volumes. Many moons ago I used to use Nero to level the individual volume of each track and even then some (eg High and Mighty/Atlantis) really needed some major levelling and really whilst I didn't get them where I wanted them to be, they were close enough and the volume could be adjusted easily on the hifi set up I was using then.

Now I have long ago stopped using Nero (since Windows 2000) as it interfered with amongst other things the Media Player, and I never quite trusted it again - however I now have new HiFi for the backing tracks and whilst this is great as it takes 7 CDR's, changing the volume quickly and accurately is a real pain on the new particular remote control, spoiling for example the playing at the beginning of those later tracks which have not been equalised at all eg Wild Theme.

Simple questions - what do members recommend for volume equalising? Can a modern Nero programme be trusted with Windows 7? On software forums I notice that when people ask this they are more or less told 'you nit - use normalisation with the Windows Media Player' - but that of course does not work at all, and the old Nero option of choosing average or peak volume levels for specific tracks is what is needed.

Many thanks for any advice/experience etc - just before anyone says, I only copy tracks I have bought and paid for and then only for my own personal use!! (And thanks to all the terrific producers of them!!)

Mike

[George Lewis]

Hi Mike,
I use this shareware program for Wav files.

Volume Balancer Version 1.9
"Adjust the peak and average levels of WAV files so that they have the same perceived loudness."

Download link where you can see more info
http://download.cnet.com/Volume-Balancer/3000-2169_4-75335537.html

For MP3's this is a little "donationware" beauty.
http://mp3gain.sourceforge.net/

Regards
George

[bob t]

Hi Mike

Using Windows Media player go to the Burn tab and select "more options"
Then select the burn tab in the options window that comes up
Then tick the Audio Cd's box - Apply voulme levelling across tracks on the CD

That should do what you want

[Didier]

Most audio editing softwares have a "normalise" function. I use it on Adobe Audition 1.5 I have, but it also exists on Audacity, which is free.

Didier

[MikeAB]

Thanks for the advice guys - can always depend on this site for help.

However I don't find even the Volume Balancer software works, and just normalising certainly doesn't - so as Terry Wogan would say - 'is it me?'

When the Balancer examines for example Wild Theme, Shadoogie and Wonderful Land it does not see them as very different and certainly does not pick up the very loud nature of Wild Theme. If it does not see a difference in the first place then it presumably simply will not alter/balance them. It finds Shadoogie is loudest - granted it contains 'more data' with loud drums etc etc but to the ear Wild Theme is the one that is way too loud.

Without the ability to do each track manually I don't think I will achieve what I'm after.

Any further ideas? Nero?

(Whilst I am using wav files I am using my own CDR music files where some tracks were 'Nero'd' from the originals some years ago - could that be an issue and maybe I need to start again with the original CD track?)

Mike

[George Lewis]

Hi Mike,
It can be difficult. Volume Balancer allows you to choose different methods for the normalization and is worth experimenting with.
I usually choose and adjust for what gives the best overall balance then redo the individual BT's that don't fit in. Bit tedious but there you go.
cheers
George

[Detailed Infinity]

Mike, there are two methods of normalisation----Peak and RMS (ROOT MEAN SQUARED).

RMS sets the average level in the track taking it to what you want it to be, whereas Peak takes the max peak in the track to the level which you want (normally 0.0dB) and it isn't averaged like RMS is. You'll notice I've MAX PEAKED at 0.0dB and RMS'd at -10dB. You can see how big the waveform is compared to Peak as the average level is calculated. So my advice to you is to subject all your tracks to Max Peak at 0.0dB.

Bri.

[MikeAB]

Thanks for further info George and Brian - have purchased the full Volume Balancer so as to play with it better - if no go will try Sony Sound Forge. I understand the RMS etc stuff - just - and expect that's what I will have to do - will report any success!

Mike

[Detailed Infinity]

Mike, Sound Forge costs hundreds. Having shown you the idea in the screen shots (Peak v RMS) this good batch converter willl do what you want. It normalises to the peak level as I mentioned

http://download.cnet.com/Sound-Normalizer/3000-2170_4-10686997.html

Bri

[MikeAB]

Thanks Brian but the reviews on the product your link goes to are awful (!) and so am not too keen - so would the Sony Sound Forge Audio Studio 10 ex Amazon at about £38 not do it?

Mike