The Logic Off Topic list

<texture444@...> wrote:
> maybe i'm wrong, but i thought that was only true in cases wherein
dithering
> and/or noise-shaping processes were repeatedly applied.
> ?

You're completely right.
Normalizing doesn't harm the sound quality in the slightest way (well, it
brings your peaks up to 0dB and that might harm your ears when they were
at -30 or wherever before, but that's got nothing to do with the sound
quality per se...).

Everybody can do a test by themselves (can be done completely inside Logic):
- Take a loop or whatever soundfile. Peaks should be pretty much below 0dB.
If not, reduce the level, let's say to -5dB.
- Copy the file and phase invert it.
- Play them against each other.
=> Until now the playback result should be (digital) silence.

- Take the inverted file and add 3dB (normalizing doesn't do anything else
but adding some level).
- Reduce the level by 3dB.
- Add 3dB.
- Reduce...
- Add...
- Do that as often as you like, just make sure to finish with reducing so
you have the same level as in the beginning.
- Play the files against each other.
=> Still silence!

This is the defenite mathematical prove that normalizing doesn't alter your
sound quality at all (unless your normalization algorhythm is a bad/wrong
one).

However, some people allways only normalize after any mastering was applied.
It seems to me that some people even tend to finish their mixes a bit lower
than 0dB to keep a bit of headroom for mastering (some mastering effects
apparently might sound different).
I'm the last one to tell if this is a good or bad idea (I'm allways trying
to bounce down my final mixes as hot as possible to keep the maximum
resolution, but that's just because I don't have a clue), but in the end it
defenitely shouldn't matter at which stage you normalize (proper mastering
effects should have some input control in case they need some headroom to
work properly).
Maybe someone with a bit more of mastering experience could jump in and give
an explanation, sound quality reduction while normalizing defenitely isn't
it.

Regards,
Sascha