The Logic Off Topic list

Thoughts from the mind of blue alien, 21-02-2002:

>	I find that when I make a recording in Logic, to my knowledge, I
>minimize headroom by setting the level as high as possible without
>bumping the red clip meters, but when I import the same recording into
>another audio program, the audio level seems to low, and the recording
>seems to lack clarity, and punchiness.

About the level being too low: that can hardly be true.  When I play 
a recording through another audio program, and through the same card, 
it sounds just as it sounds in Logic -- and it should.  After all, 
it's all zero's and ones, right?  And the software itself shouldn't 
influence the sound or volume.

>	Do y'all normalize every recording to increase it's clarity?

No, never.  Except maybe, as Joeri already wrote, when you want to 
use a low level sample in a sampler-context.

You should realise that the "benefits" of normalising usually aren't 
that big.  Suppose your recording's volume is at about 50%.  Since 
every bit adds a factor of 2, this means that you'll effectively have 
a 15-bit recording instead of 16-bit.  Not bad at all -- and 
certainly less bad than it would seem at first glance.  I.e. a 16-bit 
recording at half volume is NOT 8-bit or so.

Normalising obviously introduces some distortion -- the numbers have 
to be multiplied by some factor and then rounded to the next whole 
number -- and it's imo valid to wonder if this distortion is 
outweighed by the 1-bit (or so) gain.  Personally I don't believe so. 
I just record as hot as possible, and leave it at that.  After I made 
the final mix, I might apply an additional bit of compression to 
increase the punchiness a bit, and to smoothen the sometimes too 
large volume-differences.

Others will probably strongly disagree...  The only real measure you 
have are your ears.  Try out different scenarios and see what you 
like best.  However, be aware of the big volume-trap: too often you 
think that something sounds better only because it's louder.  When 
listening to different variations, make sure you hear them all at 
approximately the same volume in order to judge the relative merits 
of one approach or the other. I know I've been caught too often by 
this one...

>Anyone know what the 'Audio Energizer' actually does?  Isn't it
>an attempt at computerized mastering?

It keeps the peak level the same, while increasing the average level 
-- according to the manual.  Sounds a bit like a compressor to me... 
Never used it myself, and probably never will.


cheers,
HJ
-- 
Hendrik Jan Veenstra  <h@...>
Omega Art: http://www.ision.nl/users/h/index.html