Normalization When Burning CD From iTunes

MikeMcKee · #1 10-16-2018, 01:16 PM

I have several acoustic tunes that I've recorded and have in iTunes. Wanting to burn some CD's. I'm not quite satisfied with the volume level from song to song. I've tried with and without soundcheck, and I've gone in and adjusted the volumes on the individual songs....which seems to work great when listening back on the computer, but those individual adjustments evidently don't apply when burning a CD, as I still hear differences when playing the CD on another device.

So, how can I make the individual song volume adjustments and have them hold when burning to a CD? When I look at the song file info, the recording levels all are within .1 of each other. So, not a big difference. Again, I've tried soundcheck, and not happy with just that.

Thanks for any help. Mike

rick-slo · #2 10-16-2018, 02:06 PM

Don't normalize. Keep adjusting volume by ear. Make sure when you burn a CD a software setting is not set to normalize. There may be a rare (hopefully) time you need to first use a limiter or spot volume reduction on an extra loud note.

MikeMcKee · #3 10-16-2018, 02:40 PM

Thanks Derek. Normalization is probably not the right term. In iTunes I go in and adjust the volume on each individual song, and when I play the playlist on the computer, the volumes all sound good. But, when I burn the playlist to a CD, it doesn't sound the same. It appears that the adjustments I make to the individual songs do not carry over to the burned CD...seems the individual adjustments only are effective when playing back on the computer...and do not carry over to the CD. Seems I need a different program to load the songs into, set the volumes, and then burn the CD.??

Doug Young · #4 10-16-2018, 03:13 PM

There is software that can help with this, how are you burning multiple tunes to a CD? If the levels are OK per song, you don't have to do anything specific for a CD, but you may be being fooled by not hearing them in sequence as on the CD (guessing). I have used DSP-Quatro as CD mastering/burning software. It basically allows you to line up all your tunes, adjust the time between them, adjust levels per song, add fades, etc. So you can play everything as it will be on the CD and hear what the transitions will be like. What seems OK when listening to an individual song may not sound right when you transition from one to another. Fades and inter-song spacing might also need to be adjusted. There are other programs out there, I'm sure, this is just the one I've used.

MikeMcKee · #5 10-16-2018, 03:57 PM

Thanks Doug. I am recording on GarageBand...fades in and out on each individual tune. Upload to iTunes. Create a playlist and load the tunes to the playlist. From there I go to settings on each song and fine tune the volume so all songs sound balanced when playing back on the computer. The playlist is burned to a cd. Issue is when I then play the cd on another device the volume adjustments I made are not apparent. I guess iTunes burns the original non modified file, and not the volume adjusted files. So, unless I’m missing something, then it seems I will need a different program to do what I want.

Doug Young · #6 10-16-2018, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeMcKee

Thanks Doug. I am recording on GarageBand...fades in and out on each individual tune. Upload to iTunes. Create a playlist and load the tunes to the playlist. From there I go to settings on each song and fine tune the volume so all songs sound balanced when playing back on the computer. The playlist is burned to a cd. Issue is when I then play the cd on another device the volume adjustments I made are not apparent. I guess iTunes burns the original non modified file, and not the volume adjusted files. So, unless I’m missing something, then it seems I will need a different program to do what I want.

Yeah, that sounds like something specific to garage band. What I do is mix/edit the files, and save the final versions, with levels as I expect, then import them into DSP-Quatro for burning, so I know my changes are saved. Then in Quatro, all I'm doing is minor tweaks to account for the tunes being played in context. The fade stuff is interesting, I've always been told by mastering engineers not to send files to them with fades, etc, and that seemed odd, until I did a full project myself. What seems like the right fade when you listen to one tune can sound wrong when you listen to it in context. Of course, I don't know who listens to a CD straight thru these days anyway, so it may not matter!

MikeMcKee · #7 10-16-2018, 04:25 PM

Thanks Doug. So, if I were to use the software you mentioned, could I take the files I have in iTunes..AAC format, load them and individually adjust volumes and fine tune them, and then burn to cd with those tweaks in place? That’s really all I’m looking for.

rick-slo · #8 10-16-2018, 04:33 PM

You say these are tunes you recorded. Don't you have the original recordings? I don't see where iTunes comes into it when making your own CD from your recordings.

MikeMcKee · #9 10-16-2018, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rick-slo

You say these are tunes you recorded. Don't you have the original recordings? I don't see where iTunes comes into it when making your own CD from your recordings.

Yes, they are mine...recorded in GarageBand. Currently iTunes is the only program I have to assemble the tunes and burn to cd.

Doug Young · #10 10-16-2018, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeMcKee

Thanks Doug. So, if I were to use the software you mentioned, could I take the files I have in iTunes..AAC format, load them and individually adjust volumes and fine tune them, and then burn to cd with those tweaks in place? That’s really all I’m looking for.

Right, tho I don't know if the program handles AAC files. It may, but for CDs, you generally want wav or aiff.

But itunes is another option - you should be able to save the tracks as you want them. Load into itunes, create a playlist and burn a CD. You just won't have as much control.

rick-slo · #11 10-16-2018, 05:09 PM

I'm a Windows 10 user but with a Mac there is an option:

"Have all the songs on the disc play at the same volume: Select Use Sound Check"

Don't have this option checked.

MikeMcKee · #12 10-16-2018, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rick-slo

I'm a Windows 10 user but with a Mac there is an option:

"Have all the songs on the disc play at the same volume: Select Use Sound Check"

Don't have this option checked.

Yes, I’ve tried this, but its only so so. In theory it’s a great option, but it doesn’t work to the level that I’m happy with it.

MikeMcKee · #13 10-16-2018, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Young

Right, tho I don't know if the program handles AAC files. It may, but for CDs, you generally want wav or aiff.

But itunes is another option - you should be able to save the tracks as you want them. Load into itunes, create a playlist and burn a CD. You just won't have as much control.

I record in GarageBand. When finished I choose the share option to send to iTunes and into a playlist, which will then eventually burned to cd. The AAC format is default, and is the file type once in iTunes. This is where my problem occurs, as I can’t seem to get the volumes tweaked to where I want them on the finished cd.

Trevor B. · #14 10-16-2018, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeMcKee

I record in GarageBand. When finished I choose the share option to send to iTunes and into a playlist, which will then eventually burned to cd. The AAC format is default, and is the file type once in iTunes. This is where my problem occurs, as I can’t seem to get the volumes tweaked to where I want them on the finished cd.

Although I haven't personally burned any CDs (yet), according to a quick google search, "From iTunes 11, it can currently read, write and convert between MP3, AIFF, WAV, MPEG-4, AAC and Apple Lossless (.m4a). iTunes can also play any audio files that QuickTime can play (as well as some video formats), including Protected AAC files from the iTunes Store and Audible audio books."
So you should be able to burn a CD of aiffs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Young

Yeah, that sounds like something specific to garage band. What I do is mix/edit the files, and save the final versions, with levels as I expect, then import them into DSP-Quatro for burning, so I know my changes are saved. Then in Quatro, all I'm doing is minor tweaks to account for the tunes being played in context. The fade stuff is interesting, I've always been told by mastering engineers not to send files to them with fades, etc, and that seemed odd, until I did a full project myself. What seems like the right fade when you listen to one tune can sound wrong when you listen to it in context. Of course, I don't know who listens to a CD straight thru these days anyway, so it may not matter!

So you don't use iTunes at all but can set up a full CD playlist and set the time between selections etc. in the DSP Quattro program?

rick-slo · #15 10-16-2018, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeMcKee

I record in GarageBand. When finished I choose the share option to send to iTunes and into a playlist, which will then eventually burned to cd. The AAC format is default, and is the file type once in iTunes. This is where my problem occurs, as I can’t seem to get the volumes tweaked to where I want them on the finished cd.

Any tweaks you make in iTunes does not alter the AAC file itself and thus will not carry over to burning a CD. Open your tunes one by one in garage band, tweak the volume level for each individual tune in the DAW, record with the new volume level and save in a folder on your computer. When done use those to burn a CD.