Is it OK to normalize?

[Cue Zephyr]

Howdy folks,

I used to normalize everything I recorded except when doing multiple takes for one instrument.
A while ago I was mailing back and forth about this with a producer and he said it's not a good idea to normalize. He was saying something about headroom.

Now I'd like to know from you guys whether you normalize or not - and if it's a good/bad process to apply to recorded audio.

CZ

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by Cue Zephyr

Now I'd like to know from you guys whether you normalize or not - and if it's a good/bad process to apply to recorded audio.

Depends on what the track will be used for. If it's going to be mastered, leave the mastering engineer some headroom. S/he'll take it up to the final max level. If you're publishing an individual track on you tube or posting an mp3, and you're doing the final mix, then go ahead. If the track is part of a compilation (a CD), then the overall levels of each track have to be considered, and probably every track doesn't end up pegged at full volume, or at least one can hope not.

[rick-slo]

Don't normalize if you want a more coherent CD (less important for a single). Normalizing takes the loudest single point (not some sort of average) of the recording and brings it up to the target level (say -1.0 dB). You may end up with a ballad playing louder than a barn burner. Leave some headroom even on the end product so that you can have the peaceful tune quieter and that frenetic tune louder (without having to overdo using compression).

[Ty Ford]

All good points. And the point about the headroom has several facets. The internal busses of a digital system. If you normalize every track in a multitrack production, you may well overwhelm the internal mixing buss.

-Ty Ford