Normalization is when you amplify the track to the maximum possible level before introducing distortion.
While amplification is also part of compression, the "compressed" part is the dynamic range. As Jah Bill said earlier, they remove the extreme highs and lows to have more room to boost the volume of the remaining "middle" frequencies. So the range of what was the "lowest" sound to the "highest" sound has been compressed (i.e. reduced).
Converting from a recorded file to MP3 is also compression, of a different type, and as you say, once you remove frequencies, you can't get them back. All of the above is the basis of the oft-heard phrade "mp3's suck".
It's like TV dinner in the 1950's, where people opted for "convenience" over "quality". While the dinners may have cooked in 5 minutes, they tasted like crap. You can't compare them to the quality of fresh food.
This generation has made the same choice of "convenience over quality, although this time it's sound quality that has been comprimised. "Look, I have ten zillion songs on my iPod, even though I have never listened to most of them, and they sound like they have been sent through a sonic meat grinder".
At the risk of annoying Trojan
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ACEtone
- Posts: 558
- Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2008 4:24 am
Re: At the risk of annoying Trojan
@DaveK and Jah Bill,
thanks for making this clear - I couldn't have said it better myself.
It is unfortunate that two entirely different processes go by the same name and are constantly conflated and confused with the result that many people come across as knowledgeable but really don't know what they are talking about!
One thing I would like to add on the subject of audio compression is that it is not all evil. It is true that compression whether through analog compressors or digital plug-ins is horribly abused - applying compression to a stereo mix is generally something to be done in subtle ways and can be beneficial to the overall sound. However it can be very destructive to the dynamics of a track losing subtleties of playing and indeed mixing that presumably musicians and engineers worked hard to achieve.
On the other hand, audio compression on individual tracks such as drums and bass is a very useful tool that has been used for decades. Bass can be made punchier, more aggressive, drums tighter and crisper sounding etc. So it is not all bad.
Simply put, the other kind of compression involving wavs, mp3s etc. is a matter of reducing file size by removing unnecessary (!), supposedly unheard frequencies. Over-compression resulting in much smaller digital file size, of course results in poorer and poorer sound.
This kind of compression is not all bad either and certainly is also much abused!
Now when you combine the worst implementation of both forms of compression - applying way too much audio compression to an already stereo mixed track and digitally reducing file size and hence frequency range - you get truly awful results.
Sensible application of both forms of compression can be very useful and beneficial to a tune - and just like any other tool, don't blame the tool for the problem, blame the workman!
There is also some blame to be attributed to those that accept music mixed and mangled in such a way, but there is not much you can do about that!
thanks for making this clear - I couldn't have said it better myself.
It is unfortunate that two entirely different processes go by the same name and are constantly conflated and confused with the result that many people come across as knowledgeable but really don't know what they are talking about!
One thing I would like to add on the subject of audio compression is that it is not all evil. It is true that compression whether through analog compressors or digital plug-ins is horribly abused - applying compression to a stereo mix is generally something to be done in subtle ways and can be beneficial to the overall sound. However it can be very destructive to the dynamics of a track losing subtleties of playing and indeed mixing that presumably musicians and engineers worked hard to achieve.
On the other hand, audio compression on individual tracks such as drums and bass is a very useful tool that has been used for decades. Bass can be made punchier, more aggressive, drums tighter and crisper sounding etc. So it is not all bad.
Simply put, the other kind of compression involving wavs, mp3s etc. is a matter of reducing file size by removing unnecessary (!), supposedly unheard frequencies. Over-compression resulting in much smaller digital file size, of course results in poorer and poorer sound.
This kind of compression is not all bad either and certainly is also much abused!
Now when you combine the worst implementation of both forms of compression - applying way too much audio compression to an already stereo mixed track and digitally reducing file size and hence frequency range - you get truly awful results.
Sensible application of both forms of compression can be very useful and beneficial to a tune - and just like any other tool, don't blame the tool for the problem, blame the workman!
There is also some blame to be attributed to those that accept music mixed and mangled in such a way, but there is not much you can do about that!
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nickfa
- Posts: 156
- Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2009 11:29 am
Re: At the risk of annoying Trojan
Hi thanks for clearing up that,it is confusing using the term compression for 2 seprated processes.
i did read somwhere that normalisation also affects the dynamic range as the track comes out at full volume.
some of the best rereleases soundwise i have found were on the joegibbs europe crazy joe label, their african dub series were and are far more superior to say the vp or rocky one issues, i know the rocky one issues come from vinyl but the vp issues have just been messed up in parts.
also joe gibbs europe basts taken fro morginal master tapes and no normalisation or equalization.perhaps the old saying if it aint broke dont try to fix it.
thanks for all the info from Davek Jah Bill and acetone
i did read somwhere that normalisation also affects the dynamic range as the track comes out at full volume.
some of the best rereleases soundwise i have found were on the joegibbs europe crazy joe label, their african dub series were and are far more superior to say the vp or rocky one issues, i know the rocky one issues come from vinyl but the vp issues have just been messed up in parts.
also joe gibbs europe basts taken fro morginal master tapes and no normalisation or equalization.perhaps the old saying if it aint broke dont try to fix it.
thanks for all the info from Davek Jah Bill and acetone
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ACEtone
- Posts: 558
- Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2008 4:24 am
Re: At the risk of annoying Trojan
Normalization - strange term to me. Does it mean that the audio was 'abnormal' before normalization?!
Basically what it does is make all parts of a track increase in volume by the same chosen percentage. Basically turns everything up, but the relative difference in loudness of all sounds, loud and soft is the same.
Audio compression changes the relative loundess of the sounds in accordance with the setting on the compressor; gain, ratio, knee, attack, release. what may be a good compression setting for a bass track may be entirely wrong for say a keyboard or vocal. That's why if you apply compression to the mixed track you can get pretty drastic results if you don't know what you're doing.
That's what ears are for. To tell the difference between good and bad sounds in audio!
Basically what it does is make all parts of a track increase in volume by the same chosen percentage. Basically turns everything up, but the relative difference in loudness of all sounds, loud and soft is the same.
Audio compression changes the relative loundess of the sounds in accordance with the setting on the compressor; gain, ratio, knee, attack, release. what may be a good compression setting for a bass track may be entirely wrong for say a keyboard or vocal. That's why if you apply compression to the mixed track you can get pretty drastic results if you don't know what you're doing.
That's what ears are for. To tell the difference between good and bad sounds in audio!