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Audio Leveling Software Recommendation?

Hi all, I'm new to the forum and tried searching the archives with no luck. I am using a Squeezebox 3/PC based music server, ripping lots of CDs and LPs that I am converting to digital.

Are there any recommendations you have for audio leveling software? You know the problem - different tracks/albums are all mastered differently, some quite hot and I'd like to avoid having to adjust the volume on the preamp (up or down) from one track to the next. I'm not averse to paying for some sw either if it solves the problem.

Thanks in advance!
John
olderbrothergert
almarg's avatar
almarg
9,670 posts
 
I do audio editing with a Windows-based professionally oriented program called Sony Sound Forge Pro, which is very powerful, very stable, and very easy to use (and also expensive). I suspect that its consumer oriented counterpart, Sound Forge Audio Studio ($55) would do fine for your purposes:

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/soundforgesoftware

These programs were originally developed by a USA company called Sonic Foundry, which was bought by Sony several years ago.

Good luck!
-- Al
racerxnet
54 posts
 
foobar 2k had replay gain which solves the dilemma. It's free to boot
lloydc's avatar
lloydc
764 posts
 
It may not be a soluable problem. Many recordings (e.g., all pop) use so much compression that they will sound "louder" than others, if both are correctly recorded at maximum levels. You don't want to rip them at lower levels, as that increases noise and distortion, and you don't want to compress the well recorded records and take the life out of them. I use Wavelab pro mastering software, which can be used to adjust any parameter, but can not recommend that route; it is not only expensive, but very hard to learn. I agree with Al that a consumer level solution would be preferable, and it should still have the functionality you need.
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