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
One important point to be aware of. The trial version of Sound Forge (at least for the Pro version, that I am familiar with) puts intermittent beeps into any file that it is used to save.

If the trial version of Audio Studio is similar in that respect, then whenever you open one of your music files with it, the first thing you should then do is to use the "File/Save As" menu selection to save it as a different file name. That way you will assure that you won't inadvertently put the beeps into your original file.

The purchased version of the software won't have that issue, of course.

Re leveling the volume of your different tracks, the function you would want to use is called (on the Pro version, at least) "Normalize" (under the "Process" menu at the top). The "Normalize" function allows you to select any desired peak level, from "0 db" to "-60db," and it will apply a uniform gain to the entire file such that the peak value becomes the specified number. It will NOT apply any compression, or alter the music in any way other than gain, although other functions are available that can do those kinds of things, should you wish to use them.

Good luck!
-- Al
Any modifications that you make at the ripping stage you will have to live with in perpetuity. An alternative is to rip without adulteration and playback with a leveler, such as Sound Check in iTunes. Those playback features continue to improve with each iteration of the playback software. Most importantly, your library will have "perfect sound forever."
Your Squeezebox has replay gain. In Settings, go to Player, Audio, Volume Adjustment/Replay Gain, select Smart Gain or try all of them.