jernikfra Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 I've been using the old fashioned method of recording from CD to MD for years now, in other words CD to MD digitally without computers or so forth.Lately I've become somewhat fanatical about recording levels being the same.Whenever I notice different volume level between albums I get annoyed and try to adjust it so it is perfect.My own ears are the judges and while I think they are pretty good, they can only go so far and of course you can only increase or decrease levels so much before they start to distort or and/or affect sound quality.With modern CD's being so absurdly louder than older ones, it has become impossible to get things exactly they way I want them.Needless to say this is very annoying and time consuming.Recently I discovered MP3gain and Wavgain and have been using them to see how accurate my ears are to an actual peak search program like them.I've been ripping my CD's in 256 Kbps MP3 and then analyzing them with MP3gain album mode.I then look a the album plus and minus values and make the necessary corrections to my digital recording levels in re-recording my MD's CD to MD.Once again though, it is still not possible in a lot of cases to get the values the same, due to clip indicators.I was trying to make a Phil Collins Hi-MD and his 2002 album is so ridiculously loud compared to his others, it is totally impossible to increase and decrease all of his various albums to get an even level without major clipping.I came up with the idea of letting the MP3 gain do its adjusting on the PC, and then transferring the results via USB and sonic stage to Hi-MD MZRH1, so i don't have to do any titleing.The problem I ran into with this is that MP3gain decreases all levels to achieve a uniform volume level.When you try to record back onto MD, the overall level is very level low, which sort of limits the output of modest portable MD headphone amps.I then thought of boosting the recording level back up to one that just peaks ocassionally at 0 db and recording that onto MD through my M-audio Transit USB to optical adapter.It is quite the rollercoaster process.Just wondering if anyone has done anything similar or am I the only one with this way of getting even sounding MD's.I'm worried that all this will result in poor sound quality.I think I will rip my CD's in Wav format into Sonicstage or WMP, instead of MP3.I will then get wavgain to even things out with it's album mode setting, and then record USB to optical onto Hi-MD and adjust all the levels up to about 0db and see how the results sound.I obviously won't lose anything through the WAV rip and wavgain claims it doesn't take anything away from the music in fidelity, so I'm hoping the results will be perfect in both level and sound quality!Now if only the Hi-MD would title itself this way.Any help or suggestions with this project are very welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strungup Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 Funny you would mention that , I just a few minutes ago , was showing my kid how to adjust digital levels , and why you would want to do so , on the MD recorder I gave him.I am recording from the digital output of My Macbook Pro ( Make sure people that you go into Audio/Midi Settings in Utilities , and set the Digital out to 16 bit , it is automatically at 24 bit in Macbooks, and MD recorders Like to see 16 bit Optical , only the RH1 is dependable at 24 ) Different CD Players will also affect the output level I have heard great variations in CD players knowing what the CD actually sounds like , playing the same one on different players . It does get annoying doesnt it . I think that only studio grade CD units have any real standardization in levels , home and portables can vary considerably. The digital output on my Mac is so hot that I HAVE to bring the rec levels down , I cant use the Auto Level in the MD . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strungup Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 I dont know if he is into reinvesting , but good tip none the less Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobt Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 I think his biggest problem is compression rather than loudness, seems most kids listen to their cd's etc on substandard systems so new discs are over compressed to make them sound good on crappy systems. My advice if you could find one would be to get a DBS dynamic range expander and try it. I seem to recall it made my early discs sound better, and did wonders to my albums. PM me jernikfra.TTFNBob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jernikfra Posted January 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 Yes you are correct i am the proud owner of an Onkyo XB-8.I have tried the peak search on it several times.I thought this was the solution to all my problems.Unfortunately all the results I got from it were pretty much useless.Loud tracks were still way to loud than others.I really want to use it but it just doesn't do what i hoped it would.Sad... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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