[LAU] maximum input level, or normalization and dc offset correction?

[Ralf Mardorf]

I guess it was off-list by accident?!

-------- Forwarded Message --------
From: Ralf Mardorf <ralf.mardorf at alice-dsl.net>
To: Rusty Perez <rustys.lists at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [LAU] maximum input level, or normalization and dc offset
correction?
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2013 20:40:23 +0200

On Fri, 2013-07-12 at 11:20 -0700, Rusty Perez wrote:
> My question was really more of a question to understand what unwanted
> noise I may be adding to my recording, which I'm not hearing, either
> because of deficient equipment or deficient hearing. :-)

A valid question, but don't care about the dynamic, the real issue with
mastering music that should sound as good as possible on as much
equipment as possible is the whole mix regarding to frequencies, phases
vs mono and stereo.

It's unlikely that noise will become an issue, it's more likely that the
frequencies are biased or that there will be phasing between the
channels.

What faders do you use? The analog inputs have an optimized working
point, perhaps the digital side then is too high or lower than
"optimal". I don't know what positive or negative effects are caused by
digital remachining. Keep the level below 0 dBFS, resp. add headroom.
Too high in all cases is bad, but even a real too low level might be
inaudible.

"I never normalize the tracks in the DAW when mixing. I can't do it with
my analog machine, so I don't do it with my DAW." - Ricardus Vincente

and we can use the volume control of our amps to make the music louder
and quieter. However, optimal leveling at recording time is better, than
postprocessing. Analogy: If a recording does miss frequencies, you can't
raise the missing frequencies, you only can rase frequencies that are
there, but to silent, but this will come with side effects.