Normalize
- Accessed by:
Remove any DC offset
When this box is checked Normalize will attempt to remove any DC offset in the selection by finding the average of all the sample values in the selection, then subtracting that average value from all the samples. This works well on long selections containing a mix of sounds, but may actually create DC offset when applied to short sections of recordings of voices or certain instruments that have an inherently asymmetrical waveform.
Normalize Maximum Amplitude to
Enter the value for the maximum amplitude you would like the processed selection to have. Normalize defaults to 0.0 dB, which is the maximum amplitude possible without clipping. Entered values are negative; you cannot enter positive values.
Peter: ToDo-1 Until I can get my hands on a nightly build with the new functionality I cannot test the veracity of the above.
Normalize stereo channels independently
When this box is unchecked, the default, Normalize will work on the channels of a stereo track as a pair and cahnge the level of both channels by the same amount. Use this if your recording is inherently balanced as this mode will preserve the original stereo balance of your recording
When this box is checked Normalize will work independently on left and right channels of a stereo track. This is useful for correcting stereo recordings of LPs and cassettes which can often be unbalanced, as long as significant clicks are removed first.
Normalize multiple audio tracks
If you select multiple tracks and apply the Normalize effect, then all audio tracks will be independently normalised to the same peak level.
For example, if you select "Normalize to 0.0 dB", every selected audio track will be normalized to 0.0 dB, irrespective of its original level. Whatever peak volume differences there were between the tracks will be removed.
Difference from the Amplify effect
With Amplify if you select multiple tracks and apply the effect, then all audio tracks will be amplified by the same amount thus preserving the balance between the tracks.
Normalize will not let you create clipping. Amplify will let you create clipping.
Normalize offers the option to remove DC offset. Amplify does not offer this option.
For a more thorough discussion of differences between the Amplify and Normalize effects, see this page in the Audacity wiki
