Increasing volume by 'Change Volume' and 'Maximize Volume'
Increasing volume by 'Change Volume' and 'Maximize Volume'
Whats the difference between those two methods? Are they basically the same or would my song sound differently (besides higher volume) depends on which method I choose?
Re: Increasing volume by 'Change Volume' and 'Maximize Volum
0dB represents the "digital maximum".*
Maximize Volume scans the file first to find the current peak. Then it sets the volume change to whatever is required to hit exactly 0dB.
FYI - In audio terminology, most people say "Normalize" instead of "Maximize". It means the same thing.
GoldWave uses floating point internally (like most audio editors) so it can "temporarily" go over 0dB. But, if you save a file that goes over 0dB, you can get clipping (distorted flat-topped waves). (You also get clipping in analog if you try to get 110 Watts out of a 100 Watt amplifier.)
If your file goes over 0dB, Maximizing will actually bring the peaks down to 0dB. Usually, when I'm done with my editing/processing, I'll run Maximize as the last step before saving to make sure I'm not clipping.
If you "blindly" increase the volume, you can go over 0dB (and you can get clipping when you save).
Sometimes I'll start Maximize just to check the peak, and then I'll cancel.
You can do the same "trick" with Match Volume to check the average level (more related to "loudness"), and then cancel if you wish. Volume matching is tricky because a quiet-sounding track can have maximized peaks. So, you often have to decrease the loud-sounding track, rather than boost the quiet-sounding track.
Most commercial CDs and MP3s are already maximized/normalized (even the quiet-sounding songs), so you usually can't boost the volume without clipping. If you are trying to match the volumes of all of your music, let us know.... There's more to tell you...
* You don't need to know this, but for example, with 16-bits you can "count" from -32,768 to +32,767. With 16-bits, those numbers represent 0dB and you simply cannot go any higher.
With more bits you get bigger numbers, but the maximum is still "calibrated" to 0dB and your driver & digital-to-analog converter (or analog-to-digital converter) make the adjustment so that 0dB is equally loud, no matter how many bits you have.
CDs and "regular" (integer) WAV files are limited to 0dB. Your analog-to-digital converter and digital-to-analog converter are also limited to 0dB. So for example, if you have a floating-point format that goes over 0dB and you play it at full-volume, your digital-to-analog converter will clip.
Due to the "lossy" nature of MP3, when you encode to MP3 the wave-shape changes and some peaks will be higher and others will be lower. (The MP3 format can actually go over 0dB.) So, your highest-peak will be higher after MP3 encoding.
Maximize Volume scans the file first to find the current peak. Then it sets the volume change to whatever is required to hit exactly 0dB.
FYI - In audio terminology, most people say "Normalize" instead of "Maximize". It means the same thing.
GoldWave uses floating point internally (like most audio editors) so it can "temporarily" go over 0dB. But, if you save a file that goes over 0dB, you can get clipping (distorted flat-topped waves). (You also get clipping in analog if you try to get 110 Watts out of a 100 Watt amplifier.)
If your file goes over 0dB, Maximizing will actually bring the peaks down to 0dB. Usually, when I'm done with my editing/processing, I'll run Maximize as the last step before saving to make sure I'm not clipping.
If you "blindly" increase the volume, you can go over 0dB (and you can get clipping when you save).
Sometimes I'll start Maximize just to check the peak, and then I'll cancel.
You can do the same "trick" with Match Volume to check the average level (more related to "loudness"), and then cancel if you wish. Volume matching is tricky because a quiet-sounding track can have maximized peaks. So, you often have to decrease the loud-sounding track, rather than boost the quiet-sounding track.
Most commercial CDs and MP3s are already maximized/normalized (even the quiet-sounding songs), so you usually can't boost the volume without clipping. If you are trying to match the volumes of all of your music, let us know.... There's more to tell you...
* You don't need to know this, but for example, with 16-bits you can "count" from -32,768 to +32,767. With 16-bits, those numbers represent 0dB and you simply cannot go any higher.
With more bits you get bigger numbers, but the maximum is still "calibrated" to 0dB and your driver & digital-to-analog converter (or analog-to-digital converter) make the adjustment so that 0dB is equally loud, no matter how many bits you have.
CDs and "regular" (integer) WAV files are limited to 0dB. Your analog-to-digital converter and digital-to-analog converter are also limited to 0dB. So for example, if you have a floating-point format that goes over 0dB and you play it at full-volume, your digital-to-analog converter will clip.
Due to the "lossy" nature of MP3, when you encode to MP3 the wave-shape changes and some peaks will be higher and others will be lower. (The MP3 format can actually go over 0dB.) So, your highest-peak will be higher after MP3 encoding.
Re: Increasing volume by 'Change Volume' and 'Maximize Volum
DougDbug wrote:0dB represents the "digital maximum".*
Maximize Volume scans the file first to find the current peak. Then it sets the volume change to whatever is required to hit exactly 0dB.
FYI - In audio terminology, most people say "Normalize" instead of "Maximize". It means the same thing.
GoldWave uses floating point internally (like most audio editors) so it can "temporarily" go over 0dB. But, if you save a file that goes over 0dB, you can get clipping (distorted flat-topped waves). (You also get clipping in analog if you try to get 110 Watts out of a 100 Watt amplifier.)
If your file goes over 0dB, Maximizing will actually bring the peaks down to 0dB. Usually, when I'm done with my editing/processing, I'll run Maximize as the last step before saving to make sure I'm not clipping.
If you "blindly" increase the volume, you can go over 0dB (and you can get clipping when you save).
Sometimes I'll start Maximize just to check the peak, and then I'll cancel.
You can do the same "trick" with Match Volume to check the average level (more related to "loudness"), and then cancel if you wish. Volume matching is tricky because a quiet-sounding track can have maximized peaks. So, you often have to decrease the loud-sounding track, rather than boost the quiet-sounding track.
Most commercial CDs and MP3s are already maximized/normalized (even the quiet-sounding songs), so you usually can't boost the volume without clipping. If you are trying to match the volumes of all of your music, let us know.... There's more to tell you...
* You don't need to know this, but for example, with 16-bits you can "count" from -32,768 to +32,767. With 16-bits, those numbers represent 0dB and you simply cannot go any higher.
With more bits you get bigger numbers, but the maximum is still "calibrated" to 0dB and your driver & digital-to-analog converter (or analog-to-digital converter) make the adjustment so that 0dB is equally loud, no matter how many bits you have.
CDs and "regular" (integer) WAV files are limited to 0dB. Your analog-to-digital converter and digital-to-analog converter are also limited to 0dB. So for example, if you have a floating-point format that goes over 0dB and you play it at full-volume, your digital-to-analog converter will clip.
Due to the "lossy" nature of MP3, when you encode to MP3 the wave-shape changes and some peaks will be higher and others will be lower. (The MP3 format can actually go over 0dB.) So, your highest-peak will be higher after MP3 encoding.
I appreciate your copious answer. I learned much more than I hoped for
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DewDude420
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Re: Increasing volume by 'Change Volume' and 'Maximize Volum
I have found that, depending on the dac; it's clip threshold can be below 0dbFS. I don't think this is a problem with modern DACs, but some of the cheaper/earlier ones would "give up the ghost" long before 0dbFS.DougDbug wrote:Your analog-to-digital converter and digital-to-analog converter are also limited to 0dB.