Normalize on Render

swiftoid · 05-21-2011, 02:37 AM

Any chance of having a "normalize on render" feature in v4? I use reaper a lot for editing recordings to go into my sample library, and that feature would be really helpful.

FR here: http://forum.cockos.com/project.php?issueid=3354

cjaxis · 05-21-2011, 03:02 AM

woul be cool to have such checkbox in render dialog :-P

TFF · 05-21-2011, 05:52 AM

I have been pushing for this for months. Yes please.

Rachmaninoff · 05-21-2011, 05:55 AM

Can't you attach a plugin on the master bus to do this?

Evan · 05-21-2011, 07:13 AM

I don't think so. Normalize is not possible via a plugin, it's an offline process. It needs access to the all sample data (basically, what the highest peak in the waveform is) before it determines what to do next.

musicbynumbers · 05-21-2011, 07:27 AM

This and normalise to RMS (sorry couldn't help myself!)

airon · 05-21-2011, 08:11 AM

Normalize to -23 LUFS

.

So post-render processing, thumbs up. Let's put up a feature request thread, feature request in the issue tracker and get some votes rolling.

musicbynumbers · 05-21-2011, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by airon

Normalize to -23 LUFS

.

So post-render processing, thumbs up. Let's put up a feature request thread, feature request in the issue tracker and get some votes rolling.

Whoops! nearly forgot to mention that one too!

very essential!

Let's put Reaper ahead in all the areas it's not really taken seriously yet

It really wouldn't take much additions to make post pro guys turn their heads if it saves them being "F'ed in the A" buy the pricing on some of the "pro" features!

swiftoid · 05-21-2011, 08:32 AM

Well, I'm pleasantly surprised. Normally any FRs involving the word "normalize" are met by a tirade of misinformed people convinced that normalizing is the devil's work and any who suggest it should be burned at the stake.

I've added a Tracker: http://forum.cockos.com/project.php?issueid=3354

Go vote now!

Btw, what's Normalize to -23 LUFS ? I haven't heard of that.

airon · 05-21-2011, 08:54 AM

See the EBU R128 link in my sig.

That request would be required to support normalizing to -23 LUFS, or as it's also known 0 LU. -23 LUFS is the absolute reference point.

Voted.

-edit-

A discussion thread for the FR in the feature request forum may be a good idea, or at least link back to this thread in the request.

kindafishy · 05-21-2011, 08:59 AM

Voted. This would be a godsend for me, personally. I don't limit at all, but I want my highest peak to be around -1 or -2dB when rendering. I always have to mess around with finicky shit to get this to happen.

+1

swiftoid · 05-21-2011, 09:20 AM

Thanks for the info.
Yeah, me too! So far I've edited about 300 sounds for my library, and I'm going crazy doing it without "auto-normalize". Btw, does reaper have a batch normalizer in it's batch tools?

musicbynumbers · 05-21-2011, 09:40 AM

If you have already glued the fx (with a 32bit float render) into them then why not select them all in the arrange and then use the normalise action?

There is one for relative and absolute

Then when you output them (maybe using the batch processor) this will be bounced with it.

swiftoid · 05-21-2011, 11:18 AM

Hmmm. That would mean importing each file individually into reaper, normalising it then rendering it again.
I was hoping that the batch file converter had the functionality to do that automatically, but it doesn't.

airon · 05-21-2011, 04:23 PM

Nah, just drag whole lot in to Reaper, say "Don't put them on separate tracks", select them all, normalize via action, run a script that creates regions from every item with its name in it and run the region-render process.

Of course a post-processing option would be much more efficient.

swiftoid · 05-22-2011, 01:02 AM

Interesting. Thanks.
Where do I obtain this script you speak of?

pixeltarian · 05-22-2011, 01:46 AM

the last time I used something like this was in tracktion they had a normalize option in the render dialog. every time I used it everything sounded awful after render.

moliere · 05-22-2011, 03:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pixeltarian

every time I used it everything sounded awful after render.

Ha, well I assume all we have to do is not request it to sound awful in the feature request and we're sweet?

swiftoid · 05-22-2011, 04:37 AM

It's the work of the devil I tells you!
No seriously, normalisation won't make things sound worse. All it does, to put it simply, is automatically adjust the master fader so that it's as loud as possible without clipping.

spikemullings · 05-22-2011, 06:31 AM

Do think it would be possible/desirable to have actions to apply fader level as normalisation to each item on a selected track/s?

So for example you could set up a roughly balanced mix and then have each item normalised to that level and the faders then re-set to zero? Or whatever you wanted?

pattonfreak1 · 05-22-2011, 07:21 AM

+1... especially if we could set the normalization dbs.

swiftoid · 05-22-2011, 10:29 AM

I can't see myself using that, but hey why not. Might be better as a separate feature request though.

spikemullings · 05-23-2011, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swiftoid

I can't see myself using that, but hey why not. Might be better as a separate feature request though.

Yes, sorry swiftoid. I'm a bugger for that

swiftoid · 05-23-2011, 10:57 AM

Aren't we all

airon · 05-27-2011, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swiftoid

Interesting. Thanks.
Where do I obtain this script you speak of?

You may need to write that yourself. Maybe the SWS extension already has such a function. I don't know

.

swiftoid · 06-02-2011, 01:17 PM

Just thought, this thread should probably be moved to the Feature Request forum. Can the mods oblige?

vidalsh · 06-02-2011, 02:06 PM

I don´t understand the meaning of normalize in render as all...

I´m using the master track as fx mastering in the own mix...

I usually put my fx mastering into master track, so I can mix into mastering mode...

so I can´t not understand why normalize render?

you always can normalize track or items, but in render?

swiftoid · 06-02-2011, 02:27 PM

I want "normalize on render" because after applying fx onto my sound fx, the volume level changes dramatically. Having an "auto-normalize" saves me having to play back the whole thing to set the master-fader level.
Basically it's like a post-fx normalize.

PLEASE NOTE: NORMALIZING IS OPTIONAL AND NON-DESTRUCTIVE.

swiftoid · 06-04-2011, 01:59 PM

To reiterate.

Quote:

Originally Posted by swiftoid

Just thought, this thread should probably be moved to the Feature Request forum. Can the mods oblige?

Marah Mag · 08-01-2011, 01:56 AM

I like this idea and have though of asking for it myself.

When rendering reference mixes, whether for myself or others, I'd like the option of having auto-normalization applied to bring it closer to a more typical level.

run, megalodon · 09-06-2011, 09:12 PM

This would be helpful. If I'm rendering a little idea or song quickly for reference or fun at the end of a session or anything that's not meant to be professional, I don't always feel like I need to give it a proper (home) mastering treatment with a limiter, so auto normalization would saves some steps and make things a bit breezier.

Valle · 09-06-2011, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pixeltarian

the last time I used something like this was in tracktion they had a normalize option in the render dialog. every time I used it everything sounded awful after render.

Maybe you didn't know how to use it and/or what it was for. Maybe you still don't since you haven't used it since.

sebaskopf · 09-07-2011, 04:04 AM

Doesnt' fit 100%, but if we add options to post-process all the rendered files, I'd also love to see the option to cut silence at the beginning and the end of a file - because I always cut and normalise my tracks in audacity afterwards, and it would be great if you could automate that and do it in REAPER

Evan · 09-07-2011, 04:25 AM

I am thinking if ReplayGain tagging could somehow fit into all this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReplayGain

Marah Mag · 09-27-2011, 05:30 PM

I'm bumping this.

It would be really useful to have an option to normalize renders, ideally to a user-specified level.

When making reference mixes for myself.. which makes up a large portion of my overt renders... I would use it all the time.

I's time for a formal FR.... or at least a discussion thread in the FR forum... this one is in pre-release.

Marah Mag · 09-27-2011, 05:31 PM

Yes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by swiftoid

Just thought, this thread should probably be moved to the Feature Request forum. Can the mods oblige?

run, megalodon · 09-27-2011, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marah Mag

I's time for a formal FR....

The link the tracker is in the first post: http://forum.cockos.com/project.php?issueid=3354

But yeah, this thread should be moved.

Marah Mag · 09-27-2011, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by run, megalodon

The link the tracker is in the first post: http://forum.cockos.com/project.php?issueid=3354

But yeah, this thread should be moved.

Ah yes. This thread is now folding in on itself.

I'd vote a second time if I could.

One could always just boost the master... but snot ideal.

swiftoid · 09-28-2011, 11:05 AM

Thanks Mods.

ngarjuna · 09-28-2011, 11:12 AM

I would think that the reason normalize isn't tied into render is because you can't normalize something before it has been completely rendered, right? I mean you could code it to analyze the audio (rather than just render it) and then apply the render/normalize as one function but that sounds like it would be slower than just rendering it out and then normalizing the result.

Obviously this could be combined in REAPER (control wise) but one function does seem to depend on the results of the other.