How do I keep quiet passages quiet when bouncing with normalization?

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Level 1

21 points

How do I keep quiet passages quiet when bouncing with normalization?

I do a spoken-word podcast. There is a 2-second gap between paragraphs. While the file is in Logic Pro X, everything sounds perfect and the gaps are silent. If I bounce it without normalization, the audio file is too quiet and people complain; if I turn on normalization, the file is at the right sound level but all of those quiet passages progressively become louder with hiss (any random background noise, things that should normally be below the threshold). How can I prevent normalization from gradually raising the gain of the silent passages? The rising-noise pauses sound abysmal.

Posted on Jul 9, 2014 3:40 PM

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Answer 1

Pancenter

Level 6

14,644 points

Jul 9, 2014 5:41 PM in response to BrianDunning

Brian..

Are you also using compression?

The results you're speaking of are usually not the result of normalization but the result of having a compressor in line.

I think the hiss getting louder is also present in the file without normalization but since the whole file is quiet you don't notice it.

Using a compressor with gate might be your best bet.

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Answer 2

BrianDunning Author

Level 1

21 points

Jul 9, 2014 7:33 PM in response to Pancenter

I am a little bit embarrassed -- because I just now discovered the cause after months. It was that the "Music" app on my iPhone was set to the "Late Night" EQ setting, which performs this automatic levelizing as a track plays. I've no idea how long it's been set, probably years. I was about to buy a new set of studio monitors because the hiss I get from my iPhone doesn't show up when I listen to the track on my computer. I've been trying to solve this for months, and it never occurred to me the cause was on the playback side. (I do the "crappy speakers" test via my phone.)

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