Volume Levelling question

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Blackers800
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2017 8:58 am

Volume Levelling question

Post by Blackers800 »

I'm ripping my CDs as FLAC
I'd like to level the volume of some CDs as I rip & encode them, as some of them are mastered too loud (a well documented problem since the mid 1990s)

In MM, is there a link between the:

(1) "Tools / Options / Player / Volume Leveling / Target Volume For Ripping CDs" (default 89db) setting

and the:

(2) "Tools / Rip Audio CD / Level Track Volume" check box?

No matter what value I set in the target volume field in (1), setting the check box in (2) reduces the gain by a ridiculously huge amount in the output FLAC file.

Thanks in advance
Blackers800
Lowlander
Posts: 56491
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:53 pm
Location: MediaMonkey 5

Re: Volume Levelling question

Post by Lowlander »

Yes.

However I'd suggest to not use level volume as it alters the audio (so you're no longer lossless). Instead use Analyze Volume after you Rip the files. It calculates the volume offset and saves that to a tag. You can always apply volume leveling on sync/DLNA streaming/disc burning as needed if target hardware doesn't support it through the tag.
Blackers800
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2017 8:58 am

Re: Volume Levelling question

Post by Blackers800 »

Thanks for clear explanation. Cheers
Dan33185
Posts: 233
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 4:36 pm

Re: Volume Levelling question

Post by Dan33185 »

Lowlander wrote:Yes.

However I'd suggest to not use level volume as it alters the audio (so you're no longer lossless). Instead use Analyze Volume after you Rip the files. It calculates the volume offset and saves that to a tag. You can always apply volume leveling on sync/DLNA streaming/disc burning as needed if target hardware doesn't support it through the tag.
Question about Analyze volume: This will not alter the actual file at all, correct? I want to be able to play MP3 files on my portable player in the car, and have them all at the same volume, and it seems like Analyze Volume would do this, but I don't want to alter the files permanently to do this. Also, if it doesn't alter the files permanently, is there a way to reverse Analyze Volume in the future on these files if I want to? Hope that makes sense.
Lowlander
Posts: 56491
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:53 pm
Location: MediaMonkey 5

Re: Volume Levelling question

Post by Lowlander »

Analyze Volume calculates the volume offset and saves it to a tag (leaving audio untouched). This means that it's up to the Player to be able to use this to modify the volume per Track on playback to get the same volume on all tracks. MediaMonkey can do this (both on Windows and Android) and MediaMonkey can sync this to the Apple equivalent for Apple devices. Basic MP3 players however generally can't do this and does require the actual audio to be leveled instead. MediaMonkey can do this on-the-fly when syncing leaving the originals on your PC untouched.

Analyze Volume (Track or Album Volume) are often an option (both MediaMonkey's allow you to enable/disable using this). There is no remove tag info from MediaMonkey option (I presume an Addon could do this), but Track Volume does allow manual editing (only in Filelisting).
Dan33185
Posts: 233
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 4:36 pm

Re: Volume Levelling question

Post by Dan33185 »

Lowlander wrote:MediaMonkey can do this on-the-fly when syncing leaving the originals on your PC untouched.
Selecting this I'm assuming?

Image

So if I select that, it will only alter the files that are being synced to my portable player, not the original files on my PC if I understand correctly?
Lowlander
Posts: 56491
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:53 pm
Location: MediaMonkey 5

Re: Volume Levelling question

Post by Lowlander »

Yes, correct.
Dan33185
Posts: 233
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 4:36 pm

Re: Volume Levelling question

Post by Dan33185 »

Awesome, thanks for the help!
Dan33185
Posts: 233
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 4:36 pm

Re: Volume Levelling question

Post by Dan33185 »

Is there any way to do that without reconverting each file as it's syncing?
Lowlander
Posts: 56491
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:53 pm
Location: MediaMonkey 5

Re: Volume Levelling question

Post by Lowlander »

What do you mean by re-converting?

There is no way to cache leveled tracks for a future sync.
Dan33185
Posts: 233
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 4:36 pm

Re: Volume Levelling question

Post by Dan33185 »

this is what it says on every file when syncing after clicking "level volume when synchronizing audio":

Image
Lowlander
Posts: 56491
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Location: MediaMonkey 5

Re: Volume Levelling question

Post by Lowlander »

And the originals are MP3?
Dan33185
Posts: 233
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 4:36 pm

Re: Volume Levelling question

Post by Dan33185 »

Yeah, all I have are MP3's in my library
Lowlander
Posts: 56491
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:53 pm
Location: MediaMonkey 5

Re: Volume Levelling question

Post by Lowlander »

It might be mislabeled.
Dan33185
Posts: 233
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 4:36 pm

Re: Volume Levelling question

Post by Dan33185 »

Lowlander wrote:It might be mislabeled.
All files are giving me that message though.
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