MP3Gain Usage Guide

[aquatika]

MP3Gain Usage Guide (Maximizing guide originally posted by westgroveg at HA).


Clipping Removal (Maximizing)

"Clipping" is when the music hits max volume and gets distorted. The MP3Gain Maximizing process will make an MP3 file as loud as is possible with no clipping and can help the "iPod EQ distorts my music" complaint.

To permanently remove clipping and keep volume differences between each track on an album (Album Gain) you will need MP3Gain:

MP3Gain

Install and open MP3Gain, go to:

Options\Advanced\Enable Maximizing Features (tick this option)

Click the "Track Analysis" button list arrow, click "Album Analysis" from the drop down list & then press the "Album Analysis" button.

MP3Gain will analyze the file(s) & embed an ID3 tag with the analysis results into the file(s). These tags can only be read by software or hardware players that support this feature.

Now if any MP3 file in MP3Gain has a "Y" under the clip (Track) or clip (album) rows click "Modify Gain" from the menu bar & select the "Apply Max-No-clip Gain for Album" command. This will physically apply the album gain changes to the file(s).

This process is 100% lossless & reversible.

Gain changes will then be reflected on ANY MP3 decoder, be it hardware or software.

Notes: Maximizing is only recommended for "Album" gain changes.

If you need to have all your MP3 files at the same volume (normalized) do a "Track Analysis" and apply "Track Gain" to your music files.

By changing the default "Normal" volume value that MP3Gain uses (89db) you can increase or lower the volume of your MP3 files.
How far you can increase the volume of the files without introducing clipping or distortion is down to the user and should be tested fully to ensure satisfactory results.

For more info on the Replay Gain standard that MP3Gain uses see here

***WARNING***
If you use Soundcheck, if at all possible, apply MP3Gain before letting iTunes scan your files for Soundcheck. Applying MP3Gain after the Soundcheck scan has been carried out may interfere with correct Soundcheck operation on the iPod and in iTunes.

See here

and

here

[slicky]

sticky, please. Well done, Aquatika.

~slicky

[shabbs]

Great stuff aquatica.

MP3Gain is a very good utility and should be a part of everyone's MP3 Tool Set (along with EAC, LAME, ID3 Tag-It etc...).

Don't you just hate it when you've got a party mix pumping through your home stereo and some songs are quiet while some are loud? MP3Gain is the answer as indicated by aquatica's post.

Very slick utility indeed.

Some purists frown on normalizing like this but I think it's a great way to ensure all your MP3s have the same level.

Cheers.

[SeminoleRob]

Hey, 1st post!

I've been looking for something like this for all my old AC/DC and Van Halen CDs that came out in 85 and are really quiet compared to today's standards. Thanks!

[slicky]

These images are from MP3Gain's well written help file. Shouldn't be a problem posting it here (crosses fingers). The graph was created to illustrate the differences between the Album and Track modes. Always helps to visualize key concepts.

~slicky

(graphs by David Robinson)

[aquatika]

Nice graph slicky, it really highlights the difference between the various MP3Gain modes.

[Doug Gilmour]

I've found a similar app for the Macintosh audience. I'm not sure how effective it is, but I suppose it's better than nothing. It is integrated into iTunes, I'll try it out later on.

MacMp3Gain

-Dan

[slicky]

I just took a look at it and after a cursory glance, it looks like the featureset is the same. It's actually just a front end for command line version - which is windows. Hmm..

BIG However!!! In the FAQ it states that it's not easy for the changes made to be UNdone! The author recommends backing up your mp3 files. That's not good.

~slicky

[shabbs]

Originally posted by slicky
In the FAQ it states that it's not easy for the changes made to be UNdone! The author recommends backing up your mp3 files. That's not good.

That is strange - volume level changes should be "lossless" - they should not affect the rest of the audio file. Is it doing anything else?

[LinkinJunior]

has anyone had any problems trying to play .aac audio files on a iPod that were normalize with the mp3gain?

[slicky]

MP3Gain doesn't work on AAC files. It's MP3s only. Are you sure you're using MP3Gain?

~slicky

[LinkinJunior]

Originally posted by slicky
MP3Gain doesn't work on AAC files. It's MP3s only. Are you sure you're using MP3Gain?

~slicky

I was actually surprised to find out that mp3gain had finally been implemented with aac support.
It seems to work fine, the music plays normally in iTunes. But I noticed that some songs that went through mp3gain (with aac support) weren't playing in iPod, also the bitrate would change as well.

http://mp3gain.sourceforge.net/news.php

[slicky]

Well what do you know. I tested it out and it worked for me. Converted an album of mp3s to AAC, ran them through MP3Gain, then manually loaded them onto the iPod. They appear to play fine. Need more details as to what you're doing.

~slicky

[LinkinJunior]

I exactly did what you done, and i'm using iTunes 4.7 and the 4G iPod. It's weird, sometimes they play and sometimes they don't. The iPod would just skip the song and play the next. I'm thinking of reformatting my iPod, just to see if the problem occurs again. Thanks for checking it out yourself.

[Emerson]

Hey, thought I'd jump into the fray RE MP3Gain. After spending a considerable amount of time normalizing my entire collection to 89.3 using MP3/AAC gain, I have found that there is still a big difference between some songs. Do I need to reset the Ipod, take the songs out of ITunes and then put them back in, etc? to make this work? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!