DP-24 SD Normalization Woes

[JohnnyStubble]

I am posting a question that I am perplexed with. I have been working on a song for quite a few months. Everything went quite smoothly until mixing and mastering. I was following directions from a DP24 video but I have a DP24SD. Anyway, I got as far as the normalizing and accepted the Yes to complete. I realized that the compression I had set in standard mode Rock 5 was on but I did not record it. It sounds great on playback but is it now likely that I don't have many options to save this song because the compression option is not recorded but just activated? Also, I didn't press record after the normalization but I don't think that matters. I may have another copy of the song but I think I changed the title in save mode, but didn't copy it.

 

[Mark Richards]

"...I got as far as the normalizing and accepted the Yes to complete...compression had set but I did not record it...compression just activated?"


Welcome to the forum.

Have you tried using the "Undo" button in Master Mode to start over with the unaltered master that resulted from your mixdown?

You may want to review Phil Tipping's free video on Mastering that's accessible on one of the four stickies at the top of the first page of the DP24/32 forum.

 

[JohnnyStubble]

Thanks. I have viewed but may view again. Thanks for any help. Appreciated. I tried to undo but I will play with it some more.

 

[Mark Richards]

"It sounds great on playback but is it now likely that I don't have many options to save this song because the compression option is not recorded but just activated?

I just ran a test. Normalizing creates a backup file, and I was able to return to the non-normalized original master backup file.

Normalize should have raised the overall level of the master as long as you had a reasonable average to peak signal ratio. If you had a poor average to peak ratio, Normalize wouldn't have had much of an impact.

Be that as it may, if it still sounds good to you running through the compressor after being normalized, what are your meters showing?

If everything is still in the green, press "record" and enjoy the processed master. At that point you can go back to the "Normalized only" master by pressing Re-Do if you don't care for the result.

 

[-mjk-]

You should record the compression and EQ first. After that, turn them off to listen to the mastered track. Undo will revert to the previous version, and pressing Undo again will restore it. So you can listen to before/after. Then you can normalize of you want. That's not a record process. Pressing Yes initiates it. Again, pressing Undo allows you to listen to before and after processing versions.

 

[JohnnyStubble]

I pressed undo for the deletion of the normalization--then-- with the compression "on" I then pressed record (I had never recorded the compression on this song). I believe it recorded the compression but, for sure, it undid the normalization because I had lower output. Then I listened to it with the compression in the off position. then I pressed the button for normalization. In reading and comments, that normalization is the end process without having to record again.

 

[-mjk-]

@JohnnyStubble you did everything the right way. Record the compression and/or EQ, then normalize. Use Undo button to undo/redo for comparison.

 

[JohnnyStubble]

Thank you for your input.

 

[tapeman01]

Yesterday I completed my very first recording on my new DP-24 SD. A straight forward recording of 6 mono tracks and 3 stereo tracks - a normal 70's rockband set-up of organ, drums, bass, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, 3 backing singers, and 2 stereo tracks with some FX. I have gone through all the procedures: Tracking, mixdown, mastering and normalization. It sounded very well with an airy, transparent sound I like. But after applying "Normalization", the recording seems to be more "compact" and far too punchy for my taste, as if some of the finer details are lost in the mix. I have made 2 mixes one with and one without normalization and played them on my regular HiFi for my family and they prefer the non-normalized mix. So for now I am not using it.

 

[David Porter]

That seems to be the consensus here - skip the normalization and attain the proper overall "master" gain/level by using the gain control in the mastering mode.