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IDProjectCategoryView StatusLast Update
0007523ardourfeaturespublic2017-12-14 19:37
ReporterUnixMan Assigned To 
PrioritynormalSeverityfeatureReproducibilityN/A
Status newResolutionopen 
Summary0007523: Please add option to normalize region by a given LUfs value, not only by peak
Description
Currently, "gain" submenu in regions offers the possibility to normalize them, which may be very handy. Unfortunately, it only allows to do so by max peak value.

It would be very useful to also add the possibility to normalize by a given LUFS value (adding options for other metering standards may be useful, too).

Thanks for attention, and keep up with your grat work!
TagsNo tags attached.

Activities

mhartzel

2017-12-12 11:52

reporter   ~0020098

Another Ardour user here. Normalizing to 0 LU would be great for voice normalization, but it is not simple.

- First the loudness of the clip needs to be measured.
- Then the possible amount of limiting needs to calculated and applied.
- Limiting a file might change its loudness, so loudness needs to be measured again after limiting.
- Then the final loudness correction can be applied.

I needed to do this on my open source project (freelcs) that does automatic adjustment of audio files to 0 LU. There are always some files with low initial loudness but high peaks. Raising loudness to 0 LU of such a file results in clipping, so the file needs also be limited.

UnixMan

2017-12-14 18:42

reporter   ~0020099

Last edited: 2017-12-14 18:45

@mhartzel: what you are asking is a whole different story... it would require at least a lot of compression and limiting, and perhaps other processing. Which will likely require manual control. IMHO it's definitely not something which may be added to the Ardour region gain menu. You need to setup an appropriate plug-in chain to process your track. (BTW: 0 LUFS? :-O Are u sure? That would be insanely loud... the broadcating standard is -23 LUFS!)

Anyway, what I am asking is much simpler, and only require setting the region gain, exactly as is done by the current region normalization by peak.

Of course one must be careful not to cause clipping, or the function may be self-limited (that is, do not reach the required level if doing so would cause clipping).

My goal is simply to quickly, easily and precisely "pre-level" some regions/tracks (make them all "loud" the same) before mixing or mastering, etc.

The code for LUFS-based normalization is already there (in the Ardour export "module"), so I guess that it should be an almost trivial modification to add what I'm asking for.

mhartzel

2017-12-14 19:37

reporter   ~0020101

Hi UnixMan :) 0 LU = -23 LUFS, both scales are defined in the R128 loudness standard.

Just saying that doing this properly is not so simple. If it sometimes adjusts correctly to -23 LUFS and sometimes not (depending on the peaks) it kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it.

Anyway since I'm not a Ardour developer I can not say if it will be implemented or not. Just wanted to bring the problem of peaks to everybodys attention in this case.

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
2017-12-11 16:56 UnixMan New Issue
2017-12-12 11:52 mhartzel Note Added: 0020098
2017-12-14 18:42 UnixMan Note Added: 0020099
2017-12-14 18:43 UnixMan Note Edited: 0020099
2017-12-14 18:44 UnixMan Note Edited: 0020099
2017-12-14 18:45 UnixMan Note Edited: 0020099
2017-12-14 19:37 mhartzel Note Added: 0020101