mp3gain tells me 50%+ of my mp3s are already peaking! Huh???

[quarterback]

I've seen this app recommended here a few times.  It normalizes all your mp3s, is freeware and has what seem to be good options as far as keeping entire albums at the correct (relative) levels.

I got it because it drives me crazy when I have to turn the volume up and down all the time.  I know I have quiet mp3s littered throughout my collection and I'd love to have all my songs at pretty much the same volume level

However, when it analyzes my mp3s, it wants to turn them all DOWN!   According to its analysis, most of my mp3s are already clipping.  According to the help file, this means that my songs are breaking up at the loudest points.   

Code: [Select]

“Clipping” means that when the mp3 file is decoded by your player, some of the sound samples will be too loud. The player will “clip” these samples so that they do not exceed the maximum allowable value. This clipping creates a sort of rough, “scratchy” sound during loud parts of the song.
That's complete rubbish.  Sure, it's possible that some of my thousands and thousands mp3s are clipping, but HALF of them?  No freaking way.  I don't buy it.  I've gone through a handful of those songs that it claims are peaking and there's no "scratchy" sounds at all.  Below is a screenshot of the analysis.   Anybody else encounter this with mp3gain?  Any other suggestions of apps that do this kind of volume adjustments?

[sarge]

It wants to turn them all down because they are all recorded at levels higher than 89 dB (what you have your target volume set at).  I had several of my MP3's show up as clipping when I did my library too.  In my case it worked well for me and didn't affect the audio quality on any of my tracks.  If you are concerned you can always try a few and see what happens.  MP3 Gain allows you to undo the changes it has made (as long as you have certain options checked).

[Sparky2323]

You can always raise the "Target Normal Volume" from 89db to 95db. A lot of mine were around 95 so I raised it to that and everything sounds around the same volume and I didn't notice any loss in quality.

[quarterback]

Unfortunately, that's not what's happening.  The "clip (track)" and "clip (album)" columns will change based on what your target volume is, but the  "clipping" column does not. 

Those mp3s will be listed as clipping no matter what I set the "target normal volume" at.  I've tested it and it's true.   I've scanned files with the setting at 100dB and it still says that my songs are clipped.   Additionally, take another look at that picture I've attached.  There are a lot of mp3s above the target level os 89dB that are not listed as "clipping", even some that are as loud as 94.6dB, but yet others are listed as clipped. 

This is why I don't understand this app.   It's not telling me that by setting that target volume my mp3s WILL clip, it's saying that all of those mp3s already ARE clipped even without any adjustment.

[Silver]

Not sure about that app as not sure what exactly it's scanning/reading to detect "volume level" (average? max?) or clipping.

However, if you are after consistent volume song to song, lowering to a common level will have the same impact as raising.....

[quarterback]

However, if you are after consistent volume song to song, lowering to a common level will have the same impact as raising.....

Yeah, but my biggest complaint when using my iPod in my car is that some of my music is too low.  I end up having to crank the volume on my stereo and when I unplug the ipod and it switches to FM, it's always really really loud.

In the end, I guess it doesn't matter. I just hoped somebody around here knew of some setting or something with mp3gain that would fix this.
qb

[richms]

Most music is clipped already, some of it very heavily. thats my cds made recently tend to sound like crap, they have being compressed past 0dB and then limited back to fit within the 96dB of range you get on a cd.

2 consecutive samples at the limit is defiantly clipped, 2 within 3dB of the limit may be clipped.

When you encode something the frequencies will add together differently so something that was not clipped in the wave file may be clipped when its being encoded and decoded.

MP3 gain is just telling you that when decoded it will have a portion that is trying to go over 0dB - therefore it is clipped on playback. Since a lot of people normalize their music up to 0dB then that will make that happen.