Normalize vs gain (Audiosuite)

[jake9n]

What's the difference between processing using the gain and normalize functions? I keep getting told that Normalizing is bad, but havent got a good answer as to why. Does Normalize act as a sort of limiter?

[MissHiss]

In most respects, they're similar. The difference is that with normalize you set what level you want your loudest sample to be. With gain, you set a specific level to boost (or cut) everything by. Sometimes, for example, you might want to boost the level of a region, but not necessarily to have the loudest sample at full code. You can certainly achieve the same result with both; it's the same function, but it has to do with how you're "thinking" about a track.

Think of gain as how much you want to boost (or cut) by; think of normalize as what you want to boost to.

[aux]

Normalize is not acting as a limiter. The difference is how the audio is approached and when to use. Normalizing looks at the loudest point and gains everything according to this, using percentages. Gaining is an absolute value, set by the user. Although you can find the peak first and gain according to this. I seldomly use normalizing, because I want to known the real value it boosts, instead of a relative point.

[MidnightFlyer]

I use the normalize function in a strange way that most people don't consider.

Along with using my ears, I mix "using my eyes", and when a stray note gets away from me, meaning a bass note is 'too loud', or a note or phrase is too low, or too loud in the mix, you can see it there in the waveform. That's when I normalize - to either reduce or increase the size of the waveform so that it conforms with the others. Since we're talking about audiosuite here, obviously it takes a few attempts to get it right.

[Cyamarin]

MidnightFlyer, There's actually a way you can increase the size of the waveform (not the track height, the actual apparent amplitude of the waveform), without affecting the audio. You might consider this. I'm sorry I can't tell you offhand what it is.