Normalized audio plays back *very* loud

[diprotic]

So I've just about finished a wedding DVD. During editing the audio didn't sound too loud, but after exporting from iMovie, I need to listen at less than quarter volume if it won't blow my ears right out.

I imported the audio track into Audacity and I don't see any clipping, but it is definitely normalized to 0dB and it's fairly compressed.

From my past experience I thought this was normal/standard to normalize to 0dB, but I'm afraid most people will be alarmed and scramble to turn down their TVs when this DVD plays.

I'm happy with the relative levels of the whole clip--it's just, overall, way too loud.

Should I take a few dB out of the whole clip? Is it normal/acceptable to have a sequence not normalized to 0dB? Or maybe is it my computer, and it will play OK on a set top box?

Thanks!

[hello_hello]

"Normalising" is the term generally used to describe increasing the audio until the peaks are at maximum. The whole audio volume is altered by the same amount so the relative volume remains the same throughout (no compression).

I don't know what iMovie's normalising might do.... whether it compresses too. One way to find out might be to export the original audio, load it into Audacity, use Audacity to normalize it, then compare it to the iMovie normalised version.

If you think it's too loud it's not against the rules to reduce it a bit but it might be relative.... one of the common complaints regarding "professional" DVD audio (mainly AC3) is that it's too quiet.

[diprotic]

"Normalising" is the term generally used to describe increasing the audio until the peaks are at maximum. The whole audio volume is altered by the same amount so the relative volume remains the same throughout (no compression).

I don't know what iMovie's normalising might do.... whether it compresses too. One way to find out might be to export the original audio, load it into Audacity, use Audacity to normalize it, then compare it to the iMovie normalised version.

If you think it's too loud it's not against the rules to reduce it a bit but it might be relative.... one of the common complaints regarding "professional" DVD audio (mainly AC3) is that it's too quiet.

I agree, especially on that last bit. My first thought was "it's always possible to turn down, not always possible to turn up." But this is just too much IMHO. Maybe I'll try backing it off to -12dB, which can still get pretty loud but won't require the scrambling with remote syndrome.

[jagabo]

DVD AC3 audio is not normalized to 0 dB. It's usually around -15 dB. Actually, it is normalized to 0 dB -- but that includes big peaks for explosions and other special effects. Normal dialog and music is down around -15 dB

[diprotic]

DVD AC3 audio is not normalized to 0 dB. It's usually around -15 dB. Actually, it is normalized to 0 dB -- but that includes big peaks for explosions and other special effects. Normal dialog and music is down around -15 dB

So, if I follow, it is totally acceptable to normalize an all-speech/music DVD to -12 or -15dB?

[budwzr]

Think of a tunnel and you're pulling a boat with a tall mast. You want to squash the mast, not cut it off. Think of a telescoping car antenna. It still works when squashed, just not as strong a signal.

Or a teeter-totter. When one side is on the ground, the other is up in the air. When it levels off, that's normalization.

Hehehe, I've evaded the high-flying circling audio-expert vultures by using metaphors. I'm impervious this time, hahaha.

[hello_hello]

I'd agree with jagabo, so yes it's quite acceptable.

[jagabo]

So, if I follow, it is totally acceptable to normalize an all-speech/music DVD to -12 or -15dB?

Yes. That's where all the commercial DVDs I've seen are.