Should I use normalization?
Short answer
For long-form narration, it's not your best approach, and I don't recommend it.
Longer answer
The degree of impact normalization has on your audio is determined by the highest peak (loudest point) of the recording. For this reason, applying normalization can result in widely different amounts of gain adjustment in from clip to clip. One errant peak can really change how normalization effects a
piece of audio. This is less likely to occur in shorter clips, which is why you'll hear folks like George Whittam recommend it - his focus is on short-form, commercial VO. In long-form narration, however, the possibility of an irregular spike in your recording increases.
Why should you worry about this? Your goal is to create an audiobook that is consistent from chapter-to-chapter. Because normalization treats each clip differently according to the highest peak, you'll never be 100% certain of the results. Ultimately, I can't recommend an approach that provides inconsistent results.
Real-life illustration.
The following table and graphics present two chapters from a book I mastered. The Total RMS of each is nearly identical, but the Sample Peak is quite different. Normalizing is going to increase the loudness of each file according to the Sample Peak. If we normalize each file to -3 dB, the Total RMS of Chapter 4 will increase significantly (8.69 dB) but Chapter 5 will change very little (2.57 dB)Raw | Raw | Normalized to -3 dB | Normalized to -3 dB | ||
Clip | Total RMS | Sample Peak | Potential Change | Total RMS | Sample Peak |
Chapter 4 | -33.84 dB | -11.69 dB | 8.69 dB increase | -25.15 dB | -3.00 dB |
Chapter 5 | -33.35 dB | -5.57 dB | 2.57 dB increase | -30.77 dB | -3.00 dB |
Chapter 4, raw:
Chapter 5, normalized to -3 dB
Extra Credit
Here's a oldie but goodie article that explains some common myths about normalization: http://www.hometracked.com/2008/04/20/10-myths-about-normalization/
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