I've read many threads here about whether its better to Audio Analyze vs. Normalize, but I'm not sure the matter is settled.
Audio Analyze is a volume analysis that sets a parameter in the music file that can be used by playback software to adjust the volume at play-time.
Normalize is a change to the sound level in the file itself, so it "sticks" no matter how/where the music is played.
Normalize seems more desirable because it is a universal adjustment of the file's volume, no matter what the playback situation. But in MC forums I find cautions that Normalize reduces the quality of the recording.
The issues I've found:
+ When played back via a system that doesn't recognize the "adjust the level" parameter (Netgear MC101 has some trouble with this), the Audio Analyze values don't seem to help every song.
+ When processed via several audio editing/library systems (Sony Sound Forge and others), Normalize is the prominent way to standardize volume levels.
+ Sometimes, Audio Analyze doesn't seem to get a firm grip on a recording, or perhaps the analysis is thrown off by some recording characteristic, so even played through MC or an iPod, some songs can be too soft or loud compared with almost everything else.
Given that MP3 is already a compromise in quality, what's the real impact of Normalizing it too?
Thoughts?