You mean I have to manually set the normalize switch for each audio track for each new project? I can't lock it in the on position??

The "loop" switch just above it always defaults on... there must be a way to default the normalize switch on??

Normalizing audio requires Vegas to run a function that scans the audio file to find the loudest peak. From that it calculates how much gain is required to bring that to the defined Normalize level.
If you later split the event then this value changes. That's why there's also a button to Recalc peaks.

You should normally NOT normalize audio. In combination with audio FX's such as Eq you will cause clipping.

Bob.

I agree - do not normally normalize.
What you can do to make life easier is to change the default track FXes. Add the ones you want to be standard to an audio track (Things like EQ, reverb and perhaps graphic dynamics would be normal choices. Then rightclick the track head and select Set default track properties. Next time you insert an audio track it will have the FX you selected. They will be activated BUT only with their default individual settings.

If you make an FX packet though, the setting of the individual FXs will be kept at what they were when you made the packet.

Instead of normalizing, make Graphic Dynamics (or Wave Hammer) the last FX in you chain. That way you can set it so that whatever comes from that track will be within the limits.
Tor

yes... thankyou... but I already know what normalize does and it's not really what I'm asking.

Maybe I'm going at this the wrong way... let's try this:

I know that I can set Adobe Audition up to automatically normalize a track on import. (In fact I can set it up to normalize not just to 0db, but to what ever value I initially choose). What i'm asking is if there is a way to automatically normalize on import to Vegas?

"Instead of normalizing, make Graphic Dynamics (or Wave Hammer) the last FX in you chain. That way you can set it so that whatever comes from that track will be within the limits."

I just caught this... of course... I knew there was something easy I was missing! I can do this with wave hammer.

Thanks TorS!

Even that approach is not exactly a panacea for all audio ills.
You really need to study the Audio Signal Flowchart in the Vegas manual and have a good understanding of how compressors work.

A compressor actually works by decreasing gain.
It only does anything to a signal above the Knee.
You can in most compressors tick a box "auto gain makeup" or some such. Proceed with caution.

Be aware that there are switches within Vegas than can change signal paths (pre/post track fader).

Be aware that even though your master level meter might say you are well below clipping with Vegas or any such application you can cause interstage clipping and pretty bad audio that you might not notice immediately and I'm going to stop typing now or I'll be at this for a week :)

Seriously, this is a huge topic and one that catches people out and it matters a lot in this game. Sound is a subtle thing. Get it wrong and it has a profound effect on how people see your vision. Audiences will put up with all manner of visual horrors that are bleeding obvious. Get audio wrong and it can be very hard to realise why your work is emptying a cinema or your lounge room.

Now here's a tip and I learned this from a long departed member of the Vegas audio forum.

If you want to get a bunch of audio clips to sound roughly the same before mixing use the Normalise function in Sound Forge. Select RMS, not peak which is what Vegas uses. Tick the Apply Dynamic Limiting If Clipping Occurs box. Select -20dB so you don't blast people at this stage up front. This could probably be batched through SF9. This will get everything sounding in the same ball park if you really messed up your recording.

Bob.

Now here's a tip ...

Thanks very much Bob!!
I've seen this techique mentioned before but your wording does a great job of explaining it.

Mike

"Now here's a tip and I learned this from a long departed member of the Vegas audio forum."

I've been posting this tip on various forums since at least 1997 (and I'm still here.)

Here's a link to one from 2005 which goes into a little more detail:

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=361151

Thanks for that John, duly read, noted and bookmarked.

It wasn't you I was referring to, first and about the only time I've read of this technique was from Red in the audio forum. That was in reference to mastering audio, the quick and dirty way.

Bob.

If normalizing all your clips in a project is really what you did want, you could just use a free script to normalize them all in one click.