Continuous normalization with ELM 128

In this short video, we want to showcase one of the most exciting and innovative new features of the HoRNet ELM 128 plugin: continuous normalization. This groundbreaking feature is specifically designed to address one of the most common challenges audio professionals face during the mixing and mastering process—maintaining consistent loudness across an entire project. Whether you’re mixing vocals, instruments, podcasts, or any type of audio content, continuous normalization offers a solution to ensure that your audio maintains a consistent loudness level, eliminating the need for constant manual adjustments.

One of the primary difficulties with modern audio production is the fluctuating nature of volume levels across different segments of a project. As you may know, different pieces of media, such as music tracks, voice recordings, sound effects, or even podcasts, often vary in loudness due to their inherent dynamic range. For example, a singer’s voice may be much quieter in some parts of a song and louder in others, or some instruments may be recorded with varying levels of intensity. In the case of podcasts, the dialogue may change in loudness due to different speakers or microphone placement. These fluctuations can often create an inconsistent listening experience, especially for the end listener.

This is where HoRNet ELM 128’s continuous normalization feature comes into play. The plugin intelligently analyzes the loudness of your entire track, automatically adjusting the volume in real-time to ensure a consistent output. No matter how much the source material fluctuates or changes over time, the plugin will continuously monitor and correct any deviations from the desired loudness level. Continuous normalization essentially means that your audio is automatically adjusted on the fly, maintaining a steady volume throughout your mix.

The advantage of this is that it saves you time during the mixing process. Often, when mixing or mastering, you may find yourself constantly adjusting the volume of different tracks to ensure that they all sit well together. This process is often tedious and can be prone to errors, especially when working with multiple tracks that fluctuate in loudness. With continuous normalization, all of these adjustments are handled automatically, freeing you up to focus on more creative aspects of the mix.

Moreover, this feature eliminates the need for manual adjustments each time a volume discrepancy occurs. Without continuous normalization, you would need to repeatedly adjust individual track levels, apply compression or limiters, or automate volume envelopes in your DAW to account for changes in loudness. This can quickly become time-consuming and may not always produce the desired result. However, with HoRNet ELM 128’s continuous normalization, the plugin does all the heavy lifting for you, ensuring that you can focus on the artistic and creative aspects of your project rather than worrying about technical details.

For example, let’s say you are working on a vocal recording that has some parts that are naturally softer, while others are much louder. Instead of manually adjusting the volume of each part, you can enable continuous normalization to ensure that the entire vocal track stays at a consistent level, with no sudden drops or spikes in volume. The same applies to music tracks that have significant variations in loudness throughout the composition. Whether you are working with individual instruments or an entire band, continuous normalization ensures that the overall mix remains balanced.

Another area where continuous normalization can be especially useful is in the world of podcast production. Podcasts often feature multiple hosts, guests, or even call-in interviews, each with their own unique microphone setups and speaking volumes. In many cases, hosts or guests may speak louder or softer than others, creating noticeable differences in volume. Without continuous normalization, the audio engineer would have to manually adjust the levels for each speaker, a process that can become tedious and time-consuming. But with HoRNet ELM 128’s continuous normalization, the plugin automatically ensures that the volume remains consistent for each speaker throughout the entire podcast, creating a more professional and polished sound.

One of the most important benefits of continuous normalization is its impact on the final mix and mastering process. When preparing a track for release, achieving a consistent loudness level is crucial. If the loudness fluctuates too much, it can lead to an unbalanced or unprofessional listening experience. It can also make the mastering process more complicated, as you would need to manually adjust the volume or apply compression and limiting to even out the track. With HoRNet ELM 128, however, the loudness is already consistent, making the mastering process much smoother and more efficient.

Another significant advantage is the plugin’s ability to maintain the dynamic range of the track while applying the normalization. Unlike traditional compression or limiting techniques, which can sometimes reduce the dynamics of a track, continuous normalization ensures that the overall dynamic feel of your music or audio content remains intact. It doesn’t squash the life out of the track; instead, it keeps the natural rise and fall of the audio intact while ensuring that the overall loudness stays consistent. This is particularly important in genres such as classical music, jazz, or cinematic scores, where dynamic range is a vital part of the listening experience.

Moreover, HoRNet ELM 128 provides a visual interface that allows you to monitor the plugin’s performance and see the adjustments it’s making in real-time. This gives users an added layer of control and transparency, allowing you to track the changes in loudness and fine-tune the settings as needed.

This feature is not only useful for traditional music producers but is also invaluable for post-production engineers, sound designers, and even audiobook producers. It simplifies the process of balancing different elements in a mix, such as dialogue, sound effects, and music, without requiring constant intervention or the need for complex routing or automation.

In conclusion, HoRNet ELM 128’s continuous normalization feature is an essential tool for modern audio production. Whether you’re working with vocals, music tracks, podcasts, or any other type of audio content, this feature ensures that your output maintains a steady and consistent loudness level, offering a more professional and polished sound. The beauty of this feature lies in its simplicity—it’s a set-it-and-forget-it tool that automatically handles the loudness issues that often arise during production. No more worrying about sudden loudness changes affecting your mix or mastering process. With HoRNet ELM 128, achieving optimal sound quality and ease of use has never been easier. Stay tuned for more updates and tips on how to make the most of this powerful feature in your projects!