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(Replaygain, Equalizer) with Compressor?

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grums:
Just a few quick questions about the theory behind these:
In which order are they applied, what is the expected outcome when they're applied together (are they working against each orher)?

Buschel:
We apply gain before the compressor.

The effect of replaygain is just a linear scaling of all samples, the compressor is non-linear and more complex and there are quite some settings that effect the processing. Generally speaking the compressor makes the signal louder.

Nevertheless using compressor _and_ replaygain is a bit strange. This is because replaygain is used to provide equal loudness over several files under the assumption of linear processing. If there is any compression or eq applied to the signal the loudness of the file changes. As a result replaygain cannot provide equal loudness aynmore.

grums:
I see - but if you a) use replaygain, and b) set the Makeup Gain Compressor setting to off, the quieter parts (below the threshold) of the different tracks will have the same relative level as with the Compressor off, and only the signals above the threshold are compressed (which is not so drastic)?

Blue Dude:
For what it's worth, I use both replay gain and the compressor.  Replay gain (in album mode, no clipping, amplified) normalizes the volume across all tracks in an album, and amplifies the signal to the maximum allowable without clipping, and without volume changes across tracks.  The compressor (with makeup gain in auto) then crushes the dynamic range to allow the perceived loudness to increase further.  They perform two different functions and don't necessarily work against each other.  In the above fashion they work cooperatively to create the best case gain structure with minimum distortion.

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