Question - MacMP3Gain didn't work. What next?

Question

Can you people help me?
I'm trying to make a CD out of a bunch of music I downloaded (legally just in case there are some sticklers on the board!!).
The music is from different sources, so there are huge volume changes from song to song which I would like to smooth out or equalize so everything sounds the same, volume-wise.
As mentioned on this board, I downloaded and tried MacMP3Gain to try to fix that, but it didn't seem to work at all. I noticed no change.
So since iTunes equalization doesn't carry over to a CD we make, do you people have any other ideas as to what I should do?
Thanks,
Mylesaway

Answer 1

I've used MP3Gain and if I rememeber there is only so much it can do or else distortion begins to occur. The stuff that's way out of line only gets adjusted so far to the optimal.
Soundcheck doesn't work all that well, but I've found Volume Logic, which is a iTunes plug-in that does better volume adjustments and actually engineers the music as it's played. It's really sounds awesome if you got a good sound system.
Unfortunatly the changes don't carry to cd because the files are not altered. Their site explains why different cd's sound different and why a sound engineer has to make all songs on a cd sound and carry similar volumes. Doing this across different cd's makers is quite a challenge. Which their software does as best as it can in real time. I do find I don't have to adjust the volume as often, but still need to occassionally.
Perhaps it's possible to keep running the MP3's through MP3Gain, creating new files each time and that might do the trick.
Even the stuff on the stuff on radio changes in volume, I guess DJ's get a kick out of making hundreds of thousands of people suddenly reach for their volume controls all at once.
So probably the only true way to get a uniform sounding mixed cd is to engineer the thing yourself. Or stick a Volume Logic/iTunes MacBook in your car with line in to your car stereo.
Also it could be just human stress factor or tastes that make you want to turn down a song that is normally right in volume range.
We can only stand certain dB's for so long before we start feeling stressed out and want to turn down the music.
I hope you find a answer, but running my sound meter against MP3Gain-ed songs still shows some fluxuations in the dB's.
Good luck