auto level

Nope

I hear platinum notes is where it's at.  Haven't bought it because I like to tweak and control tracks myself but it seems like quite a good piece of software to quickly master and touch up your tracks.  Same people that do mixed in key, which is the bomb if you're into tagging tracks with really accurate keys / energy notes.

I would prefer MP3Gain... It's free, you won't lose any quality transcoding and 'optimising' files.

Mac:

http://www.rinaldo.net/Mac_Archive/AudioTron/MacMP3Gain/

Win:

http://mp3gain.sourceforge.net

i use mp3 gain at the moment, curious to know what everyone sets it to... I set to 98DB and select prevent trimming.

Platinum notes, that you have to pay for, gives you a visual of the track and visually shows you what it will do to the track, pretty cool, but yeah, i aint paying for it ;-P

Thanks for the info guys. I'm just trying to get a bunch of tracks from the 70's through early 2000's to be similar in volume with more recent tracks.. no personal stuff, so something like platinum notes may be more then what I need.

@Marxman (AUS)

Prevent Trimming? Do you mean 'avoid clipping'? I turned this option OFF, otherwise you won't get the desired result (same perceived volume on every track). Test it yourself, so many files suppose to clip, even before running MP3Gain on them.

I set the target volume to 96 dB in Radio Mode. No audible impact, I tested it with many tracks (also with stuff from 70's).

Finally downloaded mp3gain and installed it. Exactly what I was looking for, but why is it not listed as an installed program in "programs and features" in the control panel?

I can FINALLY! do that 2 hour R&B megamix I have been sitting on for the past year.