clarity of sound

[monus4444]

does hard limit or normalization decreases the clarity of sound.

[SteveG_AudioMasters_ · Accepted solution]

Normalization does nothing at all to the clarity of sound - it just alters the level of the whole signal. Hard limiting generally increases the clarity, as it will limit the peaks and keep the whole signal dynamic range down, so the quieter parts become relatively louder, and potentially less of a strain to hear. Of course if you make a mess of hard limiting (quite possible) then you could end up making things worse, of course...