The Loudness War

[Rudy]

As you've heard me complain in the past, many new CDs sound awful. Much of it is due to the hard compression used to make the overall sound louter, but clipping off the peaks of it.

Here is an excellent two minute video on YouTube that shows how this compression ruins the music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gmex_4hreQ

 

[JOv2]

Toche`!

 

[Mike Blakesley]

There was an article about sound quality in the last Rolling Stone. Trying to educate the kiddos. Not that it'll do any good! I saw a box-boy at the supermarket last night listening to his iPod with one ear unplugged (so he could hear the boss, supposedly). He should be glad I'm not the boss.

 

[rechunter]

The latest Claudine's "Run Wild Run Free" (Japan Mini-Vinyl sleeve) is the perfect example of loud 'remastering' and bad EQing.

 

[Captaindave]

Dynamic range (dynamics) are a vital part of music and musical sound. This has always been an important consideration for anyone composing and/or performing music in any context. Dynamics is one of the basics; the fundamentals of music. So, it seems to me that the process described in this video is pretty much at odds with that whole aspect of musical expression.

What is the purpose of increasing the volume? If I want it louder, I can either turn up the volume control or play it on an audio system capable of louder sound; i.e more amplifier power.

Is the idea to increase the possible volume on today's playback technology - iPods and portable Cd players - which tend to have limited volume capability?

 

[Mike Blakesley]

No, the idea is to make the people who are listening think it sounds better. People think if something is louder it must be better. So if a new "remaster" is being put together and the engineer can't get it to sound any better than the previous release, he'll just crank up the volume so the listener will "notice all the details." The whole thing is a dopey mind game.

iPods and such can ruin your hearing just fine without any help from overcranked CDs.

 

[Moondog]

The "THOUGHT POLICE" are everywhere. Let us turn our own volume up!

 

[Rudy]

Many years ago, back in my Compuserve days, I was in touch with Glenn Meadows, who was co-owner of Masterfonics in Nashville (a CD mastering facility). Actually got in touch with him since my cousin was his partner in Masterfonics. Anyway, I mentioned that I had just purchased a DAT deck, and was copying some CD tracks over to it via the digital optical cable. On older CDs, I noticed that the levels were what I was used to when recording cassettes on a deck with LED meters. But on newer CDs, I noticed they were hitting the digital 0dB mark awfully hard, and I noticed how the sound sounded a bit full and forced. Glenn confirmed it for me: they had some new digital processing equipment called a "brick wall limiter" that allowed engineers to make the CDs sound louder. And he reported to me that it isn't the engineer's decision as it is the artist or producer. In his world, if Tanya Tucker's CD was loud, Reba McEntire wanted hers louder. The old loudness wars. He hated doing it, but it paid the bills. He even mentioned making a couple of radio-only compilations that ONLY came off the 0dB mark about halfway through the fadeout at the end of the song. And this was around the mid 90s...and it's much worse today!

My dual-well Sony has a meter that displays on playback, and while comparing the original Brasil '66 version of "Mas Que Nada" against Mendes' "Timeless" version, you can see how smashed the sound is on "Timeless". No wonder it is a headache to listen to! The mastering, quite frankly, sucks.

Mastering engineer Steve Hoffman had a great visual example for brick-wall limiting. Look at someone's face. Note the features. Now, imagine that face pushed up hard against a clear glass shower door...THAT is compression.

 

[Dave]

Sounds much like we're revealing "How Loud We Play Our Music"... Some recordings did boast a Sticker: This Recording Is Meant To Be Played LOUD!!!!! or ...At FULL VOLUME!!!!!

Guess it's OK to take it Literally...!



Dave

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

Just to clarify, it ain't the iPod's fault. The iPod is only a portable hard drive with a few function buttons. As such, it does nothing to get in the way of great sound. The earphones they ship the thing with are another story but the iPod device can accomodate great sound. It's what you put into it that determines how good or bad it sounds. If you store ALAC (Apple Lossless) files on it, the sound will be just as good as any CD. If you store MP3 files on it, you will get MP3 sound.

Having said all that, I agree completely with the assertion that most CD's today sound smushed. I've very rarely used global compression on anything I've worked on and if I have, I've used it very gently. The overuse of compression has advanced to almost criminal levels. It's just gotta stop sometime.

Ed

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Just to clarify, it ain't the iPod's fault.

I'm sure you're right, but I stand by my statement that they can ruin your hearing.

I decided to make a "best of" Steve Miller Band earlier tonight. I have the 30th anniversary "deluxe" reissue of FLY LIKE AN EAGLE....I was amazed how smashed the waveforms are on that one compared to my older CD of BOOK OF DREAMS. [sigh] I suppose this means we'll all have to buy all our music yet again when they figure out how to remaster it so it actually sounds like it's supposed to...if that ever happens.

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

Just to clarify, it ain't the iPod's fault.

I'm sure you're right, but I stand by my statement that they can ruin your hearing.

Anything with headphones can ruin your hearing. That's hardly the fault of the iPod as a device.

Ed

 

[Rudy]

I decided to make a "best of" Steve Miller Band earlier tonight. I have the 30th anniversary "deluxe" reissue of FLY LIKE AN EAGLE....I was amazed how smashed the waveforms are on that one compared to my older CD of BOOK OF DREAMS.

I find that in CD Architect, I usually have to drag down the volume envelope line to even out the volume between tracks. On more recent CDs, I often have to drop it -5 to -6dB to make it equal older tracks. On some really old CDs that are too low, I use a Waves L2 compressor to bring the volume up. As I have it set as a limiter, it doesn't compress until it goes over 0dB. So I don't use it except as a protection so the peaks don't exceed 0dB and cause distortion. So, any comp I make is level-matched between tracks, all done by ear in CD Architect.

 

[seashorepiano]

The "THOUGHT POLICE" are everywhere. Let us turn our own volume up!

Amen!

 

[Mike Blakesley]

So, any comp I make is level-matched between tracks, all done by ear in CD Architect.

Same here. Although if I need to raise the volume on a track, I either use the "open in Sound Forge" function in CD-A, or I use the graphic equalizer plugin and just leave the controls at "flat," but adjust the gain there. The only bad thing about that method is, it doesn't show the results on the waveform, but I've gotten pretty good at guessing how much I need to boost it in two or three tries.