recording quality & compression

That explains a lot. Does this mean the vinyl versions are the same?

Interesting.

I think the whole CD trip has been a missed opportunity. Some CDs are magic and I have long thought that poor CDs derive from poor engineering rather than a primary shortcoming of the medium.

I would have liked to see music recorded at full dynamic range and playback equipment equipped with a compressor so that the individual could match the emitted dynamic range with their environment. Thus the individual could use little or no compression in their baronial hall but plenty when playing the same CD in their car, for instance.

Would this have required too much coordination between hardware and software teams or was there just a lack of imagination at the inception of CD technology?

Fraser

quote:

I would have liked to see music recorded at full dynamic range and playback equipment equipped with a compressor so that the individual could match the emitted dynamic range with their environment. Thus the individual could use little or no compression in their baronial hall but plenty when playing the same CD in their car, for instance.

My idea would be to use the new medias, like SACD or DVD audio, so that there are different versions of the same music with different amount of processing. Let's say three versions, one without compression for the serious HiFi listener, a second with medium compression for the average home system and myself when I'm having the music on in the background, and a third for commercial radio stations and in car use.

Your idea seem to be simpler...

JohanR

Surround formats would seem to offer the best possibilities for wide dynamic range material to be released as they do not have to compete in the 'on air' or CD compilation battles...

JohanR - Just try to get the budget for multiple mixes of the same material out of a recrd company!

Cheers

Peter

quote:

JohanR - Just try to get the budget for multiple mixes of the same material out of a recrd company!

You are of course right here.

On another forum someone wrote that one of the main cases why modern CD's are so extremely compressed is that it makes MP3 rip offs sound extra bad. Sounds reasonable, MP3 works with the idea that low level sounds that are together with high level ones can be removed. But what to do when everything has the same level?

JohanR

quote:

Originally posted by JohanR:

You are of course right here.

On another forum someone wrote that one of the main cases why modern CD's are so extremely compressed is that it makes MP3 rip offs sound extra bad. Sounds reasonable, MP3 works with the idea that low level sounds that are together with high level ones can be removed. But what to do when everything has the same level?

JohanR

This would seem to imply that there is some consensus among engineers/mastering studios to drive levels higher. However it is my experience over the last twenty years that most recording engineers rarely meet each other and simply try to 'do what everyone else is doing' or they won't get another gig...

That's life.

Cheers

Peter

That was an excellent article that made me feel vindicated for being a bit of a snob when it comes to agressively compressed, "hot" recordings on CD or other. Through my work I go to alot of events and parties and I always carry a pair of foam earplugs because I get a headache from most currently popular "loud" music. On a related topic, I also find that live shows are irritatingly loud these days, and always keep my earplugs handy. I have seen Elton John in a small club, Counting Crows front row, and several other popular performers and it seems like they could all play about 10 - 15 dBs quieter overall and make the whole thing sound more coherent and musically captivating. It seems like the band keeps turning up and the sound man has to keep pumping up the vox, and so on. Stevie Wonder was an exception - I saw him and his sound was never too loud, always dynamic and spacious, yet punchy. Extremely well mixed too. I also saw Il Divo, and their sound, quite interestingly, was horrible. When they all sang together, it was a chaotic blurry mess. They could have sung with out amplification and it would have sounded much better. I know the subject here is not volume but "loudness" and dynamic range - but over amplification and poor mixing in live shows often has the same effect of flatness and clipping. I am really tired of it - almost as much as I am tired of the ubiquitous "party people" who talk incessantly through live performances, about their dogs, boyfriends, scandals on the college campus, whatever.

We saw Teddy Thompson recently.After 2 numbers he abandoned the PA system as he said it sounded awful to him, he continued in a pure acustic set. From out point of you it was a relief as the PA overpowered the small room.

Howard

Howard

I am little jealous. Love the Thompson family (from a music standpoint!) and that is incredibly refreshing.

John