Andrew, Joe, yes and yes. They have used a limiter. It sounds great. There's no real loss of dynamics. It's only the bass drum, which is so much louder than everything else. This is the first time I see how the recording looks like.
Compression is a fact of life. I don't think anyone wants to throw the limiters out of the studios. Vinyl is dishonest in this regard. If this had been vinyl you might not have noticed the compression thanks to or due to second order harmonics, resonance, whatever. Those peaks would have been pointy, even though they are cut off on the master tape. Vinyl is an overperformer.
http://www.audioholics.com/educatio...s-cds-part-4-page-2/?searchterm=vinyl dynamic
Compression is a fact of life. I don't think anyone wants to throw the limiters out of the studios. Vinyl is dishonest in this regard. If this had been vinyl you might not have noticed the compression thanks to or due to second order harmonics, resonance, whatever. Those peaks would have been pointy, even though they are cut off on the master tape. Vinyl is an overperformer.
http://www.audioholics.com/educatio...s-cds-part-4-page-2/?searchterm=vinyl dynamic
There is a lot of compression on pop CDs, but some of the waveforms shown here are very surprising. 
Here are three waveforms that have been up on my site for a long time as an example of different types of music. None, even the Metalica, are as clipped as some fo the stuff shown in posts above.
Note: Green is left, red is right. The dB figure refers to the RMS average level of the track.
These are wave rips shown in Goldwave audio editor. Average level was calculated by Goldwave.
Here are three waveforms that have been up on my site for a long time as an example of different types of music. None, even the Metalica, are as clipped as some fo the stuff shown in posts above.
Note: Green is left, red is right. The dB figure refers to the RMS average level of the track.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
These are wave rips shown in Goldwave audio editor. Average level was calculated by Goldwave.
Hi,
I wonder if the recording engineer took the time to compare the Metallica track before and after he shoved the gain up that high.
If they were to pay me to do that job I would be pulling it down a lot and using my ears and to heck with what the rest of the POP industry do. Out of a job pretty soon I imagine.
I wonder if the recording engineer took the time to compare the Metallica track before and after he shoved the gain up that high.
If they were to pay me to do that job I would be pulling it down a lot and using my ears and to heck with what the rest of the POP industry do. Out of a job pretty soon I imagine.
Attachments
Need to let out some steam
Warning!!! Don't buy the new Traveling Wilbury's collection!!!
I already owned vol.3 but not vol.1 so I bought it. Well as I suspected the mastering engineers destroyed it. Here is a comparison of the original vol.3 track1 against the "new-and-improved" vol.3 track1:
I'll only be shopping at used record stores from here on
Warning!!! Don't buy the new Traveling Wilbury's collection!!!
I already owned vol.3 but not vol.1 so I bought it. Well as I suspected the mastering engineers destroyed it. Here is a comparison of the original vol.3 track1 against the "new-and-improved" vol.3 track1:
I'll only be shopping at used record stores from here on
Attachments
Alright, sorry to butt in, but this is driving me insane! Is there any free software I can use to get dynamic range graphs such as all the ones in this thread? I realize programs like Cool Edit, Sound Forge, Goldwave, etc. have trial versions you can use for 30 days or whatever, but is there any software I can use for this, that I don't have to worry about replacing in 30 days? Thanks so much!
I must revive this thread and correct the post I made on page 1: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=926267#post926267
The clipped samples are the result of a bad input setting on my previous soundcard. The recording itself is perfectly mastered.
/Hugo
The clipped samples are the result of a bad input setting on my previous soundcard. The recording itself is perfectly mastered.
/Hugo
The worst really noticable instance of severe clipping or limiting I heard was in a song by "Tears for Fears". The song is "Advice For The Young At Heart".
It happens in the beginning of the song! Maybe it was digitally recorded and they just removed the noise above the clip!
Overall the recording and engineering on the disc is superb. Listen to "Famous Last Words" and "Standing On The Corner Of The Third World" too. Amazing that the they are on the same disc.
Regards//Keith
It happens in the beginning of the song! Maybe it was digitally recorded and they just removed the noise above the clip!
Overall the recording and engineering on the disc is superb. Listen to "Famous Last Words" and "Standing On The Corner Of The Third World" too. Amazing that the they are on the same disc.
Regards//Keith
Re: Re: Re: Modern cd's - over compression
This is my first post.
And I want to thank this forum and all the people for all the information I could read and learn!
Hall of FAME.
Bart.
This is my first post.
And I want to thank this forum and all the people for all the information I could read and learn!
Hall of SHAME.joe carrow said:
Hall of FAME.
Bart.
There must be some mastering engineers on this forum and it sure would be enlightening to hear (ahem) from them.
The question is: How often do the sound engineers here get pressure to turn up the "loudness" for their mastering projects?
And without naming actual people, would it be possible to give an idea of which projects and record companies tend to be the worst offenders. (Not so much in reference to that Hall of Shame list, but more in the realm of categorization... metal or jazz, Sony or Warner)
ensen.
The question is: How often do the sound engineers here get pressure to turn up the "loudness" for their mastering projects?
And without naming actual people, would it be possible to give an idea of which projects and record companies tend to be the worst offenders. (Not so much in reference to that Hall of Shame list, but more in the realm of categorization... metal or jazz, Sony or Warner)
ensen.- Status
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