Modern cd's - over compression

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http://brianstagg.co.uk/p_t_a_clipressed/

It's shocking! :bigeyes:

Precious (Playing The Angel, 2005) [cdstumm260] CD:
precious.jpg


Precious (Playing The Angel, 2005) [lpstumm260] VINYL:
precious_vinyl.jpg
 
Though digital clipping is belived bad by most studio engineers, the compression isn't so simple. Nearly all modern pop and rock cds are compressed. Over? Depends... When done on mastering it vanishes any dynamics of a song, just to make it louder. Compressing single instruments can enhance timbre, like bass guitar, slow compressor can even make attack more agressive.
My personal opinion is that in future this over-compression will be recognised and sound or nineties and beggining of 21 century.
 
Careful compression and expansion in an instrument per instrument basis has plenty of advantages, but of course those waveforms show just bare peak limiting applied to the final mix.

It's quite sad to see recording companies asking sound engineers to destroy the music just to make it sound louder in the average boom-box.

Damn boom boxes!
 
Hi,
I just bought a Judas Priest-Rising in the East- DVD.
Sound sucks:mad:
In Dolby Digital, can hear only mid bass(that too muddled). The highs, lows, vocals can be barely heard.
In DTS mode, can hear almost no bass somewhat like a cheap radio sound.
This is the first time I observed such a glaring difference in the different modes.
My 16 year old analog cassette tape of the Priest's Nightcrawler sounds much better and clear. Which means that if you can do a decent enough job on a cassette tape, you could atleast do the same if not better for a CD or DVD.

Surely, I'd expect more compression is being used to make the analogue tapes.

Music wise, well Rob Halford has lost his higher notes, or was it recording tricks/ falsetto(remixed in portions) in their songs of yore.....
 
Well, there are hundreds of ways to destroy the recording and only several to make it OK.
Tape has some efffects, like high third harmonic, suppressed trebles and slow compression added at dolby correction.
This compression is more like leveller, so does not kill dynamics to this degree.
If the recording engineer cannot make it sound good? I don't know...

Music wise, well Rob Halford has lost his higher notes, or was it recording tricks/ falsetto(remixed in portions) in their songs of yore..... [/B]

too much vodka..
 
Yea I hate dynamic compression. I don't see why they don't simply record and mix the album with as little post-processing as possible.

Perhaps many recording engineers don't care about pure fidelity with modern rock/pop but rather try to get it to sound "cool" or put in that "phat" beat.

The recording industry makes no progress.
 
I think, with pop music at least, this compression is used to enable a higher subjective volume to be produced from limited power output, examples being car audio without external amps, portable CD players and of course radio.

Given the high (relative to vinyl) signal to noise ratio, I think this is a real shame.

Another factor could be cheap recording studios and techniques, necessary because of the decline in singles sales.
 
I find it bizarre that even less mainstream music is being over-compressed and mastered so badly these days.

I recently saw Sigur Ros live and their use of dynamic range was masterful, to say the least. I went from being able to hear those next to me breathing to having my trousers flapping at 20 metres, and I'm not exagerating. It would be nice if this was reflected on any of their recordings. I know it is not possible to achieve that kind of dynamic range on any recorded media, but music like that should not sound flat on a good system.

I can understand the latest pop-princess being over compressed like all get-out, given that it is going to most likely end up in some 13 year olds bedroom. But surely you would think that the recording industry understands that people who buy music aimed at a more mature audience might have a decent stereo? Or care?
 
I agree with all of you. But let me submit this. Do the majority of listeners care? Most of the kids I know, that grew up listening to 80's metal groups, have no idea of what a live "non-electric" instrument sounds like. Of course not all but, most.

They don't seem to be happy unless the recording has tons of artificial ambience.
 
davidlzimmer said:
I agree with all of you. But let me submit this. Do the majority of listeners care? Most of the kids I know, that grew up listening to 80's metal groups, have no idea of what a live "non-electric" instrument sounds like. Of course not all but, most.

They don't seem to be happy unless the recording has tons of artificial ambience.


Heavy metal is my favorite and I'm just as anonyed as you guys are with new cds. While the older cds aren't the most dynamic, they had enjoyable tone if one was into the music. Now they seem to compress things on cd to the point of massive distortion:(.
 
Add one more to the count.

I would listen to some of the newer stuff more but... All these rock songs are out now with acoustic interludes and intro's with "speaking level" vocals... then bang, they switch to screaming vocals and grunge guitar. It might be a nice dramatic effect... BUT THE VOLUME DOESN'T CHANGE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stupid....

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 
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