loudness war explained

[seti]

I like this explanation very simple and easy to understand..

So sad....

[mustang guy]

Thank you for showing us that link. I rekon that is why the old vinyls are gonna still be around for a while. I have noticed that my better SACD's do not suffer from this remastering condundrum. In my mind are tha SCAD's DSOM and Brother in Arms. I think the digital (iPhone/pod) versions are like this in many cases. The iPhone version of Brother in Arms never punches you in the chest. The SACD stops your heart. And that is A/B switching the same song in roughly the same place. The iPhone version was ripped lossless into iTunes from the CD layer of the SACD. Interesting isn't it?

[oldmako]

The fascination with home boy stop light bass has dicked up recordings as well. I used to listen to a ton of Steely Dan on LP in my yout. When listening to their last few CD's I have to significantly de-emphasizing the bass as compared to what they used to send to market.

Thanks for the link. I tried to 'splain this to my daughter but I didn't ahve the necessary means the necessary means to make the point as clearly as this vid.

NTM.....it's painfully easy.

[MechMan]

WOW...

Cut and dry and to the point. Explains a lot.

Thanks for the link, will pass it around.

[Daddy Dee]

Thank you Seti.

[Schu]

pretty awesome!

[tube fanatic]

I'm leaning more and more toward listening to rotten recordings through SET amps. The reduction in harshness is dramatic and lets me listen to discs which I couldn't tolerate otherwise. It's worth trying if a person has high efficiency speakers. Just the other day a guy called to ask for advice about turntables because he has thought about going back to analog due to the reasons stated in the video. I wound up lending him a pair of triode mono amps to try with his CWs, and he's decided to go that route instead.

[JJkizak]

IMHO a very poor explanation. The amount of bass/drums on a CD is about 16+ db higher than a record ever dreamed of due to groove spacing. The compressed dynamic range of the CD explains it all.

JJK

[juniper8]

Thanks, that is great information. I understand now, why many times, I prefer older cd's to new remastered cd's. Some cd's I have 3 copies of and they all sound different, and often the oldest is the best. Maybe someone should start a thread about their favorite recordings, and the pertinant information, so others could find the same ones. I have only about 250 cd's and I cant listen to most of them. Great info Seti, thanks again!!!

[Groomlakearea51]

[Y][Y][Y]

[seti]

This isn't about vinyl vs cd. This is about how the music industry is selling us crap and mastering crap from their studios. This is done in the mastering process. They can export as digital or cd or vinyl. Loudness = inferior recordings doesn't matter if it is digital file cd or lp. Fortunately this is mostly done with major record labels and most of the stuff I buy is from smaller labels that care about quality. Could you imagine trying to do this to a Tom Waits release? I think he would slide a piano up their backside.

[tragusa3]

I assume this appeals to the masses that don't have systems capable of the dynamic swings?

[Quiet_Hollow]

Some cd's I have 3 copies of and they all sound different,

This is not entirely unique to CD's. All source material is at the mercy of the mastering engineer EQ...records, cylinders, casettes...everything. The abscence of any and all stereo audio mixing standards gaurantees that it's pretty much a crap-shoot everytime. There's more variety available out there now than ever before, so yes, blatant differences in mastering styles are to be expected. Although, we don't have to like it. [:@]

Maybe someone should start a thread about their favorite recordings, and the pertinant information, so others could find the same ones.

stereophile

I have only about 250 cd's and I cant listen to most of them.

How does this happen? "Can't listen to most of them" because the music sucks; or "can't listen to most of them" because the mixes suck? I'd think after the first couple of mistakes, I'd have learned my leason. [:$]

[Schu]

IMHO a very poor explanation. The amount of bass/drums on a CD is about 16+ db higher than a record ever dreamed of due to groove spacing. The compressed dynamic range of the CD explains it all.

JJK

same YT poster:

[Groomlakearea51]

[Y][Y][Y]

Great comments!!

[Chris A]

This isn't about vinyl vs cd. This is about how the music industry is selling us crap and mastering crap from their studios. This is done in the mastering process. They can export as digital or cd or vinyl. Loudness = inferior recordings doesn't matter if it is digital file cd or lp. Fortunately this is mostly done with major record labels and most of the stuff I buy is from smaller labels that care about quality.

There is a large affinity for low-quality music out there (including loudness-wars music). Until that changes, we're going to have a lot of low-quality loudness war music.

Chris

[Don Richard]

I assume this appeals to the masses that don't have systems capable of the dynamic swings?

You nailed it. The producers want their music to stand out on the radio and making it louder is the way to do that. It also makes mini monitors, Ipods, and BoSe systems sound better while ruining things for those of us with decent gear. We are aparently in the minority so get used to it, it's not getting any better.

[NOSValves]

I'm leaning more and more toward listening to rotten recordings through SET amps. The reduction in harshness is dramatic and lets me listen to discs which I couldn't tolerate otherwise. It's worth trying if a person has high efficiency speakers. Just the other day a guy called to ask for advice about turntables because he has thought about going back to analog due to the reasons stated in the video. I wound up lending him a pair of triode mono amps to try with his CWs, and he's decided to go that route instead.

This begs the question.... if those amps are taming those crappy recordings what do they do to really good recording?

[Don Richard]

This begs the question.... if those amps are taming those crappy recordings what do they do to really good recording?

Hear, hear!

[seti]

This isn't about vinyl vs cd. This is about how the music industry is selling us crap and mastering crap from their studios. This is done in the mastering process. They can export as digital or cd or vinyl. Loudness = inferior recordings doesn't matter if it is digital file cd or lp. Fortunately this is mostly done with major record labels and most of the stuff I buy is from smaller labels that care about quality.

There is a large affinity for low-quality music out there (including loudness-wars music). Until that changes, we're going to have a lot of low-quality loudness war music.

Chris

There is the LoFi music scene which is low quality in sound but much different than the Loudness War. LoFi is a musical artist statement towards the music scene but the Loudness War is from the producers and label executives.

Most of the music I listen to fortunately is from small labels or labels who care about end product and fidelity. I feel sorry for people that largely listen to mainstream or popular music and want high fidelity because this is what is being compromised. If it is played on the radio or from a major label chances are good that it has been a product of the Loudness War. I agree I don't see this changing anytime soon but hopefully it will fall out fashion at some point and perhaps high fidelity will make a come back.