Dynamic Range Day: Inside the Loudness War

[Chris A]

http://www.cepro.com/article/dynamic_range_day_inside_the_loudness_war/

Mastering Engineer Explains Types of Compression, Effects On Today's Music

"Today is Dynamic Range Day, which is an event to educate the public about the 'Loudness Wars' that are compressing and harming the quality of today's music.  Ian Shepherd, a mastering engineer and founder of Dynamic Range Day, explains why music lovers should avoid MP3 files. 'The one that springs to mind is to avoid MP3, especially if it's 128 kbps. Apple uses a more advanced technology called AAC, but if someone can get lossless files like FLAC that's a better place to start.' Shepherd says it's actually harder to make a good 'lossy' encode of something that has been heavily musically compressed. Very heavy dynamic compression and limiting makes MP3s sound worse, so the loudness wars indirectly make MP3s sound worse."

 

Chris

Edited December 21, 2014 by Chris A

[Wrinkles]

An informative read.

Thanks

[Chris A]

An informative read...Thanks

Hi Mike!

This is from the same site:

Beatles, Pink Floyd Engineer Alan Parsons Rips Audiophiles

Alan Parsons, producer, musician and sound engineer of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, says audiophiles overpay for equipment while ignoring room acoustics.

[Schu]

isn't there already a loudness thread?

[Chris A]

isn't there already a loudness thread?

Schu,

I can guarantee that there is a thread on the Klipsch site for just about anything--if you want to find them [] This thread was started to highlight the articles on the CEPRO site that is linked, above. In fact, there are many articles that look to be useful and informative.

Chris

[Groomlakearea51]

Good read [Y]

[juniper8]

Thanks, interesting read!!!!

[T.H.E. Droid]

isn't there already a loudness thread?

Yes, already beaten to death last month.

As for the Alan Parsons article, a few quotes from him sum things up well:

I don't listen to much music recreationally - it's almost always for professional applications. I do listen in the car, but that's about it.....I'm simply not very familiar with the latest domestic hi-fi equipment.

I would say that means that A.P. is not a person with A Valid Path of advice for audiophiles.

[Quiet_Hollow]

I would say that means that A.P. is not a person with A Valid Path of advice for audiophiles.

I'd take his word over a self-proclaimed audiophile's any day....but not blindly either, mind you. [8-|]

Take into account he get's paid for his ability to hear and sculpt sound, and he's built a decent career on that skill. Eating, sleeping, and crapping audio. Most audio enthusiasts don't have that level of exposure and immersion in the art...and especially to be personally accountable for the end result.

There's at least some merit in that. [{]

[Mallette]

I would say that means that A.P. is not a person with A Valid Path of advice for audiophiles.

I'd take his word over a self-proclaimed audiophile's any day....but not blindly either, mind you.

Take into account he get's paid for his ability to hear and sculpt sound, and he's built a decent career on that skill. Eating, sleeping, and crapping audio. Most audio enthusiasts don't have that level of exposure and immersion in the art...and especially to be personally accountable for the end result.

There's at least some merit in that.

Yes, there is more than one thread on this topic. I shall repeat what I said in those:

Just say NO to compression. There is no good compression.

Dave

[Don Richard]

Just say NO to compression. There is no good compression.

From the article:

"A human voice can be loud and quiet and if you are trying to blend that vocal with a rock band, the quiet moments may get lost, the loud moments may overpower the music. A compressor is a tool that can be used to control that automatically. It means you can turn the overall level up without the loudest moments being too loud.

In the mixing and mastering processes, you can use compressors and limiters to manage the dynamics. In that sense compression has been used heavily since the 1960s and it’s a key component of a pop and rock recording. It’s invaluable musically. It thickens up drums, warms vocals."

Compressors have been around before equalizers or tape recorders. Comps are widely used in broadcasting and are mandatory for FM broadcast to control frequency deviation and to prevent overmodulating.

[Mallette]

While I was speaking entirely about storage, I worked in radio and as an audio engineer in the way back and still disagree. FCC doesn't require compression, only limiting (unless something has changed). Further, it has nothing to do with quality but with overpowering other stations as well as sloppy local engineers.

It came into use for recording in the late 50's largely to compress pop dynamics due to very noisy conditions in automobles in the pre airconditioning age and became part of the sound.

If you want to "warm up" vocals, get a better singer or use a tube preamp. "Thicker" drums? Like most acoustic instruments, I like them as designed. Ludwig would thicken them up if they thought they needed to be thicker...

The only limiter I every thought really good was the vacuum tube Urei LA-3A, a classic that lasted well into the SS days and is probably still in use.

No doubt I am colored by my preference for acoustic instruments, but I love an awful lot of classic pop and rock as well. Listening to Buddy Holly's original recordings (as well as other early rockers) the purity and clarity of the compression-free masters is extraordinary. Of course, there was a bit of balance and gain riding...compression by definition...but not like the heavy handed crap of today.

Obviously, your milage varies and that's cool. If it sounds good to you, it is good.

Dave

[Don Richard]

FCC doesn't require compression, only limiting (unless something has changed).

Limiting is compression, except at a higher ratio.

[Mallette]

Limiting is compression, except at a higher ratio.

Well, we could get into a semantics battle, but professionally I found most used "compression" as a word meaning to raise low levels and bring down high levels. DBX is a 'compander" in that at zero it does nothing and above zero increases max and min levels and below zero decrases max and min levels. "Limiting" was used to refer to setting a point, in radio 100% modulation, and preventing any level from exceeding it. Tubes were better for this for the same reason they are loved by audiophiles...they clipped the wave much smoother and less harshly.

If one's board meter read 0db or less VU and the transmitter limiter was set to 100% modulation, there was no action whatsover. Problem was a lot of DJ's didn't set their board levels well and were constantly over modulating, and therefore invoking the limiter.

The Gates "Level Devil" was certainly the most common limiter, though the aforementioned Urei was much less heavy handed.

Dave

[Don Richard]

Companders are not used today in professional audio, and in the past were only used for noise reduction. All studio and live sound compressors today reduce gain above a threshold to an amount set by the ratio control.

Infinite ratio makes the comp act as a limiter. A dedicated limiter may use circuitry (multi-band comp) designed to reduce pumping and other audible artifacts brought on by the infinite ratio used.

Gates and "downward expanders" are specialized compressors that let a sound pass when it is above a threshold and block the sound when below threshold. These are widely used for live sound and also for recording.

These are the main types of comps and interestingly can all be implemented simultaneously with one Voltage Controlled Amplifier and multiple control signals, as done with the DBX 266 and other multi comps.