Rank: Administrator
Groups: Administration
, Member
Joined: 7/15/2008
Posts: 832
|
Compression of music dynamic range Sign up to this great site to fight for our right to have natural musical dynamic expression , and please may we have your views and experiences MartinC http://www.dynamicrange.de/
|
Rank: HIFI Novice
Groups: Member
Joined: 2/27/2009
Posts: 46
Location: Bristol
|
Is there now an argument that with these highly dynamically compressed files we can actually get more enjoyment from them on a 'lesser' system? It seems that record companies are designing the music to be listened to via iPod and so in order the enjoy them thats how we should listen. I have never really felt cheated by quality when listening to the iPlayer or iTunes on my work computer but on a lot of tarcks when I listen to it on my home system I am left disappointed because the problems with it are suddenly so evident.
I would love it if we didn't have to succombe to this kind of treatment but perhaps there is no option now. I can't think how realistically the record industry is suddenly going to do a u-turn on this. Perhaps one way would be to fight back a bit like the cinema has done. By offering 3D movies they have created something which connot be readily re-created at home at present and thus cajoules people back to the cinema. If record companies want people to buy more records rather than download for free perhaps they should introduce dynamic, high resolution donwloads with suitable copy protection at a slightly premium price, providing a format which is not readily digestible by the run of the mill audio products.
Readingt hat back it sounds a little silly and full of faults but you get my drift!
|
Rank: HIFI Guru
Groups: Member
Joined: 2/2/2009
Posts: 267
Location: uk
|
This will be an uphill struggle. Downloads out sell hardware singles by 100:1 so why would a record company mix a single to suit 1% of sales? Is there the budget to do a radio/MP3 mix and an album mix? People buy a few tracks off an album, and I think these are included in the singles sales, they will be downloaded and be squished in sound.
I am not sure if the audio equivalent of 3D is the answer. The current 3D technology loses 30% of colour, would our audio version be another flawed system as water marking was? Or was our chance SACD and look what is happening to that.
I think this is all part of the malaise tied up with good recording studios closing. Look at a recording magazine and they advise compressing this and compressing that. To be fair they talk about compressing vocals and basses etc to even out and homogenise the recording rather than just to maximise the finished tracks volume. There are fewer uber studios delivering the uncompressed sound we all (think) we love. Dont forget there is plenty of compressing going on in "natural" sounding tracks.
But put yourself into the head of someone producing a modern recording, they have to compete with all the other LOUD SONGS on the radio etc. Listen to what software like iZotope can do to a track. It is fairy dust. More natural? possibly no but more like other "polished" sounding tracks? yes. So you have finished your song but it doesnt sound quite like what else you are hearing, add some iZotope and it will. And this is far from a slating of iZotope I think it does a great job and can be used sparingly or laid on thick.
|
