| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Absolute
Lokahi
275 Posts |
|
|
wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
 Posted - 09/05/2007 : 11:22:42 AM
|
| Thanks. I wonder though, how much of that difference can the human ear actually discern? One thing to measure it with meters and such, but another thing to have the human interpretation. Interesting article. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
 |
|
|
noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 09/05/2007 : 1:47:57 PM
|
| In my day as a sattelite comm.tech we companded digital signals to improve the S/N ratio. This allowed the signal to be significantly louder than the background noise inherent in all electronic circuits.This was good for data transmission especially. Compressing in music does this but the side effect discussed does allow the basic signal on a cd or mp3 to be louder. I agree that a lot is lost and the idea of importance of silent times in a piece of music has lost its importance in modern music. Hopefully HAwaiian music will not follow this trend. I am not a recording engineer so anyone with more experience can add to this discussion. Please. |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
|
|
|
Lawrence
Ha`aha`a
USA
1597 Posts |
Posted - 09/05/2007 : 3:17:12 PM
|
I have been wailing about this subject for many years. Why did we do all the technical advances to allow 96+ db of dynamic range on a CD, just to have it SQUASHED TO DEATH by a mastering contractor. Since you absolutely cannot go any higher than the maximum numbers allowed (+32767 to -32768 or zero db Full Scale - 0dbFS for square waves) there is a brick wall at that level. The level of a full-scale sine wave would be exactly -3db on this scale, anything higher is distorted. In fact the multi-band compressor/limiters used to shove (more like squash) the music up to these high levels introduce significant distortion far lower than -3db (more like -20 to -12 is where the distortion begins to get significant).
On a recent Hawaiian acoustic music release that I purchased, the level was so cranked up and distorted that I first thought that my midrange speaker had ripped. But no, the distortion was embedded as part of the excessive compression used. And this disc was mastered by Bernie Grundman, possibly the best known mastering house in the business.
It is too bad, that once you open the CD, you cannot return it as "defective by design". So how do you know if you are buying a "ruined recording" ahead of time? You don't!, unless you are lucky and the disc has been reviewed by someone who cares about sound quality.
|
Mahope Kākou...
...El Lorenzo de Ondas Sonoras |
Edited by - Lawrence on 09/05/2007 3:21:53 PM |
|
|
|
Reid
Ha`aha`a
Andorra
1526 Posts |
Posted - 09/05/2007 : 4:02:17 PM
|
Lawrence, I am with you. In my quest to learn, I have ripped beaucoup CDs to analyze and learn from. As I progressed, I was appalled by the high levels and low dynamic ranges of recordings of artists I admire. There is certainly a Brittney (however you spell her assumed name)Spears teenage thing going on, that is geared to radio,iPod,iPhone, iWhatever, etc. play. (Yeah, I chose her as an emblematic media critter - substitute your own pet downscale creation, if you don't like mine.) I admit, as an old buzzard, that I have never, ever, listened to music except through decent speakers (or live). I have read article after article by good sound engineers trying to head this off at the pass, but it keeps on happening. I am astounded that Grundman would do this.
The answer is, obviously, produce good stuff meant for afficonados and let the drek settle to the bottom, as it eventually will. Although there is the axiom that drek floats. But try.
...Reid |
|
|
|
RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 09/05/2007 : 4:04:25 PM
|
| The really sad thing is that this technological destruction of music is going on in the classical music worlds as well. And that music is supposed to feature dynamic ranges, etc. |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
Topic Locked
