Why do new albums sound like crap?

[nebulae]

I just listened to the latests offerings from Oakenfold and Nelly Furtado (ok, let's not joke about my selection of music for a second), and my first impression was that these albums were over-comressed/limited to within an inch of their lives. If you do a spectrum analysis on them, there are no dymanics left AT ALL. Every frequency hits digital zero, all the time.

Basically, we're getting closer and closer to white noise. Thanks, ClearChannel. Really appreciate it. (insert sarcasm here...)

[bensuthers]

if every frequency hit digital zero all the time the overall level would be positive infinity.

[nebulae]

if every frequency hit digital zero all the time the overall level would be positive infinity.

Ok, smartass, you get my point. Help me rant or bugger off.

[subterFUSE]

I agree with you.... It seems that most tracks I download from places like Beatport have been compressed/limited all to hell.... to the point where there is no dynamic range left.

[nebulae]

And not to mention that after all that lovely (not) overcompression, they get played on radio or satellite with even more compression. So it's not enough the have pop ingenues to be mixed in your face, after all that compression, they sound like they're literally picking at your eardrums...

[DJ VAKIS]

I just listened to the latests offerings from Oakenfold and Nelly Furtado (ok, let's not joke about my selection of music for a second), and my first impression was that these albums were over-comressed/limited to within an inch of their lives. If you do a spectrum analysis on them, there are no dymanics left AT ALL. Every frequency hits digital zero, all the time.

Basically, we're getting closer and closer to white noise. Thanks, ClearChannel. Really appreciate it. (insert sarcasm here...)

Thats right.The record labels just want loud cd's that's why cd's are over compressed and there are no dynamics.People think a good cd is the loud cd. but this is no truth.A good cd must have dynamics.
Imagine classic music with no dynamics, is it posible?
I dont think so.

[rikhyray]

There is fantastic salsa group Charanga Habanera probably the world best for the style, I get ear/headache in no time. My suspicion about compression abuse was confirmed when i met people rfom the studios where they work. The director is musical genius but insane compression maniac.
BTW. Nelly furtado seems to be industry victim though she looks sexier then ever, could easily get job of as table dancer or paris hilton but musicaly they turned her into Kylie minogue.

[eyeknow]

Is anybody old enough/or been turned on to the likes of steelydan/aja or like fleetwoodmac/rumors...........of course there is pinkfloyd dsotm (duh).......there are many many many examples from that era.........the carpenters are another example......old chicago...........

Anyways, regardless of musical taste.........you cannot beat the fidelity........it's sick! They sound better than beautiful.......it's like the engineer/producer were as much a part of the magic/music as the musicians...................

[MrYellow]

Little music from today will be listened to in 20 years.

None of that which is listened to will be over-compressed.
No over-compressed album will ever be a classic.

-Ben

[Pitch Black]

For me, it's like missing the golden era of "analog" movie special effects. Think of all the visually amazing films the came out in the mid-70s to mid-80's: Star Wars/Close Encounters/Alien/Aliens/Blade Runner etc.

Nowadays we have mostly souless crappy CGI cos its easier, and cheaper to do... badly.

aaaaand I'll see you over at Aintitcool.com for the exciting conclusion of this rant . . .

[Lewby]

Completely agree! You've hit on something here that has been worrying audiophiles for a while. Often it takes the people who are concerned with listening to music to tell the people making the music that they've lost their way. I read somewhere that a lot of retail companies are not playing modern music in their shops because it is too compressed and as such is too pervasive. Here's a couple of articles:

http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/ ... orever.htm

This one is particularly good:
http://www.cdmasteringservices.com/dynamicrange.htm

[nebulae]

Nelly Furtado's new record is another great example of pure shit overcompression. A certain amount of distortionis very pleasing, but when the kick drum crackles in your earphones, that's just not fun. It's so sad.

I remember old analog Cure albums...they used to say in the liner notes "This album is mixed to be played loud, so turn it up!" Back then, that meant there were a lot of dynamics, so the album is actually not "loud" but to hear it in its full glory, you needed to crank up the volume. Sadly, today, that statement would mean that you're listening to mild white noise.

Check out this article from Rip Rowan from a couple of years ago... http://www.prorec.com/prorec/articles.n ... 2E005DAF1C

[SubFunk]

because to many people think squashing volume out of a track with a L2 is Mastering. and to many record labels go with it.

because to many people think squashing volume out of a track with a L2 is Mastering

just see the major opinion on that as well here on this forum.

[nebulae]

Well, I agree that using as many of the bits in a recording as possible to get the fullest sound can be a good idea. But what these new recordings are doing is just atrocious. It's one thing to use a limiter wisely to get your signal level up so that it sounds phat...it's another to distort the sound, and then expect people to pay $15 for a CD.

[SubFunk]

NEBULAE WROTE:

I remember old analog Cure albums...they used to say in the liner notes "This album is mixed to be played loud, so turn it up!" Back then, that meant there were a lot of dynamics, so the album is actually not "loud" but to hear it in its full glory, you needed to crank up the volume. Sadly, today, that statement would mean that you're listening to mild white noise.

agreed, if you want it loud use the damn volume knob on your stereo, that's what it's there for... a good Recording and Mastering, should be about the quality of the sound, but that attitude turned into a volume war, to many people considering a CD as being "sonically good" if you stick it into the player and your cons pop out with the knob turned almost down!!??!!?? SAD! very SAD!