Loudness wars

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I can't confirm the "depends on genre" thing.

Pretty much everything is pressed to sh*t these days. So the existence of certain standards (like EBU R-128) exist for a reason. And with the implementation of a constant "volume boost warning" in Android and iOS devices, it's finally starting to pick up attention.
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I hope all these mobile devices will have some kind of a "Replaygain" implemented. Frankly I don't care which standard picks up, anything will do. :( It's important that people get a chance to hear and become aware of the sound quality difference between squashed to hell and normal, dynamic music. Once you get to listen to a squashed track next to a normal dynamic track people will notice, I assure you. The difference is huge once you level the loudness of tracks. Squashed tracks sound limp, totally low quality, completely lifeless when you compare them side by side at the same loudness. That's actually what big arse producers are afraid of because then people would find out that they've been listening to the ear piercing, deafening, white noise crap and paying for it. :hihi:

That also means that nobody would have to worry about "my track is not loud enough" crap and actually pay more attention to the real mixing, real mastering and real sound quality! :tu: People who make music should actually rejoice at R-128 or any kind of Replaygain implementation in music players and I absolutely can't understand why so many people think equal loudness for everyone is bad! :D Those people will still have a choice. You can still squash your tracks as much as you want to if you think that's good and it sounds good. So nobody's feelings are hurt. :D

Respect, Compyfox. 8)
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. - Jiddu Krishnamurti

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Funxion wrote:Hello, I always hate smashing my tracks to the "commercial level" but most tracks (dubstep, electro house tracks) are hitting around -2 RMS. Some are even clipping on my meters. Even If I push my tracks to -3RMS, they still don't sound as loud, but are close to many of the popular tracks. I use a lot of different plugs and I know its mainly all about your mix, but how do they get it so loud without sounding too bad? I've read you never really want to push the level above -6RMS but most tracks I throw a meter on are hitting -2RMS and even clipping. Ideas, thoughts?

I find that if you are going to convert your audio to mp3, you might not want to cook them so hot.
According to Bob Katz mastering book, getting too hot with the signal can create some un-desirable artifacts while transferring to MP3.

I have to agree...
--After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.

-Aldous Huxley

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Funxion wrote:Hello, I always hate smashing my tracks to the "commercial level" but most tracks (dubstep, electro house tracks) are hitting around -2 RMS. Some are even clipping on my meters. Even If I push my tracks to -3RMS, they still don't sound as loud, but are close to many of the popular tracks. I use a lot of different plugs and I know its mainly all about your mix, but how do they get it so loud without sounding too bad? I've read you never really want to push the level above -6RMS but most tracks I throw a meter on are hitting -2RMS and even clipping. Ideas, thoughts?
Yes - listen to better music.
I mean, come on.
-10RMS is too much.
-14RMS is about right.
Anything else and you're draining your mix of depth and beauty.

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i've never checked to see what my masters are at on the meters.. i let the mastering engineer worry about that. i just worry about how it sounds.. if i want to listen to something louder i just use that big knob labeled "volume"

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Yes - listen to better music.
I mean, come on.
-10RMS is too much.
-14RMS is about right.
But people DO listen to different music. And they enjoy it. Get over it!
i've never checked to see what my masters are at on the meters.. i let the mastering engineer worry about that.
The more you know, the less you pay :P
Music is enough challenging to create as it is, would never pay someone even more for my work, lol.
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Tricky-Loops wrote: (...)someone like Armin van Buuren who claims to make a track in half an hour and all his songs sound somewhat boring(...)

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DJ Warmonger wrote:
Yes - listen to better music.
I mean, come on.
-10RMS is too much.
-14RMS is about right.
But people DO listen to different music. And they enjoy it. Get over it!
i've never checked to see what my masters are at on the meters.. i let the mastering engineer worry about that.
The more you know, the less you pay :P
Music is enough challenging to create as it is, would never pay someone even more for my work, lol.

i've used 3 mastering engineers for 19 releases. i know plenty and i'm perfectly happy w/the rates. and when you deal w/the right people it's quite easy to trust they know what they're doing.

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DJ Warmonger wrote:The more you know, the less you pay :P
Funny that you mention it... I should be asking for way higher rates then.
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DJ Warmonger wrote:would never pay someone even more for my work, lol.
that says all i need to know, really...

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