http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2 ... s-acoustic
As I've always said, it's just noise. In my day...
The Grauniad tells it like it is
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- Boss Lovin' DR
- 14312 posts since 15 Mar, 2002 from the grimness of yorkshire
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- KVRian
- 626 posts since 25 Jun, 2013
There are some legitimate reasons for the loudness war, I feel.
I remember once reading an interview of a game musician who said he had to listen to his work on a mono television set to make sure it sounded good, and if it didn't, I believe he would change things around.
He also said things like, "real bass on a mono television just comes out as fuzz anyway." I don't remember who this was, it was so long ago.
Professionals aren't dumb, and they know to engineer their music in such a way to compensate for radio/car stereos/televisions/mp3/etc.
But they also do it, too, in this day and age because we live in such a noisy, oversaturated marketplace. The loudest is the one who gets noticed. You see this on TV commercials all the time - louder and louder commercials that boom (they are even startling) compared to the TV show.
Professionals are rarely masters too, and so you add a dab of human imperfection, poor judgment, and possibly better speakers, and you get some things sounding overcompressed, EQed wrong, etc. - genuine mistakes.
I'm listening to Livin' La Vida Loca right now by Ricky Martin, and it is seriously giving me a headache because the production is obnoxious.
But I remember listening to this song through my sister's car stereo back in the late 90's and everything always sounded crystal clear. I guess dynamics are less of an issue when we're talking car stereo speakers and stuff.
I come from listening to all of my music through video game consoles and mono television sets.
Video games didn't have the production pop music did, and were usually really rough. Through mono TVs, you did miss a lot of what was in the music. Some game music I adored as a kid, only to listen to it on a better sound system and discover all sorts of bad harmonies that I never heard through the TV.
The loudness war is sort of a necessary evil if you're in the business, but I think it's ultimately misguided.
I remember once reading an interview of a game musician who said he had to listen to his work on a mono television set to make sure it sounded good, and if it didn't, I believe he would change things around.
He also said things like, "real bass on a mono television just comes out as fuzz anyway." I don't remember who this was, it was so long ago.
Professionals aren't dumb, and they know to engineer their music in such a way to compensate for radio/car stereos/televisions/mp3/etc.
But they also do it, too, in this day and age because we live in such a noisy, oversaturated marketplace. The loudest is the one who gets noticed. You see this on TV commercials all the time - louder and louder commercials that boom (they are even startling) compared to the TV show.
Professionals are rarely masters too, and so you add a dab of human imperfection, poor judgment, and possibly better speakers, and you get some things sounding overcompressed, EQed wrong, etc. - genuine mistakes.
I'm listening to Livin' La Vida Loca right now by Ricky Martin, and it is seriously giving me a headache because the production is obnoxious.
But I remember listening to this song through my sister's car stereo back in the late 90's and everything always sounded crystal clear. I guess dynamics are less of an issue when we're talking car stereo speakers and stuff.
I come from listening to all of my music through video game consoles and mono television sets.
Video games didn't have the production pop music did, and were usually really rough. Through mono TVs, you did miss a lot of what was in the music. Some game music I adored as a kid, only to listen to it on a better sound system and discover all sorts of bad harmonies that I never heard through the TV.
The loudness war is sort of a necessary evil if you're in the business, but I think it's ultimately misguided.
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- KVRAF
- 8089 posts since 9 Jan, 2003 from Saint Louis MO
I'm just waiting for the loudness war to hit the lowercase genre.
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- KVRAF
- 5223 posts since 20 Jul, 2010
Digitally remastered version of Cage's 4m33sfoosnark wrote:I'm just waiting for the loudness war to hit the lowercase genre.
The silence is deafening!
http://sendy.bandcamp.com/releases < My new album at Bandcamp! Now pay what you like!
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- KVRist
- 53 posts since 4 Apr, 2009
This is the track I suggested should be mandatory on every jukebox, just as a respite from someone else's taste.Sendy wrote: Digitally remastered version of Cage's 4m33s
The silence is deafening!
Whatever became of them?
As an aside, can anyone remember why it's 4m33s and not any other duration? Hint, convert the minutes to seconds and add them up. And before anyone says they witnessed a performance 7min long, the conductor (obviously) didn't understand the piece
Ooops, sorry totally off topic.
Back on topic.
I'm surprised that so little has really changed.
Given the relentless timing of drum machines/computers. The mechanism average is still below 1. So people don't prefer music as played by robots.
Also the "acousticness" lies a fair way from 0. So expression is still appreciated. Which brings me to loudness.
Loudness is loved by DJs, advertisers etc. It means they can work in an easier environment without having to change the gain constantly. But notice the trend is hitting an asymptote.
As for the danceable curve. Well folks have always prefered a 4/4 rhythm. No change there then.
Steve
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The_Hidden_Goose The_Hidden_Goose https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=10878 - KVRian
- 945 posts since 8 Dec, 2003 from Birmingham-ish, UK (Tamworth, but shhh!)
I used to like a good loud system in a club, where you'd bop til you drop.
I don't like it on mostly acoustic music though - even pop-ish stuff. Seems to kill the dynamic range and leaves your ears tired. Or mine, anyway.
There seems to be a dearth of music with a well thought out dynamic range (I find myself very much guilty of it too...it's something that needs constant work/attention lately on my part - even on wall-of-noise drone type stuff that I sometimes delve into).
I find it much easier to make consistently loud music than music that uses quietness as much a musical tool as loudness.
I don't like it on mostly acoustic music though - even pop-ish stuff. Seems to kill the dynamic range and leaves your ears tired. Or mine, anyway.
There seems to be a dearth of music with a well thought out dynamic range (I find myself very much guilty of it too...it's something that needs constant work/attention lately on my part - even on wall-of-noise drone type stuff that I sometimes delve into).
I find it much easier to make consistently loud music than music that uses quietness as much a musical tool as loudness.
Q. Why is a mouse when it spins?
A. The higher the fewer.
A. The higher the fewer.
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- KVRAF
- 8150 posts since 13 Jan, 2003 from Darkest Kent, UK
What hit me recently was how crap some radio stations sound now.
Flipping between stations the other day in the car while waiting for someone, landed on Radio 1 and it was like being slapped; everyone sounded like they had nasal conditions and were half an inch from the mic. Appallingly over compressed I guess.
Flipping between stations the other day in the car while waiting for someone, landed on Radio 1 and it was like being slapped; everyone sounded like they had nasal conditions and were half an inch from the mic. Appallingly over compressed I guess.