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Loudness Wars, is the end actually coming?

Interesting thread, don't forget (mainly with pop, rock, soul etc.) as well as over use of compression and limiting there have been other issues that help to ruin decent listening. Eccentric EQ in the mid usually to provide 'presence' or give the impression of more detail. Bass goosing either by adding compression or EQ. No-noise filtering to the point of sucking out the natural top end of re-issues can be another menace. The list goes on.

Classical and jazz don't seem to get so much idiot marketing involvement and the masterings are much better for it.
 
Recordings Through The Decades

"Later recordings eventually got more full spectrum so that listening to a recording sounded more like having a whole band in front of you. Eventually, we went past this point and started to exploit the fullness of modern equiment to make recordings sound unnatural and hyped, all in an effort to grab your ear when you hear the song on the radio, or stimulate some of the excitement that loud, low noises create even at lower volumes."
 
SteveS1 said:
Interesting thread, don't forget (mainly with pop, rock, soul etc.) as well as over use of compression and limiting there have been other issues that help to ruin decent listening. Eccentric EQ in the mid usually to provide 'presence' or give the impression of more detail. Bass goosing either by adding compression or EQ. No-noise filtering to the point of sucking out the natural top end of re-issues can be another menace. The list goes on.
Click to expand...

Also Aphex Aural Exciters, and that annoying 10K-12KHz peak added to make female vocals sound "whispery".

Not to mention the groove-killing lock-step tempo you get from playing to a click track, and Auto-tune.
 
Yank said:
Also Aphex Aural Exciters, and that annoying 10K-12KHz peak added to make female vocals sound "whispery".

Not to mention the groove-killing lock-step tempo you get from playing to a click track, and Auto-tune.
Click to expand...

Ouch, yes.
 
There are many issues, but fortunately the tide does seem to be turning, all be it very slowly.

Even although the new EBU R128 recommendation(s) do not anywhere near far enough. It seems a step in the right direction.

I do think we are talking years for a change, but the fact that there is so much debate and interest in the subject is a very positive thing. It can only help the cause :)
 
Julf said:
It is only mandated on broadcast (not just TV, but radio too), so it takes care of the original justification (sounding louder on radio). It can also be applied to recordings, and it is the current standard for loudness metering, but nobody is forcing producers to stick to recommended levels.
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Producers can't 'stick to it' because it isn't relevant for production (so there is nothing to 'stick to'!), it is relevant for broadcast - a way of measuring 'loudness'. Nothing really to do with how music is compressed, recorded, mixed as far as music creation is concerned. (as far as I know!) :)
 
Yank said:
Also Aphex Aural Exciters, and that annoying 10K-12KHz peak added to make female vocals sound "whispery".

Not to mention the groove-killing lock-step tempo you get from playing to a click track, and Auto-tune.
Click to expand...
+1
30 years ago some bands hand unusual drummers (Fleetwood Mac!), giving a signature to their sound. These days computers are removing all individuality
 
davidsrsb said:
+1
30 years ago some bands hand unusual drummers (Fleetwood Mac!), giving a signature to their sound. These days computers are removing all individuality
Click to expand...

The Aphex Aural Exciter is 40 years old, so is the vocoder, samplers are pretty much that old too. The Linn "Drum Computer" is 35 years old. Even Autotune is now 17 years old...
 
tedmanzie said:
Producers can't 'stick to it' because it isn't relevant for production (so there is nothing to 'stick to'!), it is relevant for broadcast - a way of measuring 'loudness'. Nothing really to do with how music is compressed, recorded, mixed as far as music creation is concerned. (as far as I know!) :)
Click to expand...

It is a standard for how to meter, and a recommendation for a standard level.
 
Julf said:
The Aphex Aural Exciter is 40 years old, so is the vocoder, samplers are pretty much that old too. The Linn "Drum Computer" is 35 years old. Even Autotune is now 17 years old...
Click to expand...
The 'vocoder' goes back to before WW2.

Paul
 
Paul R said:
The 'vocoder' goes back to before WW2.
Click to expand...

You are right - and as usual, it comes from Bell Labs, but I was thinking of the use of vocoder in music - something that pretty much goes back to Bob Moog and Wendy Carlos.
 
Effects units like the Aphex couldn't mess up timing. Autotune and computer editing of each instrument have removed errors and individuality in the process
 
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