[infinitesymphony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gazza /img/forum/go_quote.gif Don't remind me. I curse the day Pro-tools and the iPod was invented.

Blame the worker, not the tool.

In certain semi-popular genres like independent electronica, indie rock, and experimental / noise rock, the mastering has been steadily improving. Not a lot of dynamic range yet, but the overall sound quality is getting better.

Each decade has its own recording mastering deficiencies... Spacey '60s, studio '70s, dry '80s, trebly '90s, loud '00s...

 

[Dublo7]

The new Verve album's sibilance almost blows my ear drums apart.

 

[DavidMahler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by basic-chanel /img/forum/go_quote.gif Funny; nearly all of my music has been created within the past ten years or so, and all of it sounds just fine to me.

Possibly your ears are very used to the modern sound.....it's not something I'm used to though I'm only 25.....but its all subjective

 

[Zanth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dublo7 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The new Verve album's sibilance almost blows my ear drums apart.

This really sucks

I was in HMV today and was thinking about picking it up. Having listening to a few tracks with the craptacular pair of cans they had on hand, I didn't bother. I wanted to wait for a few more opinions. The music was good enough but as you say, the sibilance was unreal! I was hoping it was just the nasty phones...

Alas...another album DOA.

 

[colonelkernel8]

I just got Metallica's single "The Day That Never Comes" from iTunes because I got it for free and I have to say, this is the most poorly mixed piece of music I have ever listened too. The distortion on the drums is so bad, its silly. Absolute garbage. Its like the people mixing the track were like using iBuds.

Its so bad, even Metallica fans are pissed.

 

[DavidMahler]

I do want to comment that I don't feel its protools or the ipod that is to blame for the horrible trend of supercompression, lack of dynamics, sibilance and treble exaggeration.

I will be first to admit that to my ears a well recorded analog reel to reel always sounds more authentic than a protools recording. That being said there are plenty of beautiful digital recordings. The most obvious choices are in the classical genre.

I think there is just a trend in the public consciousness that extreme compression (lack of headroom and complete absence of dynamics) is what sound good. I even think that for 3 minutes of listening, this method could almost sound more appealing....it certainly makes itself known as it consistently loud. The problem is that music is not about consistant loudness, but is instead about creating an emotional response. This emotional response is achieved through many many many things, one of which is peaks and dips in the dynamics of a recording. What the remastering engineers have chosen to do is basically what radio stations consistently do when they play music which is to put a huge amount of dynamic compression on the entire song creating a very loud and blunt sound.

The exaggeration of highs in present recordings is due to the fact that bass is so exaggerated in present systems that the treble needs to bleed through a little more.

Ironically, ibuds are rather bright in themselves. I think that is partly where the reputation for the ipod being a rather brighter portable player came to be. Of course the DAC of the ipod leans towards the bright direction, but it is in no way too bright.

There has to be a trend where people insist of realistic sound rather than compressed over beefy sound.

 

[WolfyWolf Von Wolfenstein]

Quote:

Originally Posted by colonelkernel8 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just got Metallica's single "The Day That Never Comes" from iTunes because I got it for free and I have to say, this is the most poorly mixed piece of music I have ever listened too. The distortion on the drums is so bad, its silly. Absolute garbage. Its like the people mixing the track were like using iBuds. Its so bad, even Metallica fans are pissed.

Yeah, metallica fans pissed. That's nothing new. I wonder if the LP is any better than the CD and if the sound quality has anything to do with their new producer? I don't want to turn this into the metallica thread so I will add my two cents below.
I can't believe how bad it has gotten. One of the reasons I got into vinyl. I am now leaning towards used and older mixes cause they aren't as messed up. I can listen to a used Hendrix album and tell how he produced his music to sound: no distortion. Alot of Hendrix reprints out there are really badly done. What I don't understand is why this problem started in the first place. You would think the artists would be smarter than that. Wait. Oh well... I don't like 99% of what came out after 1992 anyways.

 

[PWilson]

Actually, I think the ipod and the car radio are in part responsible. Well... perhaps not responsible, but the catalyst.

If you've ever tried listening to music with good dynamic range on crappy equipment in a noisy environment, it really suffers. It's quite hard to get the details, and the softer parts can get fully drowned out.

Hence, equalisation, to get everything up nice and loud, so it can all be heard through the crappy speakers/earbuds over the noise.

I have no problems if they do this with the radio, but bloody hell, leave my CD's alone

 

[Dublo7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zanth /img/forum/go_quote.gif This really sucks I was in HMV today and was thinking about picking it up. Having listening to a few tracks with the craptacular pair of cans they had on hand, I didn't bother. I wanted to wait for a few more opinions. The music was good enough but as you say, the sibilance was unreal! I was hoping it was just the nasty phones... Alas...another album DOA.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that noticed this.

 

[QQQ]

Here's a quote from that thread of pissed Metallica fans:

Quote:

Holy ****!!!!! Just sit back and enjoy the ride or get the **** out. Volume levels? Its ****ing Metallica!!!!! It is supposed to be played loud you moron. The loudness war is just fine for me.

Some people just so clueless that it's absolutely impossible to do anything about most bad things in existence.

 

[basic-chanel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidMahler /img/forum/go_quote.gif Possibly your ears are very used to the modern sound.....it's not something I'm used to though I'm only 25.....but its all subjective

I don't know; I've heard such a broad spectrum of music from the 1900's to today, and all of the most dynamic sounding tracks I know of are quite recent, particularly when it is electronic music.

 

[analogbox]

There are a lot of indie bands that can't have high quality recordings even if they wish to because they just simply don't have the kind of money to afford big-time-quality studio recording sessions. It does disappoint me some times but now days where indie bands are flourishing from all over the country, you just have to take it as granted.

Note: I'm only talking 'bout the indie records.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Switch to vinyl and consider SACD if you listen to classical and jazz. If you're up for some adventure, pick up a reel-to-reel deck and some tapes. You generally get good recordings from these formats.

 

[regal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by analogbox /img/forum/go_quote.gif There are a lot of indie bands that can't have high quality recordings even if they wish to because they just simply don't have the kind of money to afford big-time-quality studio recording sessions. It does disappoint me some times but now days where indie bands are flourishing from all over the country, you just have to take it as granted. Note: I'm only talking 'bout the indie records.

Money and expensive equipment have little to do with it. You can mix an album with Audacity and Izotope that will blow away 99% of this century rock. All you have to do is lay off the compression and bowl shaped eq. It has nothing to do with money.

What is happening with upstart bands is they are required by their small time label to boost the levels in order to get the contract. Like signing with the devil, only most of them don't have the artistic insight to realize what has happened.

 

[QQQ]

RHCP without a doubt can afford any studio, yet continue to put up highest-grade crap.