The Loudness Wars

[ash]

I did a bit of reading and looked at Youtube clips and sound files regarding this issue of excessive compression on modern CDs. The consensus amongst 'learned' consumers seems to be that excessive compression is a terrible travesty against music. Ordinary mass market punters don't seem bothered. Radio and TV like compress-o-rama. Many CD mastering pros seem pretty keen on it too.


What do you reckon?




I reckon it depends on your listening habits and listening environment. I listen to music mostly in the car (loud) and at work (not so loud), so in environments where there is a lot of ambient noise for the music to fight through. In that situation a certain amount of compression is essential to prevent the quieter parts of the music from being lost in amongst the noise. Obviously Death Magnetic levels of compress-o-clip are stupid, but packing the waveform out does help the music cut through. Listening to old Jethro Tull tracks in the car is distinctly unsatisfying compared with the headphone experience. In the very rare occasions I get to listen with headphones in peace, I'd be keen on a more old-school production with dynamics and texture a'plenty, but those times don't come very often.

[sambrowne]

Apparently it's also to do with bands demanding more compression for their songs to pop out on radio. I can sort of understand this a bit - when Bullet comes on the Rock sometimes, it can pale in production next to the compressed might of say Nickelback or whatever. Big US rock acts are definitely squeezing their music into solid blocks of sound.

I have to admit, I do like the sound of a lot of compression.

[Jenesis]

Not bothered.

[badmotor]

Radio is gay. More dynamics,less compression please. Gross generalisaton, but I'm old fashioned.

Of course, it has it's place but it seems to have "past participle of get" outta control in recent times. If you are presented with a wall of sound all the time... it fatigues you and doesn't do anyone any favours (artist or listener). Still.. . if it is all going through your iPod buds what does it matter?

It is a real treat to listen to some well produced music through some good headphones. Everyone should do it once in a while.

[Timi]

I'm agree with several points so far, mainly that it depends on the listening environment.

Classical music for example is usually extremely dynamic. At home on the hifi it's amazing to hear all the dynamics of the music and it adds a huge dimension that the majority of modern music lacks, but in the car I find it quite hard to listen to because it's still hard to hear some parts even when you are cranking the stereo.

Most people listen to music in noisy environments on car stereos and iPod headphones, so something that is always "loud" will be easier to hear. Also, a lot of people subconsciously think something "louder" is better. Add to this that a lot of modern music isn't dynamic anyway, so slamming it doesn't take much away.

This isn't to say I don't like just a touch of brickwall limiting to "fatten out" a modern recording that suits sounding like that, but there's a limit (pun intended). I would like to see more artists releasing a slammed and hifi version of their work for the different environments, that would be cool.

I think the worst part is when the more amateur mastering engineers try and go super loud but end up making an awful pumpy mess. Don't even get me started on the limiting and EQ that radio stations apply to their broadcast....

[thehenderson]

I like it when it sounds excellent

[sambrowne]

I would like to see more artists releasing a slammed and hifi version of their work for the different environments, that would be cool.

Sweet pun. My friend Dan (Radio over Moscow) did exactly that recently in an online release of his album. Interesting idea.

[TmcB]

I love big ultra compressed rock like the Queens of the Stone Age Songs for the Deaf album, but also I really enjoy the sweet dynamics of acoustic driven music.

Horses for courses. The less compression the more alive it sounds to me, but the more compression the bigger, more epic it sounds. As long as the compression fits the music it's all good.
However, I'm not a fan of how much they munt songs for radio.

[Rog]

I'm a fan of light and shade in songs, as it just seems to me to be more 'real' and serves the music/feel more, so I guess for me, less is best. Then again, I'm not a party freak who needs it in my face so I can dance to it etc.

[Pakehendrix]

Definitely a listening environment thing. I like some compression because it helps in just about every musical situation I listen to music.

However I also think that the majority of people who rant and rave about "over-compressed" albums have no idea what compression actually 'sounds' like. It seems to be the catchcry of the amateur reviewer who likes to lament about how amazing early Beatles records were compared to the fifty years that have passed since. Sure the difference between no compression and Nickelback compression might be obvious, but I think the gradations tend to be extremely subtle. However you always sound more clever and turtlenecky by discussing compression...

Plus it all comes back to environment anyway - as Badmotor says, listening to a well-produced album through great quality headphones is a must do. Listening with Logitech computer speakers to stolen mp3s and then reviewing sound quality is a little problematic...

[jeremyb]

What sucks to me is when you see a band live and the drummer is using triggers to compress his sound!!

[zdali]

What sucks to me is when you see a band live and the drummer is using triggers to compress his sound!!

This! Except for a different reason... It's easy easy enough to compress drums. Triggers are generally used to level out the output when played fast and soft.

[jeremyb]

What sucks to me is when you see a band live and the drummer is using triggers to compress his sound!!

This! Except for a different reason... It's easy easy enough to compress drums. Triggers are generally used to level out the output when played fast and soft.

Yarrr thats what gets me, a good drummer should be able to hit consistently I would have thought!! I'm paying $120 to see someone use their skill not get a machine to do it for them, might as well listen to my ipod otherwise!

[rob_on_guitar]

Most 'learned listeners' forgot how to have fun when the 70's died

[mr_sooty]

Radio is samick. More dynamics,less compression please. Gross generalisaton, but I'm old fashioned.

No, you're right, most FM broadcasts are very heavily compressed, so what little dynamics are left in the recording are squashed even further on the radio.

I think as some have already said, it comes down to environment and frequency of listening. A limited, heavily compressed track can sound 'hot' on first listen, but will be tiresome to listen to more than a few times. This doesn't matter for the record companies who want you to hear it once, like it, and then buy it. They don't care how many times you listen to it after you've bought it. But for long term enjoyment, a less compressed, more dynamic recording will be far more enjoyable to listen to over and over again.