It’s around this time of year that I start my classes on audio mastering. One of the big issues for me is the abuse of limiting plug-ins, and so it was with some delight that I recently came across this useful little movie on YouTube:
There are places when limiting heavily may be appropriate: mastering tracks for club-bound 12″ vinyl, for example. But most of the time people are being seduced by the most superficial of signifiers—pure volume—when really anyone wanting it louder just has to turn it up for themselves.
This isn’t some esoteric geek issue, either: even The Guardian have written a very good little article about the “loudness wars” here. What’s interesting is that it obviously isn’t the mastering engineers who are doing it—in fact they’re complaining like crazy—but the record companies and, tragically, the artists themselves. Even Paul Simon is at it!!!!
This cult of loudness extends through to the finished product: Thomas Lund at TC Electronics has shown how modern CDs are simply recorded too ‘hot’. His research shows a 2002 Eminem CD generating around 25 instances of “obvious distortion” every 10 seconds! Read the full Distortion To The People paper here.
MP3 Player
I updated the MP3 player last night with a new (eclectic, exotic, extravagant) playlist. Regular or returning visitors may need to refresh this page. Watch out, Ionisation starts very quietly.
I’ve also switched MP3 encoder for this set of tracks. I was using iTunes, but I’ve found a little freeware programme called Switch that has an excellent range of conversion options and a very straightforward user interface. It’s made by an Australian company called NCH Swift Sound Software who make an interesting and unusual range of reasonably-priced audio programs for Mac, PC, and PDAs. Check ‘em out…
Anyway, I’ve started encoding now in stereo at 160kbps, assuming most people are on broadband. If anyone experiences problems please let me know. Which leads me on nicely to:
Audio Quality
Back in June—here in fact—I commented on the widening gap in audio quality experienced by music producers and music consumers. This weekThe Guardian ran an article by Jack Schofield that discussed this very issue, although mostly in terms of the small market for SACD and DVD-A. However, he does offer this pertinent summary that reinforces my own observations:
We have become the audio version of a fast food nation, consuming low-quality music on the run never sitting down to savour a higher-quality experience.
Quite. Thanks for coming, and please feel free to leave a comment.
