Interesting NPR Article on newer recordings

[NWBasser]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122114058

I found this one fascinating and it seems to explain a lot of what I've been hearing in recordings.

 

[marnold]

I didn't even have to look at the article to know that "Death Magnetic" would be a part of the discussion

 

[Retro Hound]

I've been ranting about this for a while. The loudness makes the ears tired and there is much less dynamics in the music.

 

[deeaa]

Oh yeah, I've been ranting about it for years too...what can you do, they need to make the songs sound awesome on YouTube and MP3 demos so they catch the modern listener's de-sensitized ear...just check songs in YouTube, the newer a song the more terribly compressed it usually is. The Whitesnake clip posted just recently here is a good example. Sounds terrific for a few minutes, then it just kills the ear.

 

[Spudman]

Oh yeah, I've been ranting about it for years too...what can you do, they need to make the songs sound awesome on YouTube and MP3 demos so they catch the modern listener's de-sensitized ear...just check songs in YouTube, the newer a song the more terribly compressed it usually is. The Whitesnake clip posted just recently here is a good example. Sounds terrific for a few minutes, then it just kills the ear.

The album itself is much more dynamic, but I agree. Some artists are releasing material that is more old school sounding without the over compression factor but you really have to look hard to find them.

 

[Eric]

The whole ear-fatigue thing is interesting to me, and I've begun to take notice of it with music in general. I'm in a bit of a slump music-wise these days -- just not quite as enamored with it as I once was. I wonder if the two things are related at all.

Anyway, interesting read. I saw the McCartney video a while ago and thought it was a very good explanation of the whole compression thing.

 

[NWBasser]

The whole ear-fatigue thing is interesting to me, and I've begun to take notice of it with music in general. I'm in a bit of a slump music-wise these days -- just not quite as enamored with it as I once was. I wonder if the two things are related at all.

Anyway, interesting read. I saw the McCartney video a while ago and thought it was a very good explanation of the whole compression thing.

McCartney video?

I'd like to see what that's about.

 

[NWBasser]

I've been ranting about this for a while. The loudness makes the ears tired and there is much less dynamics in the music.

I agree that over-compression really kills the dynamics. Sad state of things.

 

[Eric]

McCartney video?

I'd like to see what that's about.

Well, the youtube video using a McCartney song as an example; it was referenced in the NPR article

 

[deeaa]

Yeah I usually hope it's just the YouTube track that's severely compressed, not the actual album...