Comments for Justice For Audio http://www.justiceforaudio.org Opposing the Destruction of Great Music Tue, 06 Jan 2009 01:46:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 Comment on Metallica Albums Re-Mastered for 2008 - Exciting Sound? by novasoundlab http://www.justiceforaudio.org/2008/09/metallica-albums-re-mastered-for-2008-exciting-sound/#comment-61 novasoundlab Sun, 14 Dec 2008 19:51:29 +0000 http://www.musicquality.org/?p=9#comment-61 As a mastering engineer, I will no longer fight the Loudness War. It can definately go on without me. It is self-serving, puerile and insane to think that compressing the crap out of a CD to the point where the texture, tone and shape of it is bleached out beyond listenability is a viable marketing strategy. If this has precluded any chance of my getting into the big leagues of the industry, so be it - I am not going to be a party to mudering music. As a mastering engineer, I will no longer fight the Loudness War.

It can definately go on without me.

It is self-serving, puerile and insane to think that compressing the crap out of a CD to the point where the texture, tone and shape of it is bleached out beyond listenability is a viable marketing strategy.

If this has precluded any chance of my getting into the big leagues of the industry, so be it - I am not going to be a party to mudering music.

]]> Comment on BBC 4 Radio Report on Death Magnetic & Sound Issues by Chris http://www.justiceforaudio.org/2008/10/bbc-4-radio-report-on-death-magnetic-sound-issues/#comment-58 Chris Wed, 03 Dec 2008 02:27:20 +0000 http://www.justiceforaudio.org/?p=24#comment-58 It's not even a valid excuse for radio. Crushing the dynamics of tracks to get a greater percieved loudness is completely unneccessary for radio broadcast - the reason being that radio has it's own inbuilt compressors, which will raise or lower the peaks and lows of the source-sound automatically, according to the settings of the station in question. In fact, compressing an original recording to be entirely at peak level for the whole track will actually result in the music coming out QUIETER on the radio, as the stations processors will treat the song as one big maximum-peak, and therefore automatically adjust it to broadcast at a LOWER volume than it would be if it were mastered with natural dynamics. Plus it will also sound horribly flat and distorted. It’s not even a valid excuse for radio. Crushing the dynamics of tracks to get a greater percieved loudness is completely unneccessary for radio broadcast - the reason being that radio has it’s own inbuilt compressors, which will raise or lower the peaks and lows of the source-sound automatically, according to the settings of the station in question. In fact, compressing an original recording to be entirely at peak level for the whole track will actually result in the music coming out QUIETER on the radio, as the stations processors will treat the song as one big maximum-peak, and therefore automatically adjust it to broadcast at a LOWER volume than it would be if it were mastered with natural dynamics. Plus it will also sound horribly flat and distorted.

]]> Comment on BBC 4 Radio Report on Death Magnetic & Sound Issues by Tim Bick http://www.justiceforaudio.org/2008/10/bbc-4-radio-report-on-death-magnetic-sound-issues/#comment-55 Tim Bick Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:50:08 +0000 http://www.justiceforaudio.org/?p=24#comment-55 That may be an excuse that gets proffered now, but the practice has been ongoing for a lot longer than the iTunes store (prior to which download sales were but a blip and hence not an issue). If anything, the kickstarter was an attempt to get music to sound punchier on the radio where dynamic range is quite narrow. That may be an excuse that gets proffered now, but the practice has been ongoing for a lot longer than the iTunes store (prior to which download sales were but a blip and hence not an issue). If anything, the kickstarter was an attempt to get music to sound punchier on the radio where dynamic range is quite narrow.

]]> Comment on BBC 4 Radio Report on Death Magnetic & Sound Issues by Michel LeGrisbi http://www.justiceforaudio.org/2008/10/bbc-4-radio-report-on-death-magnetic-sound-issues/#comment-54 Michel LeGrisbi Thu, 20 Nov 2008 01:15:48 +0000 http://www.justiceforaudio.org/?p=24#comment-54 Great segment. They haven't mentioned the reason much of this happens is to maintain a loud sound when the track is converted to mp3 for a portable device. Great segment. They haven’t mentioned the reason much of this happens is to maintain a loud sound when the track is converted to mp3 for a portable device.

]]> Comment on Metallica Albums Re-Mastered for 2008 - Exciting Sound? by SIR JOHN MARCUS http://www.justiceforaudio.org/2008/09/metallica-albums-re-mastered-for-2008-exciting-sound/#comment-53 SIR JOHN MARCUS Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:25:30 +0000 http://www.musicquality.org/?p=9#comment-53 HENDRIX I HAVE WHAT YOU AL ARE LOOKING FOR!!!! LOUDNESS WAR IS NO MORE!!!!!! WWW.SIRJOHNMARCUS.COM HENDRIX I HAVE WHAT YOU AL ARE LOOKING FOR!!!!

LOUDNESS WAR IS NO MORE!!!!!!

http://WWW.SIRJOHNMARCUS.COM

]]> Comment on Metallica Albums Re-Mastered for 2008 - Exciting Sound? by Hendrix http://www.justiceforaudio.org/2008/09/metallica-albums-re-mastered-for-2008-exciting-sound/#comment-52 Hendrix Sun, 16 Nov 2008 05:44:54 +0000 http://www.musicquality.org/?p=9#comment-52 Sounds like it was recorded on my first (£20) cassette recorder. Is this what music has come to! Why not use technology to solve the problem rather than create one: Why not give people a choice - 192kb/s compressed commercial version, 320kb/s uncompressed high quality version and a lossless high quality version. These could be marketed individually or as a single package and also sold as a (double sided?) CD. Any business should maximise its market, not try to piss it off!! Sounds like it was recorded on my first (£20) cassette recorder. Is this what music has come to!
Why not use technology to solve the problem rather than create one:
Why not give people a choice - 192kb/s compressed commercial version, 320kb/s uncompressed high quality version and a lossless high quality version. These could be marketed individually or as a single package and also sold as a (double sided?) CD.

Any business should maximise its market, not try to piss it off!!

]]> Comment on JFA - We Care About The Sound by Chris http://www.justiceforaudio.org/2008/09/jfa/#comment-51 Chris Sun, 16 Nov 2008 04:10:52 +0000 http://musicquality.org/?p=1#comment-51 Hendrix, for "people who like compressed audio" there are a range of alternative options available - iTunes Soundcheck, Replay Gain, various audio-processing software, "night-mode" controls etc. People can make their own compression-adjustments and compressed mixtapes/album-copies if they wish. But the REVERSE is NOT true - destroyed dynamics and details CANNOT be recovered. So if the music industry were to start releasing dynamic, instead of over-compressed, versions, then there would be no problem - those who like dynamic sound can happily leave the music as it is, and those who want a compressed sound can create their own versions using the audio-processing mentioned above. As it is, they are LOSING part of their market, because people who want to hear music in all its splendour - with dynamics and detail - are simply not willing to purchase products that have already had all their musical qualities stripped away. So they are actually currently making LESS money than they would if they were to start releasing records with proper dynamic range. Hendrix, for “people who like compressed audio” there are a range of alternative options available - iTunes Soundcheck, Replay Gain, various audio-processing software, “night-mode” controls etc. People can make their own compression-adjustments and compressed mixtapes/album-copies if they wish. But the REVERSE is NOT true - destroyed dynamics and details CANNOT be recovered. So if the music industry were to start releasing dynamic, instead of over-compressed, versions, then there would be no problem - those who like dynamic sound can happily leave the music as it is, and those who want a compressed sound can create their own versions using the audio-processing mentioned above. As it is, they are LOSING part of their market, because people who want to hear music in all its splendour - with dynamics and detail - are simply not willing to purchase products that have already had all their musical qualities stripped away. So they are actually currently making LESS money than they would if they were to start releasing records with proper dynamic range.

]]> Comment on JFA - We Care About The Sound by Hendrix http://www.justiceforaudio.org/2008/09/jfa/#comment-50 Hendrix Sat, 15 Nov 2008 12:43:42 +0000 http://musicquality.org/?p=1#comment-50 If all the compression was removed tomorrow you'd have loads of people complaining about having to turn the volume up in their cars and on their mp3 players. Unfortunately there are plenty of people who like compressed audio. The only way this is going to be resolved is if the music industry is persuaded there is enough people wanting to purchase alternative higher quality / lower compression versions to make it commercially viable. If all the compression was removed tomorrow you’d have loads of people complaining about having to turn the volume up in their cars and on their mp3 players. Unfortunately there are plenty of people who like compressed audio. The only way this is going to be resolved is if the music industry is persuaded there is enough people wanting to purchase alternative higher quality / lower compression versions to make it commercially viable.

]]> Comment on JFA - We Care About The Sound by Gos http://www.justiceforaudio.org/2008/09/jfa/#comment-49 Gos Tue, 11 Nov 2008 07:30:16 +0000 http://musicquality.org/?p=1#comment-49 I have to agree with Michael Fremer, when he said that brickwalled music will cause listener fatigue, causing people to want to turn it down or find something else to listen to. I, for one, want to continue to listen to music that makes me want to say, "Turn it UUUUP!" A friend of mine remastered DM to non-brickwalled standards, using tracks he ripped from the Guitar Hero game, and it sounds fuckin awesome -- makes the WB release sound like like a turdpounder with cheese by comparison. --- Gos --- gos@nerosopeningact.com "Turn it UUUUP!" I have to agree with Michael Fremer, when he said that brickwalled music will cause listener fatigue, causing people to want to turn it down or find something else to listen to.

I, for one, want to continue to listen to music that makes me want to say, “Turn it UUUUP!”

A friend of mine remastered DM to non-brickwalled standards, using tracks he ripped from the Guitar Hero game, and it sounds fuckin awesome — makes the WB release sound like like a turdpounder with cheese by comparison.

— Gos
— gos@nerosopeningact.com
“Turn it UUUUP!”

]]> Comment on Metallica Albums Re-Mastered for 2008 - Exciting Sound? by Qtax http://www.justiceforaudio.org/2008/09/metallica-albums-re-mastered-for-2008-exciting-sound/#comment-48 Qtax Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:07:05 +0000 http://www.musicquality.org/?p=9#comment-48 Re: What’s the last song in this video? Rush - Tom Sawyer Re: What’s the last song in this video?

Rush - Tom Sawyer

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