Re: [ARSCLIST] fwd: Everything Louder Than Everything Else : Have the loudness wars reached their final battle?

[Dave Nolan <davenolanaudio@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Here's a great article I ran across 3 or 4 years ago - I'm so glad it's 
still on the 'net - it should be required reading on this subject of too-
loud mastering and remastering:

http://www.prorec.com/prorec/articles.nsf/files/8A133F52D0FD71AB86256C2E005D
AF1C

dave nolan
92nd St. Y
nyc

On Sun, 1 Oct 2006 00:21:05 -0400, steven c <stevenc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Tom Fine" <tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> Here's a link to the actual article in case you want to print for the
>files.
>>
>http://www.austin360.com/music/content/music/stories/xl/2006/09/28cover.htm
l
>> Thanks Dave, this is a good presentation of a vexing self-inflicted 
wound.
>> I think we've run this issue around, but that might be the Ampex list. 
For
>more perspective, see Bob
>> Orban's excellent article:
>>
>http://www.orban.com/support/orban/techtopics/Appdx_Radio_Ready_The_Truth_1
.3.pdf
>> which shows that these over-loud CD's sound even worse after being put
>through FM processing.
>> It's just disgraceful how 50 years of progress in sound recording and
>reproduction -- to where at
>> least a few recordings each year were truly life-like -- is being erased
>in less than a generation.
>>
>What is worse is the fact that this development has also influenced
>live music (at least in rock-related guitar-driven genres, which
>constitute both the majority of live performances and the total of
>my experience, both as participant and...well, victim?!)
>
>I suspect that these "younger set" (for the most part) musicians
>(well, sort of, anyway...) are so used to hearing music at ear-
>damaging levels, they assume that is the way it should be played
>as well!
>
>And all I'll say about home listening is to note that current
>audio-supplier advertisements offer 300, 500 and even 1000-watt
>(my guess is PEAK power, not RMS?) home systems, usually as part
>of "home theatre" setups! Worse yet, I have seen advertised (and
>think I may have overheard) multi-KW automobile sound systems!
>
>The one flaw in the design of the human race is, that as soon as
>anything has numbers defining it, our instinctive "Dominance
>Hierarchy" (aka "pecking order" (I'll here refrain from any
>comment on peckers...]) drives us to acquire the one with the
>highest number(s)!
>
>Steven C. Barr
>=========================================================================