> > >
> >
> > cd's today sound rather bad compared to early cd's.. all
> in
> > processing.. and the loudness war
> >
>
> Indeed, we have a number of issues when it comes to certain
> music. It becomes over processed..their processing
> combining with ours. Wish they would just leave it alone.
> Why the recording studios feel the need to be louder than
> each other is beyond me.
>
> > Just a couple weeks ago i have had a time explaining or
> > trying to at least the facts of lossy codec/dynamic
> > range/saturation/artifacts etc etc.. to a young dj friend
> of
> > mine who prefers using mp3s and final scratch over a
> simple
> > mixer and a set of technics and wax or cd....
> >
> > he swears his mp3s sound great and have all the low end
> and
> > high end you could ever imagine just like a cd...
> >
> > I finally had so visually show him the audio with a scope
> to
> > demonstrate what was missing from his files....
> > lets just say they are a mostly 3's and 4's on a 10
> scale...
> > 10's being something i ripped and encoded using my own
> > chosen software and meathods.
>
>
> But if you need a scope to show him, perhaps his ears are
> already dead.
>
> >
> > here are some links that explain this very well
> >
> >
http://www.cdmasteringservices.com/dynamicrange.htm
> >
> > give me 1980s analog radio anyday over what we hear
> today...
> >
> >
> > i listen to old airchecks and the audio source along with
> > the processing are just heavenly compared to what i hear
> > today...
> >
>
> The thing is that most air checks from then came right off
> of the board without the processing that was used. You want
> to talk about processing, look at the Top 40 stations of the
> 60's-70's. CRANK ER UP!
>
>
>
> > In memphis to my tastes there are only like 3 really good
> > sounding stations.. the rest are over processed bad
> sounding
> > digital files resulting in something that either makes you
>
> > want to go into a coma or on the very bad side makes your
> > ears blead....
> >
>
> IMHO it is todays music that is making it worse. Especially
> Hip Hop where they process the "music" to death. I have
> been able to process evey other station we have pretty well,
> excpet for the Hip Hop station. The music is all over the
> place, with high ends that are so mashed it is hard to deal
> with.
>
> Dynamic range is all fine and dandy, but put yourself into
> the typical listener situation. Most people are listening
> at a fairly low level. If they find the need to turn up and
> down the audio, it just becomes tiresome.
>
> My example is one of our local NPR stations. During a show
> called Whadya Now? I find that I am turning the audio up to
> hear the quiet passages, the as soon as the audio gets loud
> turning it down. It is a PITA. Most people dont wnat to
> turn it up and down. A good level with some compression
> IMHO is a better scheme for radio with all of the ambiant
> noise in the background. I am not saying process to death
> as some stations do, but some processing to even out the
> program amterial. Also, since there are other stations in
> the market, you need to at least come somewhat close to the
> other stations loudness. Our stations are not the loudest,
> but that is OK.
>
I can tell you and I probably think allot alike...
I also realize everyones ears are different.
I know I should have much more hearing loss than it appears from all the years of going out to Clubs and Parties and countless hours with headphones on during my radio days. Somehow I could and still hear things most people can't.
like 1 local station for years had 1 cart out of 6 that has a buzz. I was very low but I could always pick it out. At the time this station was one of the better stations I remember hearing overall and many people used it as a benchmark to good processing. The station was urban now hip/hop and suffers very very badly from just what you meantioned. The took the biggest drop in quality when the left cd's for the harddisk and it has never improved even the slightest. Bad encoded files run through mutliband compressors that literally mash and ruin the audio so badly theres no chance something could sneak through sounding slightly decent.
Our city schools station after suffering for years finally got some new equipment. I feel very sure they are probably playing MP3s not Mp2 or any other format. This station is probably one of the better sounding stations for a few hundred miles. The only negative is the S's are a little harsh. They could fix this very easily without impacting their great sound.
About the airchecking - I always when possible recorded myself off the air. I always wanted to know exactly someone listening heard.
I could never stand to use the board in my headphones also. I always got a way to monitor off the air everywhere i worked. I couldnt understand a radio station control room where you had no way to monitor the station. I worked at 2 or 3 stations that had no tuner in the studio that could easily be used at least.
It kinda sad that radio sounds so bad today especially when I know there are engineers like you who understand great audio and know how to get it. Yet today many are powerless due to someone else calling those shots and unfortunatly someone who needs a new set of ears.
I notice certain cities that most staions sound bad and other cities where most stations sound better. It seems competition doesnt always force you to sound your best like it did years ago. Just be louder!
Have you recorded any of your stations off the air to MP3? For the purpose of sharing online with people to hear. Not for airchecking sake like most people want but more so someone can hear the processing and on the air sound of your stations.
I would love to hear and I can use my imagination to compensate for what a lossy mp3 will sound like.
I would really love to hear some hd subchanels also since at this point I can't even find anyone locally who owns an HD Radio.
I live in Memphis and would be willing to capture any analog station I can receive for you or someone in return.
HD subs over windows media and aac+ at lower bitrates really just don't give me much of an idea of anything other than the format and music.
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