Compression..why so much?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Beagle, Apr 15, 2002.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Beagle

    Beagle Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Ottawa
    Good comments guys. I can follow you all the way through on the lowest common denominator factor. Makes you wonder what would have happened if boom boxes had come out at the beginning of the 70's. Imagine all your favourite classic albums squashed beyond belief:

    "Tubular Bells" with zero dynamics?

    The electric piano in "No Quarter" at the same level as the drum/guitar/vocal chorus, or the acoustic guitar in "Stairway To Heaven" at identical level to the end guitar solo/vocal?

    The rhythm box/synth into to "In The Air Tonight" at the same level as the drum entrance??

    Yet they all sounded great over the radio. Is the boombox factor to blame or the misuse/abuse of digital technology? Or is reflective of society now in that we have to constantly yell to get everyones attention?

    Recently, a friend of mine, who manages a music store, played me two recent releases through a stereo boombox. One was Afro Celt Sound System, the other Gov't Mule live recording. I could hear the air and natural timbre of the cymbals on the latter, and I was entranced by the former. I listened to them at home on hi-rez system and could not pick any of this up at all. Maybe I should just buy a boombox and get the maximum out of the recordings.
     
  2. Bob Lovely

    Bob Lovely Super Gort In Memoriam

    Beagle,

    Interesting thought! Could it be to make recordings heard over the 90+db drone of everyday life?

    Bob :)
     
  3. Beagle

    Beagle Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Ottawa
    Or recording engineers have hooked up with the automobile repair industry in a make-work project to turn cars into rattle boxes by using the radio?

    I was reading a recent study which linked excessive time spent watching TV to potential violence. I believe the use of compression has the potential to cause people to commit violent acts or crimes because all the subtleties and realizations of the human spirit and reason for being are zapped away into a constant BANG BANG BANG. In turn, people "compress" their lives, where unimportant things like material things, jobs, coffee, fast food, shopping centers etc are all at the same "level of importance" as their health, families, wives, relationships. Everything becomes samey and disposable. They follow fads and trends and do what everyone tells them to do, just like the engineers do what the record company tells them to do.

    Kind of sad.
     
  4. Bob Lovely

    Bob Lovely Super Gort In Memoriam

    Our Fate?

    Beagle,

    A homogenized, compressed, squashed, processed life where we are told what to eat, what to drink and what to listen to by corporations? Perhaps, off topic, but is it really?

    Bob :confused:
     
  5. Dave

    Dave Esoteric Audio Research Specialistâ„¢

    Location:
    B.C.
    Our fate Bob?

    Guys,

    I really believe that this is the sort of lifestyle that the money mongors are forcing down our throats, even as we speak.

    Why do you suppose I've never had, nor ever will have, a credit card? My freedom is my own business as are my finances. Too bad mastering engineers have to live under a different rule of thumb. MONEY!
     
  6. Beagle

    Beagle Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Ottawa
    Bob:

    I look at it like this. Some compression is necessary. I equate this with the daily job, necessary to pay the bills and mortgage, and regular responsibilities. I create dynamics, flavor and contrast by taking the dog for a walk in the parks and woods near the river or doing something nice for someone or being there to listen. I strip away all the mud and excess midbass in my life by avoiding crowds and keeping my area clean and uncluttered. Use as few tracks as possible. Overcompression could be cigarettes, alcohol and MSG. I should be able to make do with water, fruits and vegetables. But it doesn't sound good over the radio. Standing in an open field at night, gazing at the stars, is the best soundstage you can experience within the vicinity of your home. Staying inside watching TV is fat mono with no depth and overcompressed. Just like your body will become. A healthy body = a healthy mind = a healthy mix. Ever try to enjoy music after consuming MSG? Man, it is the devil.
     
  7. Bob Lovely

    Bob Lovely Super Gort In Memoriam

    What you will listen to!

    Dave,

    You will listen to this compressed, processed music and you will enjoy it! Resistance is futile!

    Bob :confused:
     
  8. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    I don't know how well you pay attention to corporate trees but Erik Labson works for Motown as long as Universal owns it.

    Also, "pertty good" and "right" are two different things. If I say that SUHA Gur overcompressed some Motown stuff, it is because, unlike you, I have an emotional attachment to the original LPs, singles, and the music that's on them, plus, I was there the first time around. Unless you were also very knowledgable about the origilal sound, you couldn't say that. I suggest that the "Temptin' Temptations" CD sounds good to YOU because, like CM says, you have little or no personal history biasing his opinion. Your dad may have listened to that stuff but how close were you listening?

    This not a personal attack at all. I'm just trying to make a point.
     
  9. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Can't relate. MSG doesn't bother me.:p
     
  10. lukpac

    lukpac Senior Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    No, you *weren't* around when Temptin' Temptations came out. Well, you were 3 I guess. Does that count?

    History has nothing to do with it. If something sounds good it sounds good. If something sounds bad it sounds bad. Just because the original LP sounded one way doesn't mean all future releases should sound just like it.

    I suggest you listen to GH 1 and Temptin' Temptations on CD. GH 1 is overly bright and harsh, while Temptin' Temptations isn't. End of story.
     
  11. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Well, this love or indifference for compressed music isn't going to go away because of a bunch of audiophile rantings. Mp3, portable stereos, bookshelf systems, car sub systems, and cheap home theater iare all here to stay.

    Hey, perhaps I should tell my boss that my extra workload is compressing my quality of life! Then he can tell me that one too many employees are compressing his budget!
    :D
     
  12. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!



    Yes it does! I was listening even that young!

    Then I guess jon Astley's work on "Who's Next" sounds good, eh? History has nothing to do with it. Does it match up with the original LP or Steve Hoffman's work?
     
  13. Bob Lovely

    Bob Lovely Super Gort In Memoriam

    Beagle,

    I understand your point. Compression, like self-control, keeps things from getting out of hand. I can accept that. I struggle with over-compression of music and the continuing, further intrusion of corporations in my private life and the government trying to control my life and take away my freedoms (enough, Bob!)

    Nice job of expressing the experience of daily living in audio terms!

    Bob :)
     
  14. Gary

    Gary Nauga Gort! Staff

    Location:
    Toronto
  15. Doug Hess Jr.

    Doug Hess Jr. Senior Member

    Location:
    Belpre, Ohio

    :D HOORAY!! Someone making the point I have made before only to be told I'm being an audiophile snob because I supposedly look down upon those who are not enlightened!! Nope. Just pointing out that we (those who can hear the difference and care why the DCC discs sound better) are NOT the majority.
     
  16. Steven

    Steven Senior Member

    Location:
    Mercer County, NJ
    Metal Blade for sure, but also Ear Candy and Dogman. I think self titled too, but's it's been a while.
     
  17. Dave

    Dave Esoteric Audio Research Specialistâ„¢

    Location:
    B.C.
    Nice to know that I'm not the only one who believes this. And some say I'm just paranoid. HAH! I know what I see.;)
     
  18. Bob Lovely

    Bob Lovely Super Gort In Memoriam

    Dave,

    The latest government intrusion--they want to be able to turn on your TV 24/7 to provide you with weather alerts, then it will be be government annoucements, then government instructions, then government directives. Subtle instrusions such as weather bulletins can easily evolve into more draconian purposes, one small step at a time. There has even been some talk about about the government telling us what to eat once we retire in order to keep the costs of government provided health care in check. However, the government will learn a real lesson, I believe, in that the more you try to control any human being the less control over that human being that you truly have!

    Bob ;)
     
  19. Beagle

    Beagle Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Ottawa
    I have always been cynical about things like TV newscasts. They are always an hour long, unless there is some big event of the day where they expand beyond the normal hour.

    But you never have a "quiet day" where nothing happened. It's still an hour long. So they fill it in with rumors, potential "trends" based on one occurence or meaningless information that the gullible take to heart. Sort of like most of todays artist's CD's. And we wonder why people believe everything they hear, and buy whatever advertisers tell them to even though it is useless and they don't need it. And those people have children. Then we wonder why everybody is asleep at the wheel when tragedies like 9/11 occur.
     
  20. Bob Lovely

    Bob Lovely Super Gort In Memoriam

    Beagle,

    No question, people today are heavily "programmed". This "programming" is not as subtle as the messages may appear on the surface. Through Radio, TV, Music, Print Media and Computers we are encouraged to think in certain ways, buy products, dress in certain ways, view other people in certain ways, act in certain ways, conform, submit and resign to the wishes and intent of the messages--all draining and contentious to the individuality of the unique human spirit! It is my contention that Cynisism is actually Realism that no one wants to hear.

    Bob
     
  21. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    To counter, I think most people are smarter than that and are less influenced by the media than you think. But looking at the news you would never guess that. I think it is way too easy and a cop-out to point a finger at the media for the ills of our society.
     
  22. Bob Lovely

    Bob Lovely Super Gort In Memoriam

    The Media--do not under estimate the subtle power

    Grant,

    Are you sure that all the subtle messages on all forms of media do not add up, without us barely noticing? As an example, why is it that so many pre-teen girls dress like Brittany Spears? The media has nothing to do with this? Why do many younger women struggle with anorexia? The media has nothing to do with this? Do all the different forms of the media reinforce, in subtle ways, behaviors such as racial profiling, drug use, promiscuity, etc. I believe they do--the thoughts behind my posting.

    Think about it!

    Bob :)
     
  23. FabFourFan

    FabFourFan Senior Member

    Location:
    Philadelphia
    When a thread about audio compression beging to include messages like this, perhaps it's gone off-topic? :rolleyes:
     
  24. Bob Lovely

    Bob Lovely Super Gort In Memoriam

    You are right--time to move forward!

    Thanks!

    Bob :)
     
  25. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Yes, waaaayy off!

    Maybe this should be continued on the "Off Topic" forum for those who wish to debate sociology?
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine