Subj : Re: floppy disks
To   : poindexter FORTRAN
From : boraxman
Date : Wed Apr 30 2025 10:12 am

-=> poindexter FORTRAN wrote to boraxman <=-

 -=> boraxman wrote to Adept <=-

 bo> Some talked about getting original CD's, before the remaster where they
 bo> make it loud or "correct" things or autotune Freddie Mercury.

 pF> Yeah, I have some CDs where I bought the original, then bought the
 pF> remastered version with additional tracks, and couldn't believe how bad
 pF> the new versions sound on a proper stereo. Sure, I didn't need to turn
 pF> the volume up on my phone+earbuds with the remastered versions, but
 pF> they sound horrible compared to the originals!

 pF> Maybe it's all a scam to sell the originals at a higher premium?

 Its not that.  There is a reason for it.  Look up "loudness wars".  Rick Beato
 on YouTube talks about this and explains it well.

 In short, there was, still is, a trend to "compress" the audio.  This is not
 like MP3 compression, but to compress the waveform so that the quiet parts are
 loud and the loud parts are load.  Open an audio file in an editor and you'll
 see the audio waveform.  Newer mixes will have on average higher amplitudes,
it
 would be harder to discern the quiet parts from the loud parts.  Subtlety has
 been removed.

 The reasons for this are many.  One is radio.  Ads are compressed heavily, to
 appear loud, the DJ probably the same.  Songs compressed to be loud.  If your
 song has good dynamic range, then it will appear quiet, and this might be an
 issue for the listener.  You ever play a mix in the car and wonder why some
 songs appear quiet?  So "remixes" often just crank the loudness up by making
 each layer close to each other in volume.

 The other is I think that people are not really listening to music anymore,
but
 rather having it in the bakground, in the car, while they work, while out and
 about.  Listening on crappy speakers or crappy headphones, cometing with
 bakground sounds.  AGain, compressing the sound makes it "pop" more.

 LAstly, streaming doesn't help at all.  If you produce an album, intended to
be
 listened to from start to finish, you can mix it so that each musical
component
 is at a particular level.  Perhaps you have a LOT of layers, instruments to
fit
 in to the soundspace, you need to mix carefully, so that they all are
distinct.
 But if its going to be played with streaming services, you have the same issue
 with radio.  Someone is going to listen to something from a completely
 different artist, genre, producer, and your song will come, and it may be
 quiet. (songs with complex production and layering have to be quiet so as not
 to erase the subtle instrumental additions).  So yeah, streaming screws things
 up too.

 Hence why I advocate albums, CD's or vinyl (cassette was only good as a
 write/read medoum), because its not just about physical ownership, it actually
 SOUNDS BETTTER when the producer or artist can mix correctly, because they
know
 people will listen to album.


.... BoraxMan
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