Loudness War

Hi Vaughan,

Sony Sound Forge Pro, at U.S. $337, is a Windows-based professional audio editing program that includes what they call a Graphic Dynamics function. It can perform dynamic range expansion with essentially every parameter adjustable by the user in a very flexible manner. For instance, you can set it so that 0 to -12db input (or any other input range) results in 0 to -24db output (or any other output range); and you can set the same or different proportions for any other parts of the dynamic range, down to -72db, with any number of break points in the overall curve. You can also set attack and release times, overall gain, etc.

I have used Sound Forge extensively, but not for that kind of purpose. Once you get through a fairly straightforward familiarization process, it is fast, stable, and easy to use. You may want to give the trial version a whirl, and see what it can accomplish for you.

My instinct, though, is that although the program is really excellent, you would have to put a lot of effort into finding the optimal settings for each recording, and in the end it will not be able to make a sow's ear into a silk purse.

They also offer a much cheaper consumer version of the program, Sound Forge Audio Studio at $55, but I don't know whether or not it includes a comparable function.

Be aware that the trial version puts intermittent beeps into anything that is saved with it, so if you open a file with the trial version you should save it under a different file name before doing anything else, to prevent the possibility of inadvertently putting beeps into your original file.

Best regards,
-- Al

Elizabeth...i don't think a few audiophiles not buying newly released music or writing the studios will do much. Music is compressed or mastered hot because the bulk of the music buying public is playing that music on midfi systems or more importantly iPods. So I don't know that we can do anything about it to be honest. It's interesting though that there are some music producers/mastering engineers/etc...who are beginning to question current mastering wisdom. Check out this discussion moderated by Greg Calbi, mastering engineer at Sterling Sound, and including Steve Berkowitz (Sony SVP), Michael Fremer, Kevin Killen (mastering engineer), and Craig Street (Producer). While the whole discussion was not solely focused on the "Loudness Wars" it did figure prominently in the discussion. Hope this is interesting to folks.

T Bone Burnett is another strong proponent and advocate of quality and bemoans the loudness wars too.

I'm curious. One recent CD I've heard that to me sounded like it had phenomenal dynamics, some of the best I have ever heard on CD, is John Fogerty's "Revival" CD.

I need to listen again, but am I missing something? How did it sound so good (drums sounded as real as most anything I have heard on some tracks)? Maybe modern production techniques are not so bad with some kinds of music?

A lot of modern popular music (rap, etc.) is heavy on electronic drums and other electronic instruments. Isn't it true that there is no such thing as "natural" sounding electronic instruments? The sound is eletronically, not acoustically generated, and reality is whatever the artist and or producers wants it to be. Kind of like CGI special effects in many modern movies as well. BTW, CGI keeps getting better and better but personally I do not care for CGI as a replacement for real cinematography. I do not mind it as much if the scene calls for something that is imagined and not real, like a scene on an alien planet as opposed to a scene that supposedly takes place in a landmark city, like London UK say.

Also, most recent remastered CDs I hear surpass the original CD masters in sound quality. How does that happen if all is so astray?

Maybe I'm whacked when it comes to this or something. I know there are a lot of crappy recordings these days but there always have been in the past as well and there have always also been some pretty good ones.

Maybe we audio nuts just need to be more willing to accept things that are new or different better rather than being continuously disappointed when something does not meet our particular high expectations. I know I enjoy music a lot more in general when I think this way and try to be open minded.

By the way, a lot of newer "loud" recorded CDs will cream lesser audio systems not capable of delivering the goods to an audiophile's ears. In some cases, I believe the shortcoming is in the audio systems ability to deliver the "loud" dynamics present without distortion, not an inherent shortcoming with the recording itself.

sorry folks...i forgot to include the link to the discussion i cited above. It's entitled: "Deep Listening: Why Audio Quality Matters"

Here it is: http://philoctetes.org/Past_Programs/Deep_Listening_Why_Audio_Quality_Matters