Over-compression

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Trey
Member Since: Aug 11, 2007

I hate it with everything in me. What is wrong with music these days!!? I am so upset by the "loudness" of today's albums it makes me want to vomit,

Just try to find the snare on the chorus of any given rock song...half the time, it gets lost under the guitars, which are too loud to begin with!

Or what about the unnatural lack of dynamic between an acoustic guitar in a verse into a distorted electric guitar in the chorus? Everyone knows in real life an electric guitar should be so much louder than an acoustic...there is no more dynamic range...

On the bright side, I was pleasantly surprised when I heard Audioslave's first album for the first time. The mix is amazing and the drums punch through as drums should (instead of some high end slap to make them cut through ridiculously loud guitars...) Great mastering job. It's loud, but it has dynamic and clarity.

What are everyone else's thought's on this subject?

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Mans reach exceeds his grasp
Member
Since: Oct 23, 2007

Mar 22, 2008 12:32 pm

I agree with you entirely- but it's hard not to compete in the loudness wars without losing some dynamic range in the process. It's an unfortunate necessary evil to contend with. As an indie artist who records all his own stuff, I've tried to find a happy medium between squashing and dynamics and I think I've found a fairly decent middle ground for the most part. Take a listen to my profile songs if you get a second and lemmie know how they fair.

But yeah, I'm with ya- it's getting way outta hand.


www.TheLondonProject.ca
Member
Since: Feb 07, 2005

Mar 22, 2008 12:37 pm

Too much compression ruins songs. I try to stay away from using too much compression but it can be difficult since your music will sound out of place if it is not loud enough.

Pinnipedal Czar (: 3=
Member
Since: Apr 11, 2004

Mar 22, 2008 01:34 pm

Over-doing anything(compression/fx/gain) will make a mix go to **** . Just like the 'ol tone vs. playability clash with guitars... heavier strings w/higher-action = better tone, and the exact oposite makes an instrument more playable . Often, one necessity compromises the other . It's like this with so many things in life, one must establish a subscribed method to their approach, and stick with it... kind'a like a 'code to live(mix) by' . This makes the decision of 'which pooch gets screwed' much easier to live with, as it is your established 'code' which will dictate the results . This also seats those results(good or bad) more squarely on the shoulders of the person doing the mixing... right where it should be . A good question to ask yourself at this point is whether you are making 'music', or 'product'... this question will perhaps have you either stave-off the compressors or apply them, depending on how you answer . Ultimately, the only question you really have to ask yourself is what sounds good to YOU... then go make it so . If you find that you're adding more and more compression in the persuit of that answer, don't be concerned, as it's just part of the audio-evolution that you are experiencing... enjoy your 'mistakes' while they are around ! They lend examples for your new and improved approach to be referenced to, and thusly show what growth you have managed through the making/mixing of said 'mistake' . Remember you can always re-mix your product/music at any time... just the way you like to hear it .

As far as main-stream artists doing what they do to sell albums, there's no reason to be sick over it... the people that 'overcompress' their product have subscribed to their own code, and after all, it is their 'music' . You can always find someone elses bunch'a notes to enjoy, or write/record/mix your own . : )

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Mar 23, 2008 11:54 am

Thats the thing with being indy is it allows you to control those kinds of things. Take a listen to any of NIN newer indy stuff and you will find he is letting things breath and not forced to crank it to the max. There are a few others as well that are now taking control of their own music and getting the life back into it.

I have never been a fan of that technique at all as it completely ruins good music that otherwise might have so much more life to it.

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