Steve Wilson of Porcupine Tree on the Degradation of Audio Quality & the Music Industry

[BoredSysAdmin]

Come on, tell me a Led Zepplin fan wouldn't like this:
Led Zepplin fan here too. If I would recommend an album to get started with from them, it would be that one - In Absentia. They were heavily influenced by Floyd, and the earlier stuff shows that a lot more, but the new stuff is unlike anything else and that's why I continue to enjoy their stuff. It always changes and IMO is still getting better.

OK, I'll bite, this stuff is a bit better, I actually kinda liked "Trains"
Obviously youtube (240) is really wrong format to listed to PT. I'll try to get this album and provide my opinion

p.s: Song I heard before - Time Flies, i'll skip this one next time

 

[j_garcia]

I really like Time Flies; it is probably my favorite off the current album, but the two most recent albums are the most different from their previous stuff.

Here's an example of something older that is another great track:

 

[Rickster71]

Here are a few more recommendations to start out with from the two CDs below...

In Absentia : Trains, The Sound of Muzak, '.3', Blackest Eyes.

Deadwing : Glass Arm shattering, Shallow, Deadwing, Mellotron Scratch,

 

[j_garcia]

Those are going to be the two best known albums and are likely to be the ones most likely to give you a good idea of the band.

Plenty of good choices:
Fear of a Blank Planet: Way Out of Here, Anesthetize (18 min. long!)
The Incident: The Seance which leads into Circle of Manias
In Absentia: Prodigal
Deadwing: She's Moved On (hidden track)
Stupid Dream: Even Less, Pure Narcotic, Stop Swimming

I love the first solo album Insurgentes as well:

I preordered his second solo album which comes out next month. Sample tracks up at: http://gracefordrowning.com/

This guy is involved in something like 8 different bands in varying capacities. They are all fairly different from each other, but I can't say that I like all of them.

 

[jeffsg4mac]

Good read Gene.

Reminds me also that we just bought a new vehicle and it comes with 6 months of Sirius radio. Wow! does the sound quality of Sat radio stink. I can't believe how compressed it is. Some things sound like bad real audio streams. Unfortunately, my wife likes all the 80's stuff so we will probably end up paying for the crap.

 

[Adam]

Unfortunately, my wife likes all the 80's stuff so we will probably end up paying for the crap.

If my experience is any measure, let your free subscription run out. If you can do without it for a couple of months, I bet that they send you some good "come back" deals. I never went for it because they have an automatic renewal unless you call them to cancel, but if you're getting it anyway, probably doesn't matter to you.

 

[jeffsg4mac]

If my experience is any measure, let your free subscription run out. If you can do without it for a couple of months, I bet that they send you some good "come back" deals. I never went for it because they have an automatic renewal unless you call them to cancel, but if you're getting it anyway, probably doesn't matter to you.

If I have to have it I want it cheap.

 

[3db]

So, it's the gun's fault and not the shooter. Sorry, just had to say it!

Isn't that what the NRA is preaching?

 

[3db]

I have an EMI Classics CD of Holst Planets and that thing I swear has to have 15dB of range on it

It's simply a stunning recording. Almost knock you out of your seat sometimes.

I have Tracy Chapman's self titled album on vinyl and I've not heard yet, any CD or vinyl for that matter that comes so close to reality in terms of dynamics as this album. Kudos to tehe engineer who recorded this one. They really did their homework.

 

[3db]

Come on, tell me a Led Zepplin fan wouldn't like this:

Led Zepplin fan here too. If I would recommend an album to get started with from them, it would be that one - In Absentia. They were heavily influenced by Floyd, and the earlier stuff shows that a lot more, but the new stuff is unlike anything else and that's why I continue to enjoy their stuff. It always changes and IMO is still getting better.

Didn't here any Floyd influences on this track but I liked what I heard. May I'll go down to teh used CD shop to see if I can pick up a copy of this album. Thanks.

 

[STRONGBADF1]

I was just thinking. I know everyone stand back! I'd like to see a list of recordings and how much compression was used. It would need to be objective and not just someones opinion. Then the recordings could be also rated, by pro recording engineers and the like, for the overall quality. Have a master list and also a sorted list by the type of music. Keep it simple...Rock, Jazz Clasical, Blues... Just a thought.







ps what an undertaking this would be!

 

[Rickster71]

I was just thinking. I know everyone stand back! I'd like to see a list of recordings and how much compression was used. It would need to be objective and not just someones opinion. Then the recordings could be also rated, by pro recording engineers and the like, for the overall quality. Have a master list and also a sorted list by the type of music. Keep it simple...Rock, Jazz Clasical, Blues... Just a thought.

ps what an undertaking this would be!

Doug I know this isn't exactly what you were talking about.
Though no discussion about proper engineering would be complete without info from Steve Hoffman:
http://www.stevehoffman.tv/dhinterviews/
It also lists CDs, SACDs and vinyl LPs that Steve Hoffman has mastered over the years, from his early work at MCA Records to his recent LP masterings at Analog Productions, and gold CDs and hybrid SACDs at Audio Fidelity.

 

[Wayde Robson]

Excellent article!

Now I'm going to have to check out Porcupine Tree!

 

[j_garcia]

Didn't here any Floyd influences on this track but I liked what I heard. May I'll go down to teh used CD shop to see if I can pick up a copy of this album. Thanks.

The Floyd influence was more evident in their earlier days IMO; aka "The Delerium Years" when they were with that label. In Absentia is where they started to change more noticeably, but it is also the album that I think I like the most. The change mainly came in two forms - they changed the lineup significantly and they also changed their label. They have always been fairly guitar heavy, but this album it became moreso than previous ones. The sound sort of went from a somewhat more melodic sound to a "crunchier" rock sound. The melodies and their sound are still there though on the slower tracks.

 

[TomSmith]

Great read, but I can't help but wonder if some decisions are also made in mastering and end up out of the mixing engineer's control? How else would one explain all the compression that is on the stereo remix of King Crimson's Lizard, for example?

That remix has Mr. Wilson's name on it, which I generally find to be a great thing, yet the end product has less dynamics than the original vinyl had forty years ago. Presumably, based on what he says in this article, the compression was probably added to his remix when it was mastered by somebody else, but the result to the consumer isn't really any different, is it?

 

[3db]

Didn't here any Floyd influences on this track but I liked what I heard. May I'll go down to teh used CD shop to see if I can pick up a copy of this album. Thanks.

Picked up a used CD copy for $11.30 taxes in. The alos had the "The Incident" for teh same price.

 

[j_garcia]

In Absentia, Deadwing and Fear of a Blank Planet I liked right away, but The Incident sort of had to grow on me, so I'd listen to some samples first before you blind buy that one. I enjoy it now, but it was different even from FOABP, and quite a bit different from In Absentia or Deadwing.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Doug I know this isn't exactly what you were talking about.
Though no discussion about proper engineering would be complete without info from Steve Hoffman:
http://www.stevehoffman.tv/dhinterviews/
It also lists CDs, SACDs and vinyl LPs that Steve Hoffman has mastered over the years, from his early work at MCA Records to his recent LP masterings at Analog Productions, and gold CDs and hybrid SACDs at Audio Fidelity.

sorry for off-topic...
I don't know Steve Hoffman, but he uses 3000£ cables (biwired) in his own system...
http://www.stevehoffman.tv/dhinterviews/HoffHardware.htm
http://www.symphonyaudioimport.com/prijslijsten/kubalasosna.pdf

 

[j_garcia]

LOL. I was looking at his list and saw Emotive Audio, and for a second I though he had a few Emotiva pieces in there. He's got a fair bit of gear that I've never heard of...but I also liked the line under headphones: Really old Koss cans.

 

[gene]

Good read Gene.

Reminds me also that we just bought a new vehicle and it comes with 6 months of Sirius radio. Wow! does the sound quality of Sat radio stink. I can't believe how compressed it is. Some things sound like bad real audio streams. Unfortunately, my wife likes all the 80's stuff so we will probably end up paying for the crap.

I can't listen to Satellite radio not even for talk shows. The compression in the voices nauseate me. It sounds like I am listening to Decepticons speaking.

If you really must have it, turn down their offer. They will call you a month later and offer you a package for $5/mo. My parents took that deal and they love it. They also have about 70% hearing loss so the compression isn't an issue for them