Did cd's sound better 20 years ago?

[captiankirk28]

I found this on youtube and it was kind of interesting but don't understand why the record companys would do this, because everyone has the ability to turn up their own volume, why not record it so it sounds the best not the loudest?
Here is the link on you tube====

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gmex_4hreQ&feature=related

 

[djreef]

I found this on youtube and it was kind of interesting but don't understand why the record companys would do this, because everyone has the ability to turn up their own volume, why not record it so it sounds the best not the loudest?
Here is the link on you tube====

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gmex_4hreQ&feature=related

They do this so the music will stand out on radio. Since louder is perceived as better by the untrained ear, record companies boost and compress so the sound hits you in the face - grabs your attention. It's all about grabbing the most pairs of ears to drive sales. The fact that it sounds like crap when you get it home is inconsequential. You've already opened it by then, and can't take it back.

DJ

 

[PeterWhite]

Many people listen to music in noisy environments. When I bought my first car, a mid engined Fiat sports car, I popped a classical cassette in the player and drove off down the road with the top off. I couldn't hear a thing, except for the occasional crescendo. For the next 12 years I listened to the sound of the engine instead.

 

[diegs]

Starting in the 90's the loudness wars began between record companies. Thanks to 90db or so dynamic range of cd's and greedy a-hole record company exec's who no nothing about sound reproduction, most of the music of the past 15 years is ruined. Even against the bands and engineers wants, the loudness was/is increased and the dynamic range compromised, with clipping and harshness resulting during playback.
Turnmeup.org and wikipedia: loudness wars are some insightful reading.
Wonder why I don't by new cd's? They stink, metallica's new cd death magnet is a prime example. Great music, the cd is crap because of the loudness.
I want audiophile cd's, not loud junk.

 

[Phil Taylor]

We only thought they sounded better 20 years ago. Vinyl is still better.

 

[Seth=L]

We only thought they sounded better 20 years ago. Vinyl is still better.

Compact Disc has the potential to sound every bit as good as LP, but now it doesn't because of the afformentioned "loudness wars". Those record companies can go to hell for what they've done to music.

 

[MDS]

I started a thread quite some time back where I showed the waveforms from various CDs and in some cases it is compressed to death. Playing the WAV in Sound Forge and watching the level meters, on some songs the level never drops below -6 dB. In the '80s the average level of a CD (even Heavy Metal) was around -17 dB; nowadays the average level -12 dB or even louder.

However, not all of them are destroyed just because they are compressed heavily. Some engineers actually do a good job of making it loud and still retain a lot of the dynamics.

 

[captiankirk28]

Compact Disc has the potential to sound every bit as good as LP, but now it doesn't because of the afformentioned "loudness wars". Those record companies can go to hell for what they've done to music.

After reading about all of this i feel the same way as you do Seth, i would much rather have a great sounding CD than a loud CD that sounds like Sh==!

 

[adwilk]

For the record, that turnmeup.org site is a joke. I've been watching it for a while and they still dont have ANY standards for what makes a CD dynamically superior. They are liking charging studios for their sticker and hoping for some kind of cult following.

As far as the issue goes, yeah.. it kinda sucks. Most wouldn't notice if they didnt know though. Majority wins. There are a few albums out there that dont make their stuff "too" loud. Chinese Democracy is a fine example.

 

[Biggiesized]

I started a thread quite some time back where I showed the waveforms from various CDs and in some cases it is compressed to death. Playing the WAV in Sound Forge and watching the level meters, on some songs the level never drops below -6 dB. In the '80s the average level of a CD (even Heavy Metal) was around -17 dB; nowadays the average level -12 dB or even louder.

However, not all of them are destroyed just because they are compressed heavily. Some engineers actually do a good job of making it loud and still retain a lot of the dynamics.

Yep. Listen to Tool's Lateralus (2001) or 10,000 Days (2006) for a good example of that, courtesy of Bob Ludwig. Their first album, Aenima (1996), was compressed on purpose but sounds amazing as well.

 

[Hicks]

Not only do louder volumes help their tracks stand out on the radio, they also can help make up for the lack of dynamics in the mp3s that many people are listening to these days. Not that I agree with their decision to cater to inferior formats.

 

[lsiberian]

Well I would have to disagree that they sounded better. I think they sounded pretty lousy for the most part. I found many of the studios produced their best stuff in the 90s, but maybe those were in my circles.

Plus I think 90s music was far more enjoyable in most cases. But I guess I grew up in the 90s.