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The future of new music.......

I recently posted about my disappointment with the SQ of both of Alabama Shakes’ albums. The CDs have shockingly poor dynamic range and outrageous loudness. The HD Tracks versions are similar. Simply unpleasant to listen too. I can tweak them with the equalizer in iTunes (!) and improve things a little. The vinyl is slightly better but does not appear to be worth the foray into high end vinyl playback.

I like my old rock but still like to find and enjoy new music.

But when I do research into new acts I am finding the same problems that I did with Alabama Shakes. No quality recordings. Period. Some point to vinyl but as with Alabama Shakes the vinyl might be marginally better but with some bands it is no better at all. And as pointed out above the HD Tracks are just like the CDs.....high res poor recordings.

I have found this to be true for great new(ish) rock acts like The Struts, Gary Clark, Jr. and Tedeschi Trucks. No good recordings. Same with Neko Case....but she is not so new.

I’m assuming this is because there is just no demand for hi-fi level recordings these days? Does it really cost that much more to produce a CD/file/record with high dynamic range and modest loudness?

I’ve seen threads here that suggest that hi-fi is dying out because younger folks just don’t get it (ear buds and Spotify are enough for them). But if new music is being recorded/produced/out put at such low quality that just seems like another nail in the coffin.

A question: Since I can tweak some of this music in a crude equalizer like the one in iTunes, is there a better, higher end way of doing the same thing with an external or other software based tool?


n80
slaw's avatar
slaw
21,396 posts
 
I agree with you on "Sound & Color"..... the only AS (lp) I own. Having said that, the wide majority of lps I buy, I enjoy. 
djones51
4,947 posts
 
Article on BBC News titled, ’Why is modern music so loud?’ might answer some of it. I remember reading this a couple years ago and happened upon it again recently. 
n80 OP
2,116 posts
 
I've read up on the loudness wars and understand some of the premise behind it....but even that sounds a bit far fetched.

But why the compression of the dynamic range? Is that solely a product of the loudness issue? I don't expect every new struggling band to record music with the production quality of Steely Dan but it doesn't seem to me that it would take much effort at all to have at least fair dynamic range.

It is very sad, to me, that bands like Tedeschi Trucks and Gary Clark, Jr do not have well produced recordings because their music would surely benefit from it.

Mark Knopfler has a new album set for release next month. I love Dire Straits and I do like his solo album 'Tracker' but a lot of his other solo stuff kind of runs together....however, the recordings seem to be fairly high quality. It will be interesting to see if that remains true for this new album.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,788 posts
 
Young, modern engineers have been trained in very non-audiophile/purist recording methods and techniques, the term high fidelity meaning absolutely nothing to them. There is no absolute, all is relative. The idea of recreating an acoustic event is the furthest thing from their mind. The signal from the recording microphones is sent through an unbelievable amount of outboard gear, and subjected to extreme processing. I don't see this changing in the near future. None of them has ever heard a Water Lily, Chesky, Reference Recording, or Sheffield Labs album.
cd318
2,636 posts
 
Let’s face it, only a very small percentage of music is mastered for use through full range loudspeakers. Most of it seems intended for playback through small portable speakers, radios and ear buds.
The majority of listeners seem to favour bass and punch over dynamic range.

It’s particularly frustrating when even long awaited so called ’original master tape’ prestige remasterings end up being dynamically compressed, often at the behest of some high executive or even the band/ performer themselves.

I appreciate that music is delivered as a commodity, and that market demands must be met, but can’t they just slip us audiophiles an earlier unprocessed copy. Surely it’s easy enough to click ’save as’ on a remastering project before you begin all that ’great’ compression magic?

Don’t audiophiles matter at all? OK, sorry I asked.
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