NEW MUSIC
Standard Member
I am only referring to ones we purchase not ones you can download for free, these you cannot complain about in my opinion.
What do I mean by this well first of all the volume on many are so high its clipping well over 0db rather a lot (and I do mean a lot) and its compressed so much it’s all most one level so loses its dynamic rage somewhat. Plus I am sure they are boosting the base on many tracks even more now.
I am going to explain how I came to this conclusion and why it matters to myself shortly but I am hoping someone reading this can enlighten me why our downloads are inferior to what they could be. I mean let’s face it technology is fantastic compared to when CDs where launched then processing speeds and computer storage was an issue then, not so now.
Could you imagen if the download was at a much higher sample / bit rate not compressed and taken from the finished studio recording, now that would be Hi-Fi. But in my experience the record companies never want you to have the perfect sound that does not degrade in some way, I.E. records and cassettes so you never have to replace them.
I can’t believe that these tracks are actually recorded at such high levels that are just touching distortion, I mean all the experts in recording say don’t go over 0db so who is doing this. Now I know very little about the download process over the internet and have heard that if the tracks are not compressed the download would take too long. For me better quality over rides the time it takes to download or have I got this wrong, let’s face it you can download films.
People seem to favour quantity or quality these days, about 2 or 3 years ago I read an article in a well-known Hi-Fi magazine that said for those who had a reasonable Hi-fi in the 80s where listing to their music at around 30 times better quality than today’s younger generation. My first impression was to laugh, I mean technology has come such a long way. Then it went on to explain (in lots of detail) that comparing a half decent Hi-Fi from then to MP3 there was this massive loss in quality for the younger generation, yes things have progressed since MP3 but it’s still well short of what it could be or Hi-Fi standard.
I purchases my new downloads (Hi-Res Wav) from various professional sites as records are more often not available regarding the tracks I want so downloads are my only option, yet this process of just touching distortion level, (and some) extra base seem to be the same regardless of where I purchase them, so who is doing this to the tracks.
Let me explain how I came to this conclusion.
Until about 3 years ago I used to just purchase downloads and excepted they were nowhere near as good as records and thought nothing of it, then as I have a rather large record collection thought it would be good to make digital copies of my own tracks to play on my streamer.
Anyway as I had never made digital copies before spent some time on the internet learning, anyway long story short I purchased a DAC and professional program the only items that I did not have and got started. To begin with I did weeks of testing to get it right and now I make digital copies at 192,000 kHz / 24 bit. I know there will be many of you saying the sample rate is too high and an over kill but I can honestly say that on my Hi-Fi the digital copy is the same as the record.
Now because all the experts say never go above 0db when recording as digital is unlike analogue I did what they said to the letter but as time went on I found that if you only went over 0db a very small amount and only for a millisecond it was fine and with some tracks you may get a few peaks like this over the course of the track but the main body of the sound is within the 0db, but as I say it’s only a millisecond and only just over and not more than one sound at a time as that can distort.
Now as I could hear that the sound on purchased downloads was close to distortion I thought I would take a look on this professional program I was using and see what the facts where. I looked at a number of tracks I had purchased from 3 different sites, and around two thirds where going into the distortion level quite a bit and almost as soon as the track started. Also I know these tracks are compressed but they looked like a steam roller had gone over the sound wave, they seemed more compressed than CDs are.
So my point is I am new to this and this is what I have learned (in my opinion) a very slight sound above 0db and for a millisecond is fine so why are professional sites selling tracks that clearly exceed this . I mean a lot of DJs get their music this way are they not concerned about quality or just how loud it goes.
As I said near the beginning of this if the technology was used to give us the best sound that they could by using a higher sample / bit rate, not compressed and from the masters we would have true Hi-Fi sound, or am I missing something. But either way we should expect the best when you are paying for it.
Keith
What do I mean by this well first of all the volume on many are so high its clipping well over 0db rather a lot (and I do mean a lot) and its compressed so much it’s all most one level so loses its dynamic rage somewhat. Plus I am sure they are boosting the base on many tracks even more now.
I am going to explain how I came to this conclusion and why it matters to myself shortly but I am hoping someone reading this can enlighten me why our downloads are inferior to what they could be. I mean let’s face it technology is fantastic compared to when CDs where launched then processing speeds and computer storage was an issue then, not so now.
Could you imagen if the download was at a much higher sample / bit rate not compressed and taken from the finished studio recording, now that would be Hi-Fi. But in my experience the record companies never want you to have the perfect sound that does not degrade in some way, I.E. records and cassettes so you never have to replace them.
I can’t believe that these tracks are actually recorded at such high levels that are just touching distortion, I mean all the experts in recording say don’t go over 0db so who is doing this. Now I know very little about the download process over the internet and have heard that if the tracks are not compressed the download would take too long. For me better quality over rides the time it takes to download or have I got this wrong, let’s face it you can download films.
People seem to favour quantity or quality these days, about 2 or 3 years ago I read an article in a well-known Hi-Fi magazine that said for those who had a reasonable Hi-fi in the 80s where listing to their music at around 30 times better quality than today’s younger generation. My first impression was to laugh, I mean technology has come such a long way. Then it went on to explain (in lots of detail) that comparing a half decent Hi-Fi from then to MP3 there was this massive loss in quality for the younger generation, yes things have progressed since MP3 but it’s still well short of what it could be or Hi-Fi standard.
I purchases my new downloads (Hi-Res Wav) from various professional sites as records are more often not available regarding the tracks I want so downloads are my only option, yet this process of just touching distortion level, (and some) extra base seem to be the same regardless of where I purchase them, so who is doing this to the tracks.
Let me explain how I came to this conclusion.
Until about 3 years ago I used to just purchase downloads and excepted they were nowhere near as good as records and thought nothing of it, then as I have a rather large record collection thought it would be good to make digital copies of my own tracks to play on my streamer.
Anyway as I had never made digital copies before spent some time on the internet learning, anyway long story short I purchased a DAC and professional program the only items that I did not have and got started. To begin with I did weeks of testing to get it right and now I make digital copies at 192,000 kHz / 24 bit. I know there will be many of you saying the sample rate is too high and an over kill but I can honestly say that on my Hi-Fi the digital copy is the same as the record.
Now because all the experts say never go above 0db when recording as digital is unlike analogue I did what they said to the letter but as time went on I found that if you only went over 0db a very small amount and only for a millisecond it was fine and with some tracks you may get a few peaks like this over the course of the track but the main body of the sound is within the 0db, but as I say it’s only a millisecond and only just over and not more than one sound at a time as that can distort.
Now as I could hear that the sound on purchased downloads was close to distortion I thought I would take a look on this professional program I was using and see what the facts where. I looked at a number of tracks I had purchased from 3 different sites, and around two thirds where going into the distortion level quite a bit and almost as soon as the track started. Also I know these tracks are compressed but they looked like a steam roller had gone over the sound wave, they seemed more compressed than CDs are.
So my point is I am new to this and this is what I have learned (in my opinion) a very slight sound above 0db and for a millisecond is fine so why are professional sites selling tracks that clearly exceed this . I mean a lot of DJs get their music this way are they not concerned about quality or just how loud it goes.
As I said near the beginning of this if the technology was used to give us the best sound that they could by using a higher sample / bit rate, not compressed and from the masters we would have true Hi-Fi sound, or am I missing something. But either way we should expect the best when you are paying for it.
Keith