[BC] Broken audio recordings

[RichardBJohnson at comcast.net]

I had some CDs made by DISKFAKTORY (sic). I did my
own recording of a piano and didn’t use any compression.
Instead, I used the tools available with “Home Studio” to
set the level so that the peak level for an entire performance
was 95% modulation. This is possible because one generates
“wave” files first, then can run through them, measuring the
modulation level, then readjust the software gain for the
required conditions to be met. The CDs sounded great,
as though one was sitting at the piano. I used analog
equipment; a Mackie CFX12 Mixer and MXL-990 condenser
microphones. I borrowed a hall for the performance that
was well away from any highways. Experiments showed
that the background acoustic noise was not audible.
Final digitization was done with a standard PC/AT sound
board. 

DISKFAKTORY, upon reviewing the master, told me that
it didn’t meet their standards. They said that they could
“re-master” the recordings for a nominal charge. I asked
what was wrong and they stated that it lacked “necessary”
“compression,” “presence,” and “frequency compensation.”
I told them that it was deliberately unaltered and I intended
to keep it that way.

However, they were so intent upon destroying the works that
they offered to perform the “needed” services for free. I asked
for and received a sample of their work. It was clipped,
compressed, and made the piano sound like a combination
accordion and fuzz-box. I declined their offer. When I wanted
my master returned so I could have the CDs done elsewhere,
they finally capitulated and made the CDs as direct copies
from the masters.

Further investigation shows that many recording companies
and their artists are not insistent enough as I had been, so
a beautiful 32-channel digital mix-down of a modern recording
is allowed to be corrupted by the company that is simply
supposed to make the final pressing. I have heard such
final mix-downs and they sound nothing like the final
garbage one gets from the distributed CD even while
using the same pair of earphones.


--
Cheers,
Richard B. Johnson
Read about my book
http://www.LymanSchool.org


 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Gary Glaenzer" <glaenzer at verizon.net>
> a.k.a 'all the dynamic range of a brick'
> 
> >
> > "Rip" any CD, and open the resulting WAV file in an audio editor. The tops
> > and bottoms of *many* songs will appear to be straight lines instead of
> hills
> > and valleys like on LP's.
>