From: Mark <mef@ecst.csuchico.edu>
quoted 12 lines Well, after listening to a good 3 to 4 dozen cds of all genres, I've
> Well, after listening to a good 3 to 4 dozen cds of all genres, I've
> noticed that maybe five cds out of the dozens had no peaking or pops or
> some mixing/mastering errors. The worst cds? IDM artists, of course.
> ...
> worse! Now my question... what's the deal here? I also dabble in the
> field of writing wanky electronic music, and have been doing so for more
> than a couple years and have been able to keep peaking near or AT zero
> without any digital distortion, unsavory pops, etc! Certainly I can see
> that maybe Mike P recorded a keyboard lick melodically perfect, and
> decided not to redo it for the sake of perfect tone, but isn't that what
> I pay these signed artists for? Aren't they using a lot of software
> nowadays, too?
For sure. I guess it's a question of how much time you want to put in on
production. Removing clicks and pops is pretty easy - many editors will do
it for you to a very high quality. Even if you don't trust 'automatic'
routines, fixing it usually a matter of just lowering the volume of the
offending wave crest slightly and applying a gentle bell envelope to the
flat (clipped) portion to round it off.
This sort of thing was OK when music was recorded and released only in
analogue format - I have some Lee Perry dubs which are soaked in tape hiss
but still sound good. But when it comes to digital it really gets in the way
of the music. It does not make it sound more 'live' or spontaneous. Some
reviewers see it as a deliberate lo-fi statement ('which implies we live in
a post-species art depreciation ethical framespace' or something), but
unless the artist starts exploiting the clicks as an actual sound element it
just sounds like crap. I think it's kind of insulting to listeners and only
gives skeptics a greater excuse for muttering about unlistenable noise.
quoted 4 lines Of all the artists in my cd collection, one has consistently put out
> Of all the artists in my cd collection, one has consistently put out
> absolutely crystal clear, spotless recordings, as well as amazing
> music. I won't tell you who they are, but their name rhymes with
> Raw-Neck-Er.
It's kind of interesting that rhymes comes from the sustained part of the
syllable rather than the transient. Or maybe I have too much time on my
hands. But yes, Ae are masters of turning noise into music without
unecessary noise.
From a purely production standpoint, it's also worth studying techniques of
good psytrance producers like X-dream and Hallucinogen. You may not like
the straight-up dance style, but there is no shortage of creative sound and
editing techniques in that genre.
quoted 3 lines btw, get those headphones... it's like listening to an album all over
> btw, get those headphones... it's like listening to an album all over
> again. you hear shit you've never heard on any speakers or headphones
> (including overlooked mistakes)... fucking unbelievable.
I'll have to try them. I use Sennheiser HD270s which are fantastic in the
studio, but a bit large and heavy for walkabout.
Anig Browl
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