Q&A
Posted on | March 26, 2009 | No Comments
I received some questions from a student doing a case study about the loudness wars in modern mastering. Following are his questions and the answers I provided.
How and why is compression used in mastering?
Compression is used in a variety of ways in mastering, but the end goal is always to reduce dynamic range. If done appropriately for the type of music an engineer is mastering, inner detail is brought out in a mix making it easier for listeners with a consumer-grade playback system to hear the nuances of a mix.
How much compression is too much, what does it sound like?
That depends on the style of music you’re mastering. However, I find that compression is so liberally used in mixing that I don’t end up applying that much in mastering. In fact, I’d say it’s overused in mixing.
Too much compression (and/or the wrong type for a certain style of music) occurs when the life and power of a mix starts to degrade.
Do you feel there is competition to produce loud masters?
There used to be, but I think it’s going away…at least with my clients. I’ve seen this trend going away over the past few years (of what’s called hyper-compression), but the latest Metallica album really drove it home to everyone.
Who decides on the on the sound of the finished product?
It depends on how experienced and critical a client is. I work with people who expect me to take the finished mixes to the next level, and create a sound they couldn’t on their own with recording and mixing. I also work with clients who want their mastered album to sound as close to the finished mixes as possible…just louder, punchier, and cleaner.
How does the loudness of a track affect the person’s enjoyment of it?
It depends on how critical the listener is and how good their stereo system is. However, my criticism of compression (in both dynamic range and file encoding) is that in extreme cases the quality of the music is compromised. As audio professionals, we should strive for the highest fidelity.
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From Ohm to Om reflects the opinions of mastering engineer Paul Abbott, owner of San Diego's ZenMastering.
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