There have been a number of CDs I've checked out last couple of years that have a layer of clicks on top, especially during musically dense parts. It's very irritating because I can't reduce the distortion by lowering the volume on my player. It's in the mix. The meters aren't even hitting 0dBFS but the digital clicks are there. I zoom way in on the waveforms but there's no obvious square tops. Yeah, it's pretty squashed but nothing completely square.
The one that just set me off is self-titled album by Jesu (recorded 2001-2004). I've also heard this on the Icky Thump album by the White Stripes. Both of these bands do love their distortion but I don't think they like random clicky distortion that isn't musical.
How is this happening? Why are they letting this stuff get through when it's such a small thing to correct compared to the rest of the labor perfecting tonal quality and instrument balance?
New CD´s sound is scaring the sh*t out of me
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Re: New CD´s sound is scaring the sh*t out of me
MacBookPro 1.83GHz Core Duo, 2G RAM.
OSX 10.6.8
DP 5.13
MOTU 828
Tascam cassette 4trk
OSX 10.6.8
DP 5.13
MOTU 828
Tascam cassette 4trk
Re: New CD´s sound is scaring the sh*t out of me
Ahhh, for the good old days of straight analog recording, great sounding AKG, Neumann and Shure Mics. A mixing desk with incredible EQ, like the Neve 8038 or a Trident "A" series. Acoustic instruments and real players. What a concept. Back to the future????
I have a dear friend in Austin who owns just such a studio and treasures each session for the equipment he has and the TRUE artists that appreciate his room. Then I have another dear friend in Nashville recording 3-5 song demos for the next American Idol types to pass through with flowing blond hair, overused whitening stripped teeth and some other areas i won't get into here. She sees this going through her studio with wannabe producers all day. Now, recently, she blew off the demo mill to re-group and record bluegrass legends with a Studer 2-track and a trident "A" series desk. These recordings sound incredible and now she's won a Grammy for her efforts in keeping the sound as pure as possible.
That's the real world radiogal, just like you have been doing all along before Kerry Underwood entered the studio. I say stay true to your principles and book clients that are in agreement with your style of engineering/producing. Those artists are out there for sure. And they can pay session time too.
I have a dear friend in Austin who owns just such a studio and treasures each session for the equipment he has and the TRUE artists that appreciate his room. Then I have another dear friend in Nashville recording 3-5 song demos for the next American Idol types to pass through with flowing blond hair, overused whitening stripped teeth and some other areas i won't get into here. She sees this going through her studio with wannabe producers all day. Now, recently, she blew off the demo mill to re-group and record bluegrass legends with a Studer 2-track and a trident "A" series desk. These recordings sound incredible and now she's won a Grammy for her efforts in keeping the sound as pure as possible.
That's the real world radiogal, just like you have been doing all along before Kerry Underwood entered the studio. I say stay true to your principles and book clients that are in agreement with your style of engineering/producing. Those artists are out there for sure. And they can pay session time too.