CD volumes...

[BrownEyedBoy]

Anyone notice that CD's pre-circa-1996 have a lower volume than all the ones after?

My stereo has a 3 CD changer and usually I like to play it in shuffle mode but if I put a CD before Pop and others after Pop the volume levels aren't the same.

What is this due to? Is this what they fix when they claim a CD is "remastered"?


I hope I explained my question well.

 

[u2popmofo]

I know what you mean. Even some new CDs can be either more quiet or loud than your average CD. I have no clue why this is, I too am curious.

 

[beli]

Yes, and it pisses me off.

 

[Hoodlem]

This is because of the severe overuse of a mastering technique called compression. while compressing a track will make it sound louder (and for the commercial /radio world, louder is better) the trade-off is that music loses it dynamic range and begins to sound "over-produced"

Whle some compression of tracks is necessary and can improve the overall sound, it has become common practice to compress the crap out of stuff so it will sound "louder" on the radio. Music is becoming more and more bland because of this (although it does sound louder).

 

[No spoken words]

I wish I could compress one of my bosses.

 

[whitehead]

I especially notice this with my Achtung Baby CD!

....though I also figured it was because I play that one WAAAAY more than any other CD!

 

[typhoon]

This is a good article on it. I fear the age of immaculately engineered/produced albums like The Joshua Tree are over. Oh well.

 

[BrownEyedBoy]

I'm not sure if this is a "Louder is Better" issue. I do actually prefer that latest sound on CD's than that of the old ones.

Pop has an amazing sound and I don't think it fell victim to the "Louder is Better" campaign.

 

[beli]

Pop on CD?

What do you think of the Joshua Tree on vinyl?

 

[BrownEyedBoy]

beli, you give me too much credit. I only own CD's.

 

[RA-D]

it's really annoying when trying to make compilations. Case in point, the difference between the Manic Street Preachers' first 3 albums and the latter, post '95 ones, is really big, yet the difference between the two eras is very little.

 

[u2popmofo]

it's really annoying when trying to make compilations.

Agreed, and the volume equalizer thing usually just makes the tracks sound all filtered and crappy.

 

[IWasBored]

it's really annoying when trying to make compilations. .

hell yeah. it's also annoying as hell when doing a radio show and you have to constantly adjust things so one song doesn't come over the air a lot quieter than the last one

 

[BrownEyedBoy]

Does this get fixed with the whole "Remastered" thing or is it really not a problem and just a volume level issue?