HTDAAB Production Quality

[elfyx]

I've been listening to HTDAAB, and while I think the music is really great- their best in a long time, I also think this CD is the worst sounding they have ever made.

It's basically way too loud. The entire thing just screams at you and doesn't let up. There is very little dynamic range in its dB levels. Nearly everything is brought to the surface and as a result the audio sounds flat, and one dimensional.

I can't believe U2 would put out a CD that sounds this bad. Louder is not better. Its really really bad; I start to go numb listening to it. ATYCLB was produced really well, and doesn't have this problem at all. HTDAAB had to have been mastered this way due to record label pressure, because I just can't see U2 purposefully putting this crap out there.

One of the side-effects of mastering a CD so hot is a lot of times you will get a lot of digital distortion. I'm checking for that now, and I've already found a few spots. It's just really really sad....

 

[U2_Guy]

Miracle Drug has some distorted spots... The whole production is a shame.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

U2 Guy do you have ANYTHING to say that isn't a knock on the band?

 

[tkramer]

I completely agree. My brother and I had this conversation (he's a complete audio nut, borderline if you ask me) and we think it's the worst thing we've heard in a very long time. There is no spacial range in the songs, everything sounds turned up, and some of it sounds down right distorted. Disapointing considered how great some of the individual songs are.

 

[GibsonGirl]

U2 Guy do you have ANYTHING to say that isn't a knock on the band?

I think he's incapable of writing anything positive about them.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

No, he can, I'm sure of it!

 

[MrBrau1]

Where are these distortion pops? I've heard this thing on quality headphones endless times, and no pops. Time marks please.

 

[JOFO]

there's certain things in the production I disagree with, but I don't hear any distortion at all.

 

[elfyx]

Vertigo & Beautiful Day

Here is a comparison between Vertigo and Beautiful Day:

 

[JOFO]

errr.......


huh?

 

[elfyx]

Another Comparison

Here is a side by side comparison of some of the saturated tracks off of HTDAAB:

Somtimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Love & Peace or Else
City of Blinding Lights
All Because of You

Compare this then with tracks off of Achtung Baby and Zooropa:

Lemon
The Fly

 

[elfyx]

Digital Distortion

An example of digital distortion on HTDAAB. Selected track: All Because of You:

 

[If you shout...]

I agree with "elfyx"--the actual QUALITY of the sound is pretty shameful. I feel this way myself, regardless of what others think, but I'll back my own opinion up by saying that a number of people who I know who actually WORK professionally with sound equipment and the whole business of music, etc. just think that the albums sounds atrocious.

It is pretty flat, it is too loud/bombastic, and there is a good deal more distortion (that is to say, ANY) than there sould be. In all fairness, though, we should point out that the amount of distortion which crops up is so high that it may, for some horrific reason, be intentional. I just can't imagine this slipping under the radar...

 

[JOFO]

oh, I get it.

well, that's the way records are being produced for the last couple of years I guess.

hey, can you do a graph on pop? because to me that's the best sounding one they've done.

 

[MrBrau1]

Nice graphs. Give me time marks so I can hear for meself.

 

[JOFO]

btw, I feel the need to crank lemon up all the time, so maybe it's not mastered "hot" enough....

 

[MrBrau1]

My friend JP is a recording engineer, and he likes it.

 

[jcool]

I think the album is meant to sound like a raw studio live album which they been tryin to do after ATYCLB.
The Best way to listen to it is on Vinyl.

 

[VertiGone]

I have no idea what you people are talking about. However, i'm pretty sure the guys in the studio do, so for whatever reason, they made the choice knowing full well what they were doing. Anyone want to give a quick cost-benefit analysis of why they would do this, out of curiousity?

 

[boosterjuice]

elfyx, you're really serious about this.

To me, it sounds great. I'm not hearing any distortion. I'm not a sound engineer so maybe you can educate me more. Where should I be listening for the distortion? Your graph points out that ABOY has quite a bit. I can't hear a thing of distortion.

 

[elfyx]

oh, I get it.

well, that's the way records are being produced for the last couple of years I guess.

hey, can you do a graph on pop? because to me that's the best sounding one they've done.

YEAH... ITS A PRETTY SAD TREND. CLUELESS RECORD EXECS WANT THEIR CD TO BE THE LOUDEST, BUT OF COURSE LOUDER ISN'T BETTER, IT HAS THE SAME PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECT OF WRITING IN ALL CAPS. THE BRAIN STARTS TO TUNE IT OUT. See what I mean? Reading something in all caps is what listening to this record is like.

I'll throw some up of Pop; let me work on it.

 

[kakvox]

Yeah, am I listening to this album wrong? I thought that it sounded tight, but if I am wrong, point out to me where the distortion is so I can listen for it.

 

[elfyx]

elfyx, you're really serious about this.

To me, it sounds great. I'm not hearing any distortion. I'm not a sound engineer so maybe you can educate me more. Where should I be listening for the distortion? Your graph points out that ABOY has quite a bit. I can't hear a thing of distortion.

Well, actually the example on ABOY is only a little bit- most of it you won't really hear. Most of the audio sounds very compressed in order that they cut down on the digital distortion.

In all fairness, the engineers I think did the best they could do to minimize distortion while still mastering the audio so hot.

 

[MrBrau1]

I recorded Gormans webstream of the rare stuff last week with the levels WAY to high. During playback I heard pops and clicks. I then rerecorded at lower level, and the pops were gone. Please provide time marks so we can verify. Maybe your PC didn't adjust input levels.

 

[elfyx]

I have no idea what you people are talking about. However, i'm pretty sure the guys in the studio do, so for whatever reason, they made the choice knowing full well what they were doing. Anyone want to give a quick cost-benefit analysis of why they would do this, out of curiousity?

Basically, the pressure to master CDs this way usually comes from the label execs. They all want their CD to be the one that "stands out" in the CD changer or on radio. Very few self-respecting audio engineers would actually master a CD this way, but again- most don't even have the choice. Do it as they say or be fired.

I'm just surprised that U2 would agree to this. Of all bands, I really thought they had more control over their music than this.

 

[Dalton]

Well, actually the example on ABOY is only a little bit- most of it you won't really hear. Most of the audio sounds very compressed in order that they cut down on the digital distortion.

In all fairness, the engineers I think did the best they could do to minimize distortion while still mastering the audio so hot.

elfyx has become my new favorite poster.

Graphs! What have you other fools got for me?

 

[elfyx]

I recorded Gormans webstream of the rare stuff last week with the levels WAY to high. During playback I heard pops and clicks. I then rerecorded at lower level, and the pops were gone. Please provide time marks so we can verify. Maybe your PC didn't adjust input levels.

no, the files i'm working with are raw digitally extracted .wav files which are a bit-by-bit copy of whats on the CD.

 

[MrBrau1]

Then you won't mind giving a time mark on a specific song so we can hear the distortion.

 

[Dalton]

Then you won't mind giving a time mark on a specific song so we can hear the distortion.

Mr Brau, I can tell from your avatar that you are a funny looking little man.

 

[MrBrau1]

Mr Brau, I can tell from your avatar that you are a funny looking little man.

yes. yes I am.