Re: [ARSCLIST] Compression (was Re: [ARSCLIST] A fundamental Flaw ...)

[Dale Francis <dallen@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> a) this means that the artist has no control of the final product

Not quite sure I understand...

the way the record album sounds, whatever format was chosen for
publication.

> I guess it depends on how one defines the "final product."
>  Many artists are subject to the inclinations of the producer/record
> company.

the devil is in this detail,  their choice....

> Further, the musician has no control over the listening environment
> and/or
> equipment of the listener is using.

hope they got good engineering,  could make a difference.


> >        .... this idea would probably void speaker and amp warranties
>
> Which is why I would fuse the speakers...sometimes saving a speaker...

I agree with with you which is what we did and do fuse speakers when
dealing with people who are just learning about signal processing.
my point was about how the manufacturers would  respond......

and then I as a "purist" would question how the fusing changes the
color of the sound !

> For me, an excessive (subjective) amount of compression diminishes the
> art
> of the music. A range of dynamics in art music can be highly
> significant

here I also agree with you.

> A story I may have related before...listening to.... a (highly
> compressed radio broadcast recording)

but why would one bring broadcast compression into my statement on
needing compression
to translate a recording to the playback medium?    this type of signal
processing when done properly allows the listener to transcend the
recording and hear the performance.
Broadcasters are concerned with how well the signal transmits.
 ( Market share and all that.... )

> As an experiment....listened with score and
> made about 100 changes in amplitude to the composer's performance

But when you ride the gain knob, turning it up and down to suit the
dynamics of the score, are you not compressing the dynamic range of the
performance?????  I hope you did this post recording.
of course I know that if it was analogue tape you have a stunted
dynamic range in which you must fit the performance into,  using 24 bit
technology, dynamic rangeis almost negligible
( except that digital has problems with low level signal...... and
"headroom" issues but this is a recording issue not a post production
conundrum).


Dale
dale@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.longrunaudio.com