Control Soundtrack - Too Loud

Does anyone else think that the mastering on the Control soundtrack is much too loud? Meaning the levels are mixed way to high. And why is Problems not on the US editions.

you're right. sounds awfully distorted on some songs (autobahn, lwtua), but this is the standard new CDs have these days. look no further than "singles" by New Order.

I haven't heard the Control soundtrack yet, but at the same time, compared to CDs from the 1980s, CDs from the 2000s tend to have a higher volume, IMO.

A digital recording? Too loud?

Oh dear.

You can't go over 0dB people, so one cd cannot be louder than another.

They can however be over compressed, where the level just sits AT 0dB. But if there is distorion, it's either a mastering error, or your equipment is too sensitive (ooooeeerr madam).

DVD's CAN be up to 8 times as loud as "normal". For some reason best known to the movie companies, DVD's are always recorded to -12dB, wankers! that's why the trailers and company idents blow your ears out, then the actual movie is really quiet. There are some braves souls who master dvd to 0dB, and I salute their effortss ;)

Technology in music has improved incredibly in the last 20+ years. That is why the music is louder.

Plus it saves energy since you don't have to turn up your stereo as high.

Doctor? wrote: A digital recording? Too loud?

Oh dear.

You can't go over 0dB people, so one cd cannot be louder than another.

They can however be over compressed, where the level just sits AT 0dB. But if there is distorion, it's either a mastering error, or your equipment is too sensitive (ooooeeerr madam).

Come on Steve, you already know if you crush the hell out of something with a limiter you can get distortion. The big problem is that most people either don't notice or don't care.

For anybody who cares to read up on the loss of dynamics and fidelity in modern releases please check out: http://www.turnmeup.org/index.shtml

Doctor? wrote: A digital recording? Too loud?

Oh dear.

You can't go over 0dB people, so one cd cannot be louder than another.

They can however be over compressed, where the level just sits AT 0dB. But if there is distorion, it's either a mastering error, or your equipment is too sensitive (ooooeeerr madam).

DVD's CAN be up to 8 times as loud as "normal". For some reason best known to the movie companies, DVD's are always recorded to -12dB, wankers! that's why the trailers and company idents blow your ears out, then the actual movie is really quiet. There are some braves souls who master dvd to 0dB, and I salute their effortss ;)

rubbish. all my factory cds are quieter than my others from other labels.

i wish there was a facility on itunes to upload all files at the same volume. it bugs the hell of me having to cnonstantly turn up and down songs on my ipod!

If you think that sounds loud, you should hear the Playing the Angel CD. Without a doubt one of the WORST casualties of the "loudness" wars. The distortion on some of the songs on that album is just downright pathetic. DM really REALLY needs to re-issue that album and fire Ben Hillier!

NO Regret wrote: i wish there was a facility on itunes to upload all files at the same volume. it bugs the hell of me having to cnonstantly turn up and down songs on my ipod!

Try this...

i wish there was a facility on itunes to upload all files at the same volume. it bugs the hell of me having to cnonstantly turn up and down songs on my ipod!

There is isn't there? In the preferences you can alter the volume of tracks being ripped. Though the best way of doing it is to knock down the level of all the over-limited recent crap 'cos you won't get to raise the older quiet ones much, at least not if 0db is hit at any time.

Nick King wrote:

NO Regret wrote: i wish there was a facility on itunes to upload all files at the same volume. it bugs the hell of me having to cnonstantly turn up and down songs on my ipod!

Try this...

and if there are a few albums that this doesn't work with (Nick's suggestion works with 99% of the songs) you can adjust the volume directly in the properties of each individual song. Not that hard to do.

i have not purchased it, but if i did i would just turn it down shirley

remember The the lp 'Mind Bomb' in 89' having a thingy on the side telling the converted that the record should be played extremely loud. Try doing that then you can really go all techie with the Doc

Isamu wrote: If you think that sounds loud, you should hear the Playing the Angel CD. Without a doubt one of the WORST casualties of the "loudness" wars. The distortion on some of the songs on that album is just downright pathetic. DM really REALLY needs to re-issue that album and fire Ben Hillier!

Another one, even worse, being Electronic's Twisted Tenderness.

Compression makes the quieter parts of the recording louder. It's true you can't make a CD louder than 0db but compression creates the illusion that it's more absolutely loud. The public perception that louder is better has fueled an industry wide "loudness war." Almost all CDs made today are overcompressed. Organizations like Turn Me Up are part of the backlash. Wikipedia has an interesting article about it.

Twisted Tenderness was one of the first CDs I listened to that was noticeably louder. It has an overdriven quality, probably due to clipping distortion, that makes it sound loud even when played quietly.

J.R. Rizzo wrote: Compression makes the quieter parts of the recording louder. It's true you can't make a CD louder than 0db but compression creates the illusion that it's more absolutely loud. The public perception that louder is better has fueled an industry wide "loudness war." Almost all CDs made today are overcompressed. Organizations like Turn Me Up are part of the backlash. Wikipedia has an interesting article about it.

Twisted Tenderness was one of the first CDs I listened to that was noticeably louder. It has an overdriven quality, probably due to clipping distortion, that makes it sound loud even when played quietly.

That was a good read on Wiki. Thanks

I absolutely agree about the Control soundtrack.

It is easily the worst-mastered CD I have ever heard!

I don't know the technical mumbo-jumbo on WHY, all I know is IT IS.

The Roxy Music and Velvet Underground songs have blatant distortion that just isn't there on the original album it's off of. The first time I listened to it I thought my speakers had been blown - it's that bad!

I almost took it back and asked for a refund.

BOOOOO Warners and your stupid loudness war!!

When watching the DVD i had to keep turning up the volume for the dialogue as the music was far louder. annoying!

Doctor? wrote:

You can't go over 0dB people, so one cd cannot be louder than another.

Doesn't that depend on how you define 'loudness' though?

If you define it as peak volume, then I would guess that you are right. If however you define it as 'average sound energy emitted per second' then a compressor surely does increase loudness, no? Or am I misunderstanding what compressors do?

The same argument comes up with TV adverts. The rules say advertisers can't 'increase volume', so they use compression and everyone perceives them as being louder, complains, and is told "no they are not louder", according to the ASA's definition of 'loudness'. I dunno why they couldn't use a definition of volume that involved average over some time interval or other (in addition to a limit on peaks), and effectively ban compressors on ads. Then we wouldn't have to keep rushing to turn the volume down when the ads come on.