The way music sounds...kinda crappy these days

[Glenn]

I'm not talking the actual content...but how it's engineered. Listen to some classice rock through some decent speakers; it's got some good separation, you can hear individual instruments. It sounds like someone (the sound engineer probably) put some time into putting things together.

Now, stuff just seems washed out. It's all there, but it's kinda "meh" lumped together. I know this article is old, but it sums things up nicely. And yeah, it's funny to see a Metallica on top of the charts.....

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122228767729272339.html

 

[riverc0il]

 

[riverc0il]

I don't think the average person thinks that music sounds crappy these days. In a matter of fact, one of my biggest problems with much of today's popular music is just how slick and processed it sounds. Black Eyed Peas might be my least favorite pop act due to this issue. Many producers include "slick" sounding distortion effects and what not. It is chunky sounding. But distortion used to be in your face and now it is just processed noise because it is the "cool" and "in" sound effect. Meh.

There is a also a definite move against dynamic range in most songs. Somewhat related to the above issue. Though you can clip the highs and lows and still have some dynamic range within the tune. Most tunes just start loud, yell a lot, and end loud without ever getting quiet except maybe during a throw away bridge or whatever.

 

[Geoff]

I think there are a number of things going on:

* Music isn't as profitable as it once was. Most people now steal media rather than pay for it. Why buy a CD when you can get a digital copy from a friend or grab it off the internet with a BitTorrent application. With the new economics, you have to do whatever you can to keep production costs down and that starts in the sound studio.

* The mass market is low quality MP3. Why spend the effort and money making audiophile-quality recordings when they're going to be compressed into oblivion.

* We're all partially deaf from growing up with loud music. iPod ear buds just make the problem happen faster. You record it loud because your customers can't hear not-loud.

* The people who own elaborate home audio systems mostly don't listen to mass market popular music


I don't listen to the radio and I don't have satellite radio. The only way I get exposed to popular music is to hit the Billboard web site every couple of months to see if there is anything new that interests me. The mass market stuff is mostly computer generated. I prefer to listen to skilled musicians.

 

[Glenn]

I wonder if it all has to do with the packaging? Make a catchy tune, engineer it to "meh" because it's going to be compressed to an MP3...make said song under 2 minutes so it fits in the radio format.

 

[WoodCore]

Believe it or not some of what you speak of could be due to Digital vs. Analog recording and processing. I think something is lost in Digital recording.

 

[deadheadskier]

Believe it or not some of what you speak of could be due to Digital vs. Analog recording and processing. I think something is lost in Digital recording.

correct

I'm not so picky, but my brother is an audophile and has moonlighted as a sound engineer in his past. As I understand it, analog captures frequency more continuously than digital, so the sound is more full. Digital has 'gaps' between the data.

 

[JimG.]

I saw this thread and looked at the music I have in my iPod...there are about 500 songs in there and I don't think any of them were originally recorded any later than 1980.

I don't really think of the "new" music as music at all...it's computer generated sound with vocals recorded over the noise.

But then again, I'm an old fart.

 

[Glenn]

I saw this thread and looked at the music I have in my iPod...there are about 500 songs in there and I don't think any of them were originally recorded any later than 1980.

I don't really think of the "new" music as music at all...it's computer generated sound with vocals recorded over the noise.

But then again, I'm an old fart.

So you don't have a "Lady GaGa" playlist? :lol:

 

[ctenidae]

I saw this thread and looked at the music I have in my iPod...there are about 500 songs in there and I don't think any of them were originally recorded any later than 1980.

I don't really think of the "new" music as music at all...it's computer generated sound with vocals recorded over the noise.

But then again, I'm an old fart.

I saw this thread, and realized I don't have an iPod.

I listen to Spectrum on Sirius, which plays a, shall we say, eclectic mix of music. Lately, they've been playing "I'm Free" by the Soupdragons. I remember when that came out, I thought it was a great sounding, rich song. Now, I realize it's really canned rap with a back beat.

I used to flip between Classic Vinyl (from the age of records), Classic Rewind (from the age of cassettes, and Deep Tracks, but they started playing new music by old artists, and I hate it. Recent Aerosmith vs old Aerosmith, recent Stones vs old Stones, hell recent Tom Petty vs old Petty- I'll take the old any day.

 

[deadheadskier]

IMO opinion, very musicians have creative staying power beyond 10-15 years. How many bands put out consistently good material following that much time?

Look at some of the Great songwriters

Dylan - how much great stuff has he put out since 1980 compared with behorehand? not much

Clapton, Paul McCartney, Pete Townsend, same thing


I really can't think of anyone who's had a run of amazing creativity with new material beyond 10-15 years.

As my handle would suggest, I'm a big Grateful Dead fan. They put out 1/10th as many great songs after 1980 as they did before. Their music evolved and stayed interesting to me, but they really weren't putting out that great of new material both in volume and quality as their first 15 years playing together.

 

[JimG.]

IMO opinion, very musicians have creative staying power beyond 10-15 years. How many bands put out consistently good material following that much time?

Very few as you said.

But how many musicians today have any staying power beyond 15 minutes leave alone 5, 10, or 15 years? One of the few rappers I liked, Snoop Dog, hasn't put out anything in years. His last contribution to entertainment was a stupid reality show.

 

[JimG.]

So you don't have a "Lady GaGa" playlist? :lol:

Glenn, you make me laugh.

I couldn't get past the "meat dress" thing leave alone listen to any of her "music".

 

[Glenn]

Glenn, you make me laugh.

I couldn't get past the "meat dress" thing leave alone listen to any of her "music".

She's a trip! But I guess if I was paid millions, I'd consider a meat dress. :lol:

 

[marcski]

IMHO, there is a good amount of "good" well produced new music out there...Just need to find it.

Here's just one good relatively new track. First is produced album version (produced by the avett bros.) ...2nd is live solo acoustic:

 

[Cannonball]

IMHO, there is a good amount of "good" well produced new music out there...Just need to find it.

Here's just one good relatively new track. First is produced album version (produced by the avett bros.) ...2nd is live solo acoustic:

I was pretty disappointed with this album since it's such a divergence from his other stuff that I love so much. But I give him props for doing something different. And you are right, it's very well produced.

Saw G do a solo acoustic show at the Beachcomber a few weeks ago. He absolutely crushed it. So good!

 

[Cannonball]

IMO opinion, very musicians have creative staying power beyond 10-15 years. How many bands put out consistently good material following that much time?

The only one that immediately comes to mind is Tom Waits. Always something new...and usually something good. And as far as production goes, Waits albums tend to be produced exactly right. Raw when they need to be, tight when they need to be, etc.

 

[soposkier]

Very few as you said.

But how many musicians today have any staying power beyond 15 minutes leave alone 5, 10, or 15 years? One of the few rappers I liked, Snoop Dog, hasn't put out anything in years. His last contribution to entertainment was a stupid reality show.

Beastie Boys have been going strong for a long time now and each album offers something different. I would agree though, they are an exception not the rule.

And more on the "classic/progressive" rock front Rush still seems to be holding it together post 1980.