The Quality of recordings these days

[John T]

I'll second that! I listen to music because I like the music. If it's been well recorded - that's a bonus.

Isn't anyone tired of these threads by now?

I didnt realise there were other threads on the same subject.. I will do a search tonight when ive got a bit more time.

Tbh I've never found it bothers me that much, it would be nice if everything was recorded well but it isn't

is this your personal Zen approach to listening to music? are you as forgiving in restaurants when faced with a dire meal.. or in clothes shops when your expensive jeans start to fall apart at the seams?

I think I made a valid point.. and Im glad some others agreed.... In another thread folks are offering up suggestions on high quality recordings that they have enjoyed a lot... ive already ordered two of those recommendations so a positive change there too!

Jack.

p.s you enjoy Psychedelic Trance? have you been shpongled

Originally Posted by Jack Hawthorne

I didnt realise there were other threads on the same subject.. I will do a search tonight when ive got a bit more time.



is this your personal Zen approach to listening to music? are you as forgiving in restaurants when faced with a dire meal.. or in clothes shops when your expensive jeans start to fall apart at the seams?

I think I made a valid point.. and Im glad some others agreed.... In another thread folks are offering up suggestions on high quality recordings that they have enjoyed a lot... ive already ordered two of those recommendations so a positive change there too!

Jack.



p.s you enjoy Psychedelic Trance? have you been shpongled

Yes, I have been shpongled many times; also the other one, Hallucinogen or whatever it’s called is good fun.

Not just here, all over audio forums there are threads complaining endlessly about recording quality, same stuff over and over, one line people saying recording engineers know nothing about recording then saying I don't know why they use compression at all etc. etc.
They never come to a conclusion.
My point is when you start worrying about recording quality over the music, which is frankly just presentation, then something has gone wrong. Yes, in a restaurant it is nice to have good tasting food which is also well presented but if it tastes nice, at the end of the day, that is the main thing. If the music is good, that is what matters, the presentation is just icing on the cake so to speak.
Then you have the other extreme with garbage like Nora Jones who can't sing, has nothing of interest what so ever to say etc. etc. but fantastic recording quality. A bit like taking a dog turd and drizzling raspberry coulis around the outside and presenting it nicely with some kumquats and a star fruit. However nice you make it look, your just not going to want to eat it are you. Or listen to it, after a while the smell of dog doo emanating from the speakers is just too much.
Also my jeans are fairtrade so are properly made and don't fall apart.

I think you made a valid point too, the sound engineering profession as a whole has become not much of a profession at all, the engineering modules I did at uni were all round pretty naff tbh (and its meant to be a leading course) no knowledge of music required at all and most techniques (such as compression usage and so forth) just left up to your own discretion (OK when your experienced, not when your supposed to be learning).
But never the less, complaining about it on hifi forums isn't going to do anything about it. I'm not sure what is really other than emailing the artists as I said, but then I'm not really that worried about it. I'm only really listening to the notes. And the gaps between them of course.
Mind you, you could always rally parliament That would be funny. Course you'd have to apply for a permit to do that now. You could always join in Mark Thomas's Mass Lone Protests and run a little 'Record Things Properly' sideline.

[Cobblers]

It is easy to find this conversation on many hifi forums. Eventually someone says that ole chestnut about the music coming 1st for them (implication being they are not hifi geeks but music lovers on a mission), and the recording is a bonus (or words to that effect).

How far can you go with this argument though?
Thankfully rare, but some recordings are so terrible they ruin any potential enjoyment that could be had from them.
Many recordings do sound awful on any kind of proper hifi system, though if your hifi sounds bad with most recordings then you have a problem.

Of course we have people who argue their system has such uber resolution that they can hear through the grunge, and don't need the bandwidth, such is the resolving power of their speakers/hifi.

Certainly far too many modern pop and rock recordings are hideous compressed bilge, this situation may only get worse with growing popularity of mp3 and dreadful earbuds.

[John T]

Originally Posted by Cobblers

someone says that ole chestnut about the music coming 1st for them (implication being they are not hifi geeks but music lovers on a mission), and the recording is a bonus (or words to that effect).

Absolutely! Exactly as I said earlier! I and many others are certainly not hi-fi geeks! We may be experts or have an interest in electronics with particular regard to quality sound reproduction, but in my case the reproducing equipment is a means to an end and the music always comes first.

Originally Posted by Cobblers

How far can you go with this argument though?
Thankfully rare, but some recordings are so terrible they ruin any potential enjoyment that could be had from them.

In a word Cobblers, that argument is cobblers! I have a lot of early jazz records (Armstrong, Moreton,King Oliver etc.) All acoustically recorded in the early 1920's - with the widest stretch of the imagination the recording quality could hardly be described as "good" yet they are still fantastic and enjoyable to listen to.

[NickG]

In a word Cobblers, that argument is cobblers! I have a lot of early jazz records (Armstrong, Moreton,King Oliver etc.) All acoustically recorded in the early 1920's - with the widest stretch of the imagination the recording quality could hardly be described as "good" yet they are still fantastic and enjoyable to listen to.

Thats the point, even the old 20's recording are much more listenable than some of the current releases. And its not just the style of music. Off the top of my head, I can think of two CD's I have bought over the last few years (I don't buy many it should be said), that I have tried to listen to, and I can't, the way they sound just makes it impossible for me to leave them on. The two in question were The Jooles Holland Big Band, Small World recording, and the Remaster of Electric Ladyland, done under the control of the estate. Give me a Blind Lemon J recording any time over those.

[Cobblers]

whatever floats yer boat.

Personally i've never got on with very early archive recordings of classical works.

The early jazz recordings (occasionally on Radio 3) are far easier to stomach because they do not need the bandwidth that large scale orchestral works do to give a convincing account of the music, and can possess a certain olde world charm.

By Contrast very early archive classical recordings of orchestral works sound vile. typically totally flat, muddy, whining noise. I don't even mind mono if well done, in small doses.

[BOONDI]

Originally Posted by NickG

Off the top of my head, I can think of two CD's I have bought over the last few years (I don't buy many it should be said), that I have tried to listen to, and I can't, the way they sound just makes it impossible for me to leave them on.

Greetings Nick, all....

I have to agree with Nick here, 'cause i have several CD's that are exactly the same. I paid good money for them, only to find that it had been wasted. The music on them was some of my favourite, and on other medium, has sounded superb. However, the very poor recording/mastering that was used to produce the CD removed any hint of musicality and totaly robbed the CD of any attempt to produce even a modicum of musical enjoyment........

I am not a HIFI buff as such. I am into HIFI for the best sound reproduction. Sadly when the production team decide that they are going to kill the music stone dead by using poor tecniques and practices, then I think people should have their right to have their say about it.....

As to the conclusion never being reached, we all know what is going on. I suggest that; the best way to deal with this "is" by public forum, and by e-mail. However, without discussion, the vast majority of us would probably think that we were alone in this matter and would not know which/what/where/how or to whom these complaints should be directed at.........

Gone to lunch......