Audio-Technica Demo: 'Loud And Clear'

[The_Metallurgist]

If mixing for radio preserving dynamics and no limiting/clipping is a very good strategy. Read this if you doubt it
http://www.orban.com/support/orban/techt...th_1.3.pdf

while it's an old article and refers to the antiquated operating practices of of radio stations of yesteryear, it still contains the essential ingredients which are just as applicable today regarding music-ready songs for air play.

with the advent of EBU R128 and BS 1770 et al, it takes the opportunities away from radio stations to be competitive and gives EVERYONE a level playing field, so cheats don't benefit......or in Pauli's example they pay a penalty in the short-term during the transition period, with continued breach of the Regulations no doubt resulting in loss of their broadcasting license in due course.

any musician who's serious about their work needs to take this stuff into account and choose their mix/mastering engineer wisely! their own future will, i have no doubt, depend on it. as musicians increasingly get to understand the issues, they will themselves be demanding dynamic product...it's already happening despite resistance from the record companies! the album Chinese Democracy by Gun's and Roses that graces my CD rack, is one such which springs readily to mind. i have no doubt there would be countless bands and musicians doing likewise if it wasn't for the fear in the Record Company's of losing their investment and profit by not making a "competitive" CD. like all things, Change is a slow process, but the more intelligent members of the community are often the first to see the benefits and are willing to embrace them.

Niel, i have always had a lot of respect for the fact that your own mixes are easy-on-the-ear and your care and concerns in maintaining dynamics and resisting the loudness thing is a great example to everyone. it can be difficult auditioning mixes in the forum and making objective assessments because many, far too many mixes for that matter, are hotter than hell and anything that's cranked up on the loudness scale (less dynamic range) might seem impressive on first hearing. on closer scrutiny however, they rarely stack up.

there's always something new to learn....

is a mix that's -7.2 LUFS "over-processed"? ultimately it depends on one's criteria. if the specification (the Contract, in other words) requests a hot mix and stipulates the LUFS range in it's criteria and this value falls within it, then it's meeting this particular "specification" by definition. however, life doesn't revolve around the Record Company (or the Contracting party), but involves ALL the stakeholders, including radio listeners and eventual consumers of product. while they don't have Contracts per se, they have expectations AND needs. my personal expectation/need is to be able to buy non-distorted, non-fatiguing product. i've had some interesting arguments, more than once, when i've taken a CD back to the shop and asked for the Manager! i'm not interested in consuming distorted product nor am i willing to pay to do so.