Loudness Wars?
Posted: April 17th, 2017, 5:11 pm
For anyone not aware, "Loudness Wars" is a term used in music describing the increased focus on loud volume in music. In other words: Quiet parts sound loud and "loud" parts don't sound any louder than the quiet parts. Cases started showing up in the early 90s and were really widespread in the 2000s to the present. This has been controversial because many artists, fans and critics claim it ruins the listening quality of the music.
As a studio musician, this has affected many of my favorite albums and bands. I had never noticed it before, but the lack of dynamics and space makes everything sound flat and nearly unlistenable. If you want a famous example, "Californiacation" by Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Vapor Trails" by Rush, and "Death Magnetic" and "Justice for All" by Metallica are infamous for their mixing and mastering quality.
Having a flat tone works perfectly for bands like The White Stripes and The Strokes because their music is raw garage rock. The production must be based on the music, not the other way around. Loudness does not equal better music, it's the dynamics and the sudden loud parts that make exciting music.
If you want great examples of albums that are expertly produced, look at any Pink Floyd/Radiohead album, Rage Against the Machine's self titled album (this one is held in HIGH regard by audiophiles for its production and is in fact used to test speakers), "Mezzanine" by Massive Attack, etc.
What sucks is the albums I listed as having bad mixing quality are actually good releases, and this describes many of the bands I feel are affected by the loudness war. The loudness war affects me, obviously, but does it affect you? Would love to hear your thoughts.
As a studio musician, this has affected many of my favorite albums and bands. I had never noticed it before, but the lack of dynamics and space makes everything sound flat and nearly unlistenable. If you want a famous example, "Californiacation" by Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Vapor Trails" by Rush, and "Death Magnetic" and "Justice for All" by Metallica are infamous for their mixing and mastering quality.
Having a flat tone works perfectly for bands like The White Stripes and The Strokes because their music is raw garage rock. The production must be based on the music, not the other way around. Loudness does not equal better music, it's the dynamics and the sudden loud parts that make exciting music.
If you want great examples of albums that are expertly produced, look at any Pink Floyd/Radiohead album, Rage Against the Machine's self titled album (this one is held in HIGH regard by audiophiles for its production and is in fact used to test speakers), "Mezzanine" by Massive Attack, etc.
What sucks is the albums I listed as having bad mixing quality are actually good releases, and this describes many of the bands I feel are affected by the loudness war. The loudness war affects me, obviously, but does it affect you? Would love to hear your thoughts.