Loudness war
[1] The maximum peak level of analog recordings such as these is limited by varying specifications of electronic equipment along the chain from source to listener, including vinyl and Compact Cassette players.
The issue garnered renewed attention starting in the 1990s with the introduction of digital signal processing capable of producing further loudness increases.
Once the maximum amplitude of a CD is reached, loudness can be increased still further through signal processing techniques such as dynamic range compression and equalization.
Similarly, starting in the 1950s, producers would request louder 7-inch singles so that songs would stand out when auditioned by program directors for radio stations.
[6] Digital media such as CDs remove these restrictions and as a result, increasing loudness levels have been a more severe issue in the CD era.
[note 3] While the increase in CD loudness was gradual throughout the 1990s, some opted to push the format to the limit, such as on Oasis's widely popular album (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, whose RMS level averaged −8 dBFS on many of its tracks—a rare occurrence, especially in the year it was released (1995).
The CD version of the album has a high average loudness that pushes peaks beyond the point of digital clipping, causing distortion.
This was reported by customers and music industry professionals, and covered in multiple international publications, including Rolling Stone,[14] The Wall Street Journal,[15] BBC Radio,[16] Wired,[17] and The Guardian.
[18] Ted Jensen, a mastering engineer involved in the Death Magnetic recordings, criticized the approach employed during the production process.
The Guitar Hero version of the album songs exhibit much higher dynamic range and less clipping than those on the CD release, as can be seen from the illustration.
Ludwig said the "fan and press backlash against the recent heavily compressed recordings finally set the context for someone to take a stand and return to putting music and dynamics above sheer level.
The day was a success and its follow-ups in the following years have built on this, gaining industry support from companies like SSL, Bowers & Wilkins, TC Electronic and Shure as well as engineers like Bob Ludwig, Guy Massey and Steve Lillywhite.
[29] Analysis in the early 2010s suggests that the loudness trend may have peaked around 2005 and subsequently reduced, with a pronounced increase in dynamic range (both overall and minimum) for albums since 2005.
[36] When music is broadcast over radio, the station applies its own signal processing, further reducing the dynamic range of the material to closely match levels of absolute amplitude, regardless of the original recording's loudness.
[45] The production practices associated with the loudness war have been condemned by recording industry professionals including Alan Parsons and Geoff Emerick,[46] along with mastering engineers Doug Sax, Stephen Marcussen, and Bob Katz.
was created by Charles Dye, John Ralston, and Allen Wagner in 2007 with the aim of certifying albums that contain a suitable level of dynamic range[51] and encourage the sale of quieter records by placing a Turn Me Up!
[52] The Journal of General Internal Medicine has published a paper suggesting increasing loudness may be a risk factor in hearing loss.
[54][55] A two-minute YouTube video addressing this issue by audio engineer Matt Mayfield[56] has been referenced by The Wall Street Journal[57] and the Chicago Tribune.
