Modern Vinyl "Masters" vs. CD--My Experience, It Really IS About the Music Options

[Engelsstaub]

Due to some recent past experiences in other threads wherein some members (who plainly state their honest dislike of vinyl) claim that modern LPs are just as dynamically clipped as their CD-counterparts, I'd like to take an opportunity to illustrate that this is IME not the case. I've heard it stated more than once that "vinyl is not about the music..it's about the ritual.) This is seemingly just plain-old lazy bias. It can easily be forgiven in that these posters make it pretty obvious that they don't purchase vinyl, let alone compare modern releases to their CD-counterparts.

Here are screenshots from needledrops I've done of some of my favorite recent records. All but one were released in the past two years. Warrel Dane's "Praises to the War Machine" was released in 2008. (As a fun side-note, the vinyl LP came with the CD and was limited to 1,000 copies worldwide.)

I would like to note that I did not cherry-pick these examples. I only have about three more needledrops that I also have a CD copy or iTunes Matched version of. I can upload those as well. It should also be noted that all of these examples are on the heavier-side of the metal genre and probably are far more dense in sound than most other examples from other genres.

I've brought each vinyl recording up to 0.1 under 0 dB for easier comparison. None of the peaks are "pops" or any artifacts associated with the LP medium. Only one had a "pop" that hit the ceiling and I corrected it before applying gain.


Borknagar - "The Earthling" from "Urd" (2012)

LP



iTunes Matched AAC




In Flames - "Ropes" from "Sounds of a Playground Fading" (2011)

LP



CD



(This album is an egregious example of how bad they can make a modern CD sound through destructive normalization.)


Saint Vitus - "Let Them Fall" from "Lillie: F-65" (2012)

LP



CD



(Yes, really. It sounds worse than it looks IME.)


Warrel Dane - "Brother" from "Praises to the War Machine" (2008)

LP



CD




Septicflesh - "Oceans of Grey" from "The Great Mass" (2011)

LP



CD




[continued in next post due to apparent image constraints]

[Kohlrabi]

While I agree it is likely worthwhile to get into vinyl seeing those waveforms, this more shows that the current (and future?) generation of (label-employed) mastering engineers is batshit retarded, more than vinyl is a superior medium. This clearly shows that their often touted argument "the artist wanted it like that" is not true at all, and they're the only people to blame for shitty sounding records.

There must be some really weird business reasons seeing that major labels intend to destroy CDs (and digital) and replace them with vinyl again. Are win margins larger with vinyl, somehow? I always assumed CD technology was a win-win for both customers and producers, maybe I'm wrong?

This post has been edited by Kohlrabi: Dec 6 2012, 13:37

[DVDdoug]

Most of my CDs don't "look" that bad... For the most part they are not that over compressed. Most of my music is rock from the 60's 70's and 80's, so it was originally recorded in analog before the loudness wars. But, most if the "current" music I've bought in the last decade isn't quite that bad either. (If I sort my collection by date, it looks like the median original release date is around 1979, and it ranges from the 1020s through 2012)

I haven't purchased any vinyl since sometime in the early 80's when I got my 1st CD player. In cases where I have (or had) the 30-40 year old vinyl and the CD, the CD sounds better to me. The ones that were remastered were not destroyed by the remastering (and may have been improved by the re-mastering). I'm sure current vinyl is produced with more care, since consumers now expect "digital quality". Of course my old records are worn and damaged, but in the "vinyl days" when they were new, most of 'em didn't sound that great either... it was a rare treat to find a record with really good "clean" sound, at least in the rock/popular genre.

...this more shows that the current (and future?) generation of (label-employed) mastering engineers is batshit retarded, more than vinyl is a superior medium. This clearly shows that their often touted argument "the artist wanted it like that" is not true at all, and they're the only people to blame for shitty sounding records.

With a traditional record company, the artist doesn't have that much say in the matter. I'd blame the consumers and the management of the record company. It's the way the managers want it to sound. The consumer has the final say. If there are 2 or 3 big "Number 1 hits" with a "New dynamic sound", everybody will be copying that sound. I actually expected that to happen when CDs were introduced. With all of this new dynamic range to play around with, I expected artists (and producers) to start taking advantage of it... Boy, was I wrong!

The engineers are just doing what they are told. A few weeks ago, I posted some excerpts from an article by a mastering engineer who got fed-up and quit!

The "sound" is supposed to be the responsibility of the producer. But, it starts with the music & musicians... Everybody plays & sings constantly-loud through the whole song... That's the current popular style. Of course there's the occasional quiet passage, and then it's back to loud, with every little dynamic contrast in the individual instruments or the overall sound. Sometimes, I want ot say, "Once more, with FEELING!" But, I think the producer is saying, "Once more, with INTENSITY!

Then the producer works with the recording & mastering engineer to get the "best sound", which currently seems to include the "best loudness".

Finally, it's submitted to the record label for approval.