| ericjenson wrote on Thu, 20 July 2006 23:31 |
i mean as loud and bright as possible using every atom of headspace possible, squeezed to the maximum, "radio ready", platinum selling, mastering.
|
For what it's worth, what I've heard out of there (I checked up on some Ted Jensen stuff to see what it was like) is better described by:
Percussive hits right to the limit of how hot you can make non-tonal stuff without making a big 'splat', and not a bit hotter-
Choruses and outbursts right to the limit of how hot you can make those without it starting to sound like a big 'splat' and not hotter- maybe 3 db down from the drum hits-
Verses and cruise control about 3 db down from that in turn, or just enough breathing space to still have a sense of openness in there somewhere-
Brightness NOT as bright as possible, at all: rather, the top end extends up right through the air band without any reservations or forwardness, and all bright sounds bloom and come out as much as they have to, never more than they have to-
Overall balance lacking in funny emphasis but more significantly, without the sense of any EQ coloration added anywhere. No 'high gloss', the highs are part of the music. No 'bass slam', the slam comes off the instrument sounds.
I sure as hell learned something. I think there's much to be learned, actually, and the skirting-the-limits-of-program-density is only one small part of the picture and is in fact happening on at least three different levels- percussive hits, outburst level, and 'cruise control' level, and they all have distinct 'loudnesses' that can be distinguished.
People forget that I study and analyse sound in a variety of ways. The technique that was telling me about the different density levels is RMS loudness plotted over time, something which I think is more useful than total averaged levels, because it's about what you DO with the program density. I might add that of the WUMP V stuff, the artist had done a very hot master himself, but ended up liking Sunny's take on it even better. Sunny had one of the two hottest peak levels on percussion of anybody, but did not have a wildly hot average level...
Secret distortion recipes are definitely a blind alley
it's all about overall balance, musical results and the deft USE of high density sound where it will matter.
Now, having said that, I'm poor too, please hire me. I promise I'll make it 'sterling'
