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Dream Theater - Parasomnia: released!
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MikeEnRegalia View Drop Down
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    Posted: Yesterday at 01:58
^ The CD? It has a higher dynamic range than vinyl, so I'm not following ... 

Sure, high-end home consumer stereo gear is catered towards the audiophile listener, listening at high(ish) volume in a quiet environment. No compression needed in that use case, which takes me back to my initial point: Music mixes should be as dynamic as possible, because that's the only way to get an optimal listening experience everywhere. A dynamic mix can be compressed quite easily, but a compressed mix can not be "expanded" again.
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Catcher10 View Drop Down
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Originally posted by MikeEnRegalia MikeEnRegalia wrote:

Originally posted by Catcher10 Catcher10 wrote:

Originally posted by MikeEnRegalia MikeEnRegalia wrote:

I'm not talking about digital formats like mp3, but about reducing (compressing) the dynamic range of a signal. Compressors are available as both analog and digital equipment. Car stereos typically use this to adjust the signal in relation to the noise (speed) in the car - they don't just increase the volume.


I would never spend money on equipment to compress my music, I don't think I've ever heard anyone doing this on purpose. And I spend a lot of time on audio gear forums....but hey, not my money!! LOL

As far as a studio doing this, that's a different thing than consumer audio.

It is routinely done for radio. Android TV sets also have an option for it. It's not called "compression" explicitly, but whenever you get an option to tweak the audio for quiet or loud environments, that refers to applying compression. 

Basically, when you are listening in a quiet environment (e.g., at home in your audiophile listening room) you want as little compression as possible (maximise dynamic range). When you're listening in a loud environment you want to apply compression because otherwise you won't hear anything but the loudest moments.
I get what you are describing for radio and TV, that's a common thing.....but to my knowledge there is no stereo gear that does this on purpose or as an option, again for home consumer use. Only the CD does this on purpose...LOL
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MikeEnRegalia View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Catcher10 Catcher10 wrote:

Originally posted by MikeEnRegalia MikeEnRegalia wrote:

I'm not talking about digital formats like mp3, but about reducing (compressing) the dynamic range of a signal. Compressors are available as both analog and digital equipment. Car stereos typically use this to adjust the signal in relation to the noise (speed) in the car - they don't just increase the volume.


I would never spend money on equipment to compress my music, I don't think I've ever heard anyone doing this on purpose. And I spend a lot of time on audio gear forums....but hey, not my money!! LOL

As far as a studio doing this, that's a different thing than consumer audio.

It is routinely done for radio. Android TV sets also have an option for it. It's not called "compression" explicitly, but whenever you get an option to tweak the audio for quiet or loud environments, that refers to applying compression. 

Basically, when you are listening in a quiet environment (e.g., at home in your audiophile listening room) you want as little compression as possible (maximise dynamic range). When you're listening in a loud environment you want to apply compression because otherwise you won't hear anything but the loudest moments.
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Rexorcist View Drop Down
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Originally posted by IncogNeato IncogNeato wrote:

IMO, Mike is a very skilled drummer and knows a lot of stuff. But he has settled into a place of basically just doing what he does with no attempt to maybe, possibly, sometimes, try and think of something just a little bit different than you've already done on 14 albums.

His las "amazing" drum album, IMO, was 'Awake'. 


Honestly, I'm just happy to have him back.  After listening to a few NoMeansNo albums, I've subconsciously focused on percussion more, and this album threw a hundreds tricks out there, making even the worst songs more inventive and powerful.  The biggest flaw was that, while everyone else did their parts well enough, they couldn't keep up with him this time like they did in Images and Words and Awake.
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Catcher10 View Drop Down
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Points: 17966 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Catcher10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 18 2025 at 17:27
Originally posted by MikeEnRegalia MikeEnRegalia wrote:

I'm not talking about digital formats like mp3, but about reducing (compressing) the dynamic range of a signal. Compressors are available as both analog and digital equipment. Car stereos typically use this to adjust the signal in relation to the noise (speed) in the car - they don't just increase the volume.


I would never spend money on equipment to compress my music, I don't think I've ever heard anyone doing this on purpose. And I spend a lot of time on audio gear forums....but hey, not my money!! LOL

As far as a studio doing this, that's a different thing than consumer audio.


Edited by Catcher10 - February 18 2025 at 17:28
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Pekka View Drop Down
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Don't usually see a lot of love for DoT, I too think it's the finest Mangini album. I listened to Parasomnia about 15 times almost with nothing in between and now I need a break. It feels pretty excellent, but hard to say where it settles.
It's on PA!
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It feels a mix of their last two album with Portnoy on drums, I liked it so far - loved the previous albums too.
It still not as good as Distance Over time, but their best since Octavarium I guess (excluding DoT ofc)
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Points: 21588 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MikeEnRegalia Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 17 2025 at 15:03
I'm not talking about digital formats like mp3, but about reducing (compressing) the dynamic range of a signal. Compressors are available as both analog and digital equipment. Car stereos typically use this to adjust the signal in relation to the noise (speed) in the car - they don't just increase the volume.



Edited by MikeEnRegalia - February 17 2025 at 15:03
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Grumpyprogfan View Drop Down
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^How do you compress on demand?
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MikeEnRegalia View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Mellotron Storm Mellotron Storm wrote:

^ Mike I see your a Devin Townsend fan. What did you think back in the day with his early stuff? I mean how obnoxiously loud it was. First thing I noticed when listening to his music for the first time was the loud production. Now after playing it many times the issues I had with the production seemed to fade, I got used to it. But that's a subjective production right there. Some loved it, some didn't.

I do not mind "loud" productions. Sometimes it bothers me a little bit, like when I have listened to a more dynamic mix and then I'm putting on Blackwater Park, I do hear the difference of course. As far as DT goes, I don't often listen to SYL releases these days. Maybe I'll put on City tonight, we'll see!

I think that from a pure technical standpoint mixes should be as dynamic as possible, and the equipment you play them on should be able to compress them on demand, if necessary, which is relatively simple to do, but impossible the other way round. 
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theactivistuk View Drop Down
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Personally I think the album sounds great,it's an album where the various players are mixed as a whole, the music sounds all together and the vocals are to the fore. It all sounds tight ❤️
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Mellotron Storm View Drop Down
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Points: 14048 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mellotron Storm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 14 2025 at 19:26
^ Mike I see your a Devin Townsend fan. What did you think back in the day with his early stuff? I mean how obnoxiously loud it was. First thing I noticed when listening to his music for the first time was the loud production. Now after playing it many times the issues I had with the production seemed to fade, I got used to it. But that's a subjective production right there. Some loved it, some didn't.
"The wind is slowly tearing her apart"

"Sad Rain" ANEKDOTEN
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MikeEnRegalia View Drop Down
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Points: 21588 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MikeEnRegalia Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 14 2025 at 14:53
^At AP users can submit an overall rating and also individual ratings for production, musicianship, songwriting, composition, lyrics and cover art. Cool
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Catcher10 View Drop Down
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Catcher10 View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Mellotron Storm Mellotron Storm wrote:

Someone needs to tell these reviewers giving DT's latest 5 stars that the production is terrible, they seem to be missing that. Maybe bad ears, or bad stereo, or maybe a bad format they're listening to it on. Because it's objective right?
LOL

It's a good point though....But I respect that reviewers on PA are not intune (see what I did there Wink) to a production component to their review. PA is not a forum that discerns quality of sound for the most part, I respect that it is almost all about the music and content, meaning the lyrical content more about the art of music.

There are sites that take the whole context of an album from this to also put value on the production qualities or lack of, in the whole rating. Below is an example, ignore the recording, unless you like Frank!! But these type of reviews include everything that many music lovers and lovers of hi end sound prefer. There is a whole write up as well link included if you desire to read it.
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Grumpyprogfan View Drop Down
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^Too many PA reviewers give everything 5 stars. Many refuse to rate anything lower than 3 stars.

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Points: 14048 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mellotron Storm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 14 2025 at 07:48
Someone needs to tell these reviewers giving DT's latest 5 stars that the production is terrible, they seem to be missing that. Maybe bad ears, or bad stereo, or maybe a bad format they're listening to it on. Because it's objective right?
"The wind is slowly tearing her apart"

"Sad Rain" ANEKDOTEN
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MikeEnRegalia View Drop Down
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Points: 21588 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote MikeEnRegalia Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 14 2025 at 06:50
^ One can talk about production on different technical levels. It can range from "I can't hear the bass at all" to "they used a specific piece of gear in the wrong way". Just as in the restaurant analogy, it can range from "it tasted too salty" to "they should have set the sous-vide temperature two degrees higher". 
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Hrychu View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Grumpyprogfan Grumpyprogfan wrote:

You don't need to be a master chef to know if the protein is raw, or if a dish is too salty.
It's a good analogy. But in this very specific case, determining if "a dish is salty/raw or not" requires non-standard research and/or knowledge. And that knowledge is absolutely optional, if you were to write a typical review, the kind that one would find in music websites and magazines.

And that is why typically reviewers omit the production aspect. If you choose to go in that much technical detail, you can't avoid dissecting the reviewed subject from the audio engineer's perspectiev and/or using potentially alienating technical vocabulary. Besides, the readers wouldn't know what the heck they're reading about anyways.

Edited by Hrychu - February 14 2025 at 06:32
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IncogNeato View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Catcher10 Catcher10 wrote:

I stated music is 100% subjective, I don't think that can be argued. 


I agree. That's why I did not argue that.
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