Is louder better? Most musicians and engineers don't think so. Then why are there so many top tier artists following the trend of over-maximizing their masters? Apparently, there is a perceived need to make a new release sonically compete with the current crop of releases, pushing the overall volume of a track as high as possible (at the expense of dynamics) so as to never fade into the background. Many feel that this me-too approach is sucking the life out of modern recordings, and this debate has moved from the insider recording forums and trade magazines onto the front page of the Wall Street Journal.
Ethan Smith's article brings the issue to the public using the latest Metallica release "Death Magnetic" as a prime example. Contrasting their latest release with the mix and master of "...And Justice for All" is a bit of an easy comparison, as the generally thin sound of the bass-shy "...And Justice" mix gives the listener the perspective of hearing the band run their set through the lobby wall of a rehearsal space. Still, the waveform comparison of the 2 recordings is a great visual example of the overhyped and dynamically flat mixing and mastering trends currently being used in popular music.
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