My wife said something funny the other day..

[planet red]

My wife is a big fan of early to mid 90's rock music.. a lot of stuff like Hum, Radiohead, STP, Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, ect.

The other day I was riding in the car with her (I never talk audio quality or recording with her) and she made the comment on how annoying those records are to listen to. She can't set the volume right. It either gets too loud or too quite when parts change. She's constantly changing the volume and gets annoyed listening to those records even though she loves the music. She said she wished she had a setting on the car stereo that evened out the volume on those records.

I thought it was a pretty funny hearing that when there's all the talk on here about how squashed records are ruining music.

[mdjice]

Originally Posted by planet red

My wife is a big fan of early to mid 90's rock music.. a lot of stuff like Hum, Radiohead, STP, Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, ect.

The other day I was riding in the car with her (I never talk audio quality or recording with her) and she made the comment on how annoying those records are to listen to. She can't set the volume right. It either gets too loud or too quite when parts change. She's constantly changing the volume and gets annoyed listening to those records even though she loves the music. She said she wished she had a setting on the car stereo that evened out the volume on those records.

I thought it was a pretty funny hearing that when there's all the talk on here about how squashed records are ruining music.

she just gave you the OK to buy an atomic squeeze box!!!

[24-96 Mastering]

Originally Posted by planet red

I thought it was a pretty funny hearing that when there's all the talk on here about how squashed records are ruining music.

That's not at all contradictory. Many arguments have been used to justify hypercompression over the years; playback in cars was a favourite once (though it seems people have forgotten it in the last few years).

The call for (good) automatic gain control in playback devices is old and has never really been answered. If all car stereos had automatic gain control to match the incoming audio to the limited acoustic situation they're in, then that problem would be solved without the need to compromise the disc (with other, less noisy playback situations in mind).

There was a time when some car manufacturers did that. I remember in the mid nineties several car players had that (some implemented well, others not). Even my Dad's Ford had it built in with the cheap, stock CD player.

Those opposed to loudness on delivery medium have been suggesting two things to counter the loudness war for years: 1.common standards in production and 2. playback devices that can regulate playback volume and dynamic range, if needed.

But anyway, to remedy this situation, you have 3 options.

1. make a gently compressed version of her favourite CDs for low volume car playback
2. buy her a nice car stereo that has a well implemented reduced dynamics mode of some sort
3. buy her a nice, quiet car, so she can enjoy the original dynamic range

I'm sure, any of those 3 will make her happy

[Lagerfeldt]

Most surround receivers have a "night mode" which is basically a compressor slapped on the output.

[Transistor]

Originally Posted by 24-96 Mastering

1. make a gently compressed version of her favourite CDs for low volume car playback
2. buy her a nice car stereo that has a well implemented reduced dynamics mode of some sort
3. buy her a nice, quiet car, so she can enjoy the original dynamic range

Bob Katz makes a very good argument for #2 in his book. It makes perfect sense of course. Move the (hyper-) compression to the playback device, perhaps making it adjustable according to the listening environment.

r,
j,

[Chaellus]

Originally Posted by planet red

My wife is a big fan of early to mid 90's rock music.. a lot of stuff like Hum, Radiohead, STP, Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, ect.

I thought it was a pretty funny hearing that when there's all the talk on here about how squashed records are ruining music.

your wife has great taste in music, but i dont think any of that music is as bad as the music today yea some where a bit squashed, check todays release, it ill make you hurl

[24-96 Mastering]

BTW, my wife's car has a different (kinda the opposite) problem.

When playing current CDs, "1" on the volume dial is hardly audible, "2" is too low while driving and "3" is already too loud to have a normal conversation.

[finetuner]

Originally Posted by 24-96 Mastering

BTW, my wife's car has a different (kinda the opposite) problem.

When playing current CDs, "1" on the volume dial is hardly audible, "2" is too low while driving and "3" is already too loud to have a normal conversation.

Hope she doesn't have the 'mastering edition' with detents and no possibility to set between 2 and 3

[doorknocker]

Originally Posted by 24-96 Mastering

When playing current CDs, "1" on the volume dial is hardly audible, "2" is too low while driving and "3" is already too loud to have a normal conversation.

Maybe a reminder that you should listen to music instead of talking over it!

[Dog Boots]

Originally Posted by doorknocker

Maybe a reminder that you should listen to music instead of talking over it!

Or a reminder that a car is a means of transportation and not a listening room....

[wildpark]

my wife drive her red sport car because too listen too the sound of the car.

no need too play music there !

(ok its too loud too hear anything other then the engine lol).

[24-96 Mastering]

Originally Posted by finetuner

Hope she doesn't have the 'mastering edition' with detents and no possibility to set between 2 and 3

Unfortunately, yes. It's a "digital" volume dial.

Originally Posted by doorknocker

Maybe a reminder that you should listen to music instead of talking over it!

lol

Originally Posted by Dog Boots

Or a reminder that a car is a means of transportation and not a listening room....

Her car, yes. My car, no.

Originally Posted by wildpark

my wife drive her red sport car because too listen too the sound of the car.

Everyone should have 2 cars really, one for motor sound and one for the absence of sound. I wish I had more money...

[krytikal1]

Originally Posted by mdjice

she just gave you the OK to buy an atomic squeeze box!!!

that's funny. that's how i interpret her statement as well. haha.



k

[UnderTow]

Of course the real solution is to get rid of those noisy combustion motors in cars.

I'd love one of these: Tesla Motors

Not only is the motor silent but it will out accelerate any Ferrari or Lamborghini! And all that while being green. Win win and win!

Alistair

[wildpark]

3.9 seconds

todays lambo and ferarris are 3.4 seconds and under ?

beside this teslas looking really ugly like a bmw z4

Originally Posted by UnderTow

Of course the real solution is to get rid of those noisy combustion motors in cars.

I'd love one of these: Tesla Motors

Not only is the motor silent but it will out accelerate any Ferrari or Lamborghini! And all that while being green. Win win and win!

Alistair

[Berolzheimer]

Originally Posted by wildpark

3.9 seconds

todays lambo and ferarris are 3.4 seconds and under ?

beside this teslas looking really ugly like a bmw z4

The body is a Lotus Elise. And it becomes much more attractive when you consider the lung cancer and emphysema it isn't causing.

[wildpark]

yes your right cancer is a beast

i regulated drink and stopped too smoke cigars long time ago

my sports drive is a good weather ride only !

so i can live with the sin too hear

a big roooaaarrr against a laptops batterie silents from that elektro political corecct cars.



lotus mercedes smart bmw z series .... looks all like woman cars for me

and i seaw a porsche carerra last time which was modded with the same battery technic

but its like they cutted the balls

Originally Posted by Berolzheimer

The body is a Lotus Elise. And it becomes much more attractive when you consider the lung cancer and emphysema it isn't causing.

[planet red]

Originally Posted by Chaellus

your wife has great taste in music, but i dont think any of that music is as bad as the music today yea some where a bit squashed, check todays release, it ill make you hurl

Exactly. She was complaining that the dynamic range of those early mid 90's records is too high. She was wanting a more modern master where she doesn't need to fiddle with the volume knob between verses and choruses.

Her car is fairly quite and the system is totally decent, it just seems some people find too much dynamics in music distracting.

[alexp]

Originally Posted by wildpark

yes your right cancer is a beast

i regulated drink and stopped too smoke cigars long time ago

my sports drive is a good weather ride only !

so i can live with the sin too hear

a big roooaaarrr against a laptops batterie silents from that elektro political corecct cars.



lotus mercedes smart bmw z series .... looks all like woman cars for me

and i seaw a porsche carerra last time which was modded with the same battery technic

but its like they cutted the balls

Lotus is a womans car eh?? HAHA! That made my day. Thanks for that.


alexP (who thinks that Tesla not only is great for the planet, but looks really good!)

[UnderTow]

Originally Posted by wildpark

3.9 seconds

todays lambo and ferarris are 3.4 seconds and under ?

beside this teslas looking really ugly like a bmw z4

Ah well.. that just tells you how many Ferrari's and Lambo's I own.

Anyway, I think it is really cool. Not least because you can listen to music while cruising around. And this is just the first generation. Combustion motors are so 20th century...

UnderTow