EBU counterattack on loudness war

[oldeanalogueguy]

Originally Posted by Petrus

It would work if an average loudness standard is included in the radio station license requirements across Europe and North America. This can be automatically monitored, and if a station keeps sending a signal where RMS level is too close to 0 dBFS for too long (different levels for different length time windows) it would loose its license. Record companies would start making songs which fulfill these requirements and the radio stations could not compress them anymore. Those disks which are made the way they are made now would have to played something like at 6-10 dB lower level without peaks. They would sound really bad compared to the "new age" more dynamic songs we are hoping for and EBU is trying to make happen.

usa has standards
but broadcasters (ie advertisers) keep paying off congress so they are ineffective standards

[Greg Reierson]

Originally Posted by polybonk

If it becomes law across the EU then a lot of mixes will require 2 masters. A normal one for CD etc and a quiet one for radio.

Why? The same mix will sound equally good in both places. Besides, what's a CD (ask my kids who will soon be the buying public)?


GR

[Petrus]

Originally Posted by Greg Reierson

Why? The same mix will sound equally good in both places. Besides, what's a CD (ask my kids who will soon be the buying public)?
GR

I suppose "normal one for CD" means here the over compressed loudness war disk now in fashion, and "quiet one" a dynamic version of the same, where average loudness is much lower but peaks of course as loud as in the CD.

They would certainly sound different.

[Greg Reierson]

Yes, I should have been more specific. The quieter version with peaks intact, etc. will sound good on-line, on the radio, on Pandora and Spotify, in media players and on CD. If making only one mix, make it the one without compromises and it will sound great everywhere. If making two mixes, be sure not to mix them up or your LOUD mix might wind up on Spotify next to other mixes that were made to sound good


GR

[polybonk]

Originally Posted by Greg Reierson

Why? The same mix will sound equally good in both places. Besides, what's a CD (ask my kids who will soon be the buying public)?


GR

Well last night when I was testing out compliance with -23 LUFS on music, I found this is definitely not the case. A hiphop track that I tested for example had to be turned down to peak at around -12dB and sounded terrible compared to mastering for that LU. The original peaked at -6dB when at -23LUFS and sounded ok compared to the slammed version, but still needed mastering to achieve a better sound and incidentally to have peaks at -8.9dB and sit at -23LUFS.

Now this was all done as an experiment mind you just to check out the new DBU R 128 levels. Still I imagine that this will be the case for most music that is mastered to current slammed levels. Music mastered with -12dB RMS or more probably could be just turned down and sound fine, stuff at -6dB RMS etc will want to be remastered.

[Greg Reierson]

Originally Posted by polybonk

Well last night when I was testing out compliance with -23 LUFS on music, I found this is definitely not the case. A hiphop track that I tested for example had to be turned down to peak at around -12dB and sounded terrible compared to mastering for that LU.

And the light goes on!


GR

[polybonk]

Why do you think I chose that particular track?

[sentinel7]

Originally Posted by Cheebs Goat

The brightess wars would be a step up. At least it is possible to undo brightness with EQ.

Thread winner!