![]() ![]() The stages of CD loudness increase are often split over the decades of the medium's existence. Three different releases of ZZ Top's song " Sharp Dressed Man" show increasing loudness over time: 1983–2000–2008. Modern computer-based digital audio effects processing allows mastering engineers to have greater direct control over the loudness of a song: for example, a brick-wall limiter can look ahead at an upcoming signal to limit its level. ![]() Digital media such as CDs remove these restrictions and as a result, increasing loudness levels have been a more severe issue in the CD era. Attempts to achieve extreme loudness could render the medium unplayable. In particular, many Motown records pushed the limits of how loud records could be made according to one of their engineers, they were "notorious for cutting some of the hottest 45s in the industry." In the 1960s and 1970s, compilation albums of hits by multiple different artists became popular, and if artists and producers found their song was quieter than others on the compilation, they would insist that their song be remastered to be competitive.īecause of the limitations of the vinyl format, the ability to manipulate loudness was also limited. Similarly, starting in the 1950s, producers would request louder 7-inch singles so that songs would stand out when auditioned by program directors for radio stations. Jukeboxes became popular in the 1940s and were often set to a predetermined level by the owner, so any record that was mastered louder than the others would stand out. The so-called wall of sound (not to be confused with the Phil Spector Wall of Sound) formula preceded the loudness war, but achieved its goal using a variety of techniques, such as instrument doubling and reverberation, as well as compression. The practice of focusing on loudness in audio mastering can be traced back to the introduction of the compact disc, but also existed to some extent when the vinyl phonograph record was the primary released recording medium and when 7-inch singles were played on jukebox machines in clubs and bars. The competitive escalation of loudness has led music fans and members of the musical press to refer to the affected albums as "victims of the loudness war". Modern recordings that use extreme dynamic range compression and other measures to increase loudness therefore can sacrifice sound quality to loudness. In extreme cases, efforts to increase loudness can result in clipping and other audible distortion. Engineers can apply an increasingly high ratio of compression to a recording until it more frequently peaks at the maximum amplitude. Once the maximum amplitude of a CD is reached, loudness can be increased still further through signal processing techniques such as dynamic range compression and equalization. With the advent of the compact disc (CD), music is encoded to a digital format with a clearly defined maximum peak amplitude. The issue garnered renewed attention starting in the 1990s with the introduction of digital signal processing capable of producing further loudness increases. The maximum peak level of analog recordings such as these is limited by varying specifications of electronic equipment along the chain from source to listener, including vinyl and Compact Cassette players. ![]() Increasing loudness was first reported as early as the 1940s, with respect to mastering practices for 7-inch singles. The loudness war (or loudness race) is a trend of increasing audio levels in recorded music, which reduces audio fidelity and-according to many critics-listener enjoyment. ![]() Different releases of ABBA's 1980 song " Super Trouper" show different levels of loudness compared to the original 1980 release. ![]()
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