[BC] Digital Intgerference

[Robert Orban]

At 11:32 PM 12/18/2005, you wrote:
>From: Rich Wood <richwood at pobox.com>
>Subject: Re: [BC] Digital Intgerference (was AM Interference)
>To: Broadcast Radio Mailing List <broadcast at radiolists.net>
>Message-ID: <7.0.0.16.2.20051218204523.076c0748 at yahoo.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>
>------ At 04:24 PM 12/18/2005, Robert Orban wrote: -------
>
> >I think that punch is a huge positive and I can't understand the
> >mentality of anyone who thinks that making their radio station sound
> >punchier is going to risk their position.
>
>Bob, you're preaching to the choir with me. Contemporary listeners
>don't seem to appreciate the fact that music is more than a beat and
>a young kid screaming. With all the distorted sound a kid grows up
>with I don't think they know what good sound is. Even concert venues
>don't represent what the band on stage sounds like. I've heard kids
>comment that a classical concert doesn't sound real. It doesn't match
>what he hears with other devices in his life. Live music is dull. No
>compression, limiting, smashing or mashing. Just instruments in a
>concert hall. What a concept.

I think that anyone can learn to appreciate dynamics; indeed, I don't think 
that it needs to be learned at all. Today's kids are hearing highly dynamic 
recorded sound frequently -- it's at the movies and on DVD. Feature films 
are mixed with enormous amounts of dynamic range, as are concert videos. I 
can't say for sure that that's a reason why music sales are down again this 
year and DVD sales are up, but I _do_ believe that squashing audio sends a 
negative subliminal message. Sound in the real world is still dynamic with 
high peak-to average ratios, and even the most dedicated iPod listeners 
still hear a great deal of natural sound in their everyday lives.

As for classical concerts, it's hard for me to put myself in the shoes of a 
15 year old listener. But I love live classical music. I go to the symphony 
at least 15 times per year and it never fails to strike me that symphony 
audiences are probably the best-behaved and most respectful audiences of all.

Bob Orban