O.T. Hank Williams Daughter rails against over compression

Is this it?

The compression game has become absolutely ridiculous. They are destroying some great music and making hum drum music obnoxious.

It is everywhere, even in music that has no need to break through. I caught the new Dr. Phil TV theme song just the other day. It sounded so shrill and harsh because of how over driven and compressed it was that I could not bear to have the TV on. Every time he went to break or came back from a break, that harsh shrill sound assaults my ears. It is so distasteful that it is enough to make me not turn on that show again regardless of the topic just to keep my ears from being assaulted by the shrill over compressed music. That has to hurt his ratings. It sounds to me as if the tracks were individually compresses, then the mix was compressed, then it goes through another compressor at the broadcast station.

Geokauf, I concur.

If they did away with compression, the sound of acoustic guitars in Nashville recordings would not be nearly as appealing as they currently sound. Compressors can be quite beneficial. Now the mastering people that cram the recording right up to the ceiling have something to answer for but when used correctly, for sonic enhancement, compressors can make the sound of a track very appealing.

Hi Mike,

have you listened to the interview?

LOL. After railing against NPR the answer would be a quick No.

But otherwise, I agree with your assessment of my actions.

Not meant to call you out. Just funnin'. Unfortunately, the real message got lost. Which is the EQ and compression Jett is describing is 1950's record making EQ and compression - not - 2008 "slamming the signal to the wall" loudness compression. In this case the acetates are well deteriorated and the EQ and compression was "cut" into the disk. There is no way it could be undone. So it is salesspeak.

Regarding NPR, I didn't say hidden agenda. I said, "NPR is one of the worst at purveying misinformation..." I don't hold listening to NPR against you. Some of my best friends do also (despite may rantings and ravings). Just don't believe any of it.

An aside - "Low-fi" (cutting one-time use acetates) was not typical of recording back in the 50's. Commercial phonograph records were recorded to tape. The tape formulas were very similar, if not the same as today and the machines (Ampex and Scully) were mechanically and electronically as good as modern tape machines, the mics were Telefunken, Neumann, AKG, Shure, etc., the EQs were Pultecs, the compressors were UA and Tektronix - the signal that went to tape was every bit as good as modern tape recordings. Record cutting and pressing wasn't as precise as it became in the 60's and beyond. Those "old" tapes, when mastered to CD (the Ella Fitzgerald "Songbooks," for example), are breathtaking - the clarity and definition.

Here's a summary of Jett from "Wikipedia" for those who won't follow the link: The illegitimate daughter born 5 days after HW died. He signed papers to be her guardian. Jett is raised by HW's mother, who dies and Jett becomes a ward of the state. Jett is adopted and, knowing she is adopted, when she grows up she finds out who she is and attempts to claim her half of HW's legacy and the current HW (HW's son, a successful country music star) rejects her claim and fights her in court. Jett ultimately won. The two 1/2 siblings have joint custody of the catalog. HW the son is involved with the Mother's Best release. They're supposed to have made up by now. It was quite a few years ago.

GK

Interesting two of my favorite members going at each other. I can't say who is right or who is wrong though I do sympathizes with Mike on the idea of too much compression. I have listened to NPR while in the car from time to time. I don't know what is true and what isn't on NPR when they interview someone. Over the years I have found out some tasty bits about people I don't hear much about or think much about. That in no way is putting any one down just not that much in my mind. Here in the Detroit area NPR is our best Jazz station and is also good with blues and Bluegrass plus Celtic and folk music. If I want to hear some of that I really have little choice. As far as news goes I don't get it from them. But then I am not that current on anything anyway. They do have a local broadcast of the Detroit Symphony orchestra. So I am a distant fan to my local PBS station. Your listings may vary. LOL