good ears wanted

[Alf Jetzer]

hi folks,

a special issue:

I'm working on a solo-CD for a publisher.
I' ve uploaded two short files, same part (each 1 min. length).
The second file is slightly refined in some points (recording-technically only, not musically).
If you have a moment listening-time to compare the two files, it would be appreciated.
The differences are minimal. I do not mention it in particular in order to be neutral.
To make sure not to loose quality through mp3, I uploaded it in wav (2 x 1 min. should be not to much).

http://www.erdklang.ch/sound/Raum-Test.wav

http://www.erdklang.ch/sound/Raum-Test-bearbeitet.wav

Thanks,
Alf

 

[propman]

Ah, well, yes... It's obviously about the clipping!

Now, what is that strange ethereal pad-like instrument that the track finishes off with that also occurred once earlier in the song?
I'm sure it's just sympathetic strings of a bowed instrument, which you stroke with the finger, right? Would that be a fair assumption?
It's nice but I'm also slightly confused, as during the fade-out, I can hear some mp3-like artifacts... That's quite strange for a lossless file.
What's that all about? (Eh, that question will probably get skipped over with your first reply but addressed whenever you re-read the thread.)

I dig that percussion. I'll bet it's your frame drum, played with a brush-like beater, correct?
I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions but I doubt you ever use drum-loops and so, it's probably all handcrafted world-music.

Now, here's a random sentence that means NOTHING:

 

[Alf Jetzer]

thanks propman

yes you are right, It's about the clipping.
On the second file clips have been removed (are you recognizing some on the second file as well?).
I have to remove them from the whole CD bevore release.

The "pad-like" instrument at the end are the sympathetic strings of a bowed instrument, which I stroke with the finger. The percussion is my frame drum, played with a brush-like beater. I never use drum-loops and so, it's all handcrafted world-music.

Thanks,
Alf

 

[propman]

You have no idea how much I wanted to edit my first post to say "Ah, well, yes... It's obviously about the clipping!"
I wasn't 'right.' My guess (EQ fudging) was obviously wrong and, though I heard a decrease in clipping on the second track, it wasn't enough of one.
I'm afraid removing clipping is... well, it's not going to work very well. I do notice some on the second file. It seems reduced but not gone and it's unlikely to be unless you re-record the offending parts with a lower input level.

Ah, what the hell... Nobody'll notice!

 

[Alf Jetzer]

thanks for your comment.

//Ah, what the hell... Nobody'll notice!//
this stands always in front for me when I do recordings. Do a broader non-musician listener recognize such things at all ?? Mostly not. I do always a balance between fast, creative recording (use recording as an expression-tool itself, as a "musical instrument") and a more or less "clinic" recording quality. If i would focus more on the Clinical aspect, then the result would suffer in terms musical expression = less musical, more clinical. But for me, the whole thing is art. I showed the two files to some people and for non-musicians always comes the musical exprewssion far bevore the clinical perfection (they don't recognize such things). A music whit a strong expression even gets alive over a handy-speaker. Whereas a "dead" music brings no joy, even through highest high-end, and..and... you understand..

best regards from Switzerland,
Alf

 

[propman]

Actually, the 'Ah, what the hell... Nobody'll notice!" line was in reference to my blatant first-post edit.
I definitely think people notice when something doesn't sound right/good. They just don't know what to call it.

I do things in my music that nobody except for musicians notice when I play it to them. They hear it but they don't know how to single it out from the rest of the song by addressing it with a technical name. If it weren't there, they would notice it sounded weak or bare and that's what they would say but wouldn't be able to tell me why. People aren't going to come up to you on the street and say "Hey, man... that clipping was bothersome." They'll just be disquieted by those irritating, harsh, static-y clicks and probably won't listen again. If people didn't notice when something was done poorly, there would be no need for schooled professionals in the music field.

But let's just say for the moment that the normal, casual listener doesn't care. You should. You should want to make the best sounding product you can because you're proud of it and don't want to just write it off as 'it's good enough for the people who aren't in-the-know.' But again, normal-Joe the iPod man does care! People with no musical training usually notice when a guitar is out of tune, right? Well, the computer you record on and the hardware you use to do it is just as much of an instrument as said guitar and it all needs to be tuned just the same because people notice when it hasn't been!

You're a musician... a creative musician. Please, present your creations with care.