Subject:Extracting Audio - peak & digital overs question

Posted by: drbam

Date:9/9/2007 11:41:30 AM

Lately I've put together some tracks from various CDs and genres to use as mixing/mastering references. Many of these are listed in Bob Katz's "Honor Roll" as good and even excellent examples. I used SF8 and SF9 to extract these tracks, using a Plextor DVD/CD burner. However, most of these (not all) have peaks somewhere that are flattened and light up the red in the meters in SF, Vegas, Reaper and my perfectly calibrated Centeral Station. I'm confused by this. Could the extraction process be increasing peaks in some way? Its difficult for me to comprehend that these highly rated examples of mixing and mastering would contain digital overs.

Subject:RE: Extracting Audio - peak & digital overs question

Reply by: Geoff_Wood

Date:9/9/2007 7:35:54 PM

No, extraction should not change anything - certainly not uincrease levels. I assume the peaks are actual musical peaks as opposed to noise glitches ?

When you say 'flattened peas" , how many conscutives samples of FS are there ?

What title/track/time is an example (I'll take a peek on my Plex Premium).

geoff

Subject:RE: Extracting Audio - peak & digital overs question

Reply by: drbam

Date:9/9/2007 8:17:26 PM

Thanks Geoff. I figured the extraction shouldn't alter anything but this is so strange that I needed to check it out. I mean these are supposed to be examples/references of perfection in mixing/mastering for gawds sake! Anyway I'll check some specific tracks and times and get back to you.

These aren't "noise glitches" I'm referring to. I consider peaks to be a valid "over" when there are 6 or more consecutive samples (16 bit) that are flatlined (some people would say 4 samples) but of course it only takes one sample to light up the red and in my view this is unacceptable - period. Distortion is distortion.

Subject:RE: Extracting Audio - peak & digital overs q

Reply by: rraud

Date:9/10/2007 8:16:40 AM

I've seen this more than a few times, but less recently. The loudness war continues I guess ... A few overs are usually not audible, at least to the average person.
I don't subscribe to this, nor do the big boys I've talked to. I'll ask around at AES this year, as to what the top houses are doing.

Subject:RE: Extracting Audio - peak & digital overs q

Reply by: ATP

Date:9/10/2007 3:02:03 PM

I don't subscribe to this, nor do the big boys I've talked to

just out of curiousity, is there any other way you get your tracks to sound as loud as the heavily compressed ones, or do you go for dynamics all the way and take the lower average volume etc for granted?

personally i try to find the fine line between loudness and dynamics, but in my experience that usually means the latter has to suffer somewhat from the first, since it really doesn't do to have your track sound much less loud than all the other tracks on the album. that said, i'm not much of a mixer, but it's good to know how the pro's think about it.

Subject:RE: Extracting Audio - peak & digital overs q

Reply by: drbam

Date:9/10/2007 3:45:59 PM

Well this thread is starting to move from my original question somewhat but in response to the loudness crap, I think the industry (and our ears) have had enough and there's some positive momentum toward returning to undistorted music. Here's just one example: http://www.turnmeup.org/