Glenn Bucci
active member
Joined: 28/10/02
Posts: 1159
Loc: Pennsylvania
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Data compression article (MP3 - Wave file)
#979734 - 02/04/12 01:38 PM
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This was a very insightful article and really enjoyed it. It got me thinking more about
the mastering process, and ITunes. In a little searching, I found that Apple
came out with an article on mastering for ITunes. http://www.eedailynews.com/2012/03/apple-introduces-higher-resolution.html
-------------------- revelationsoundstudio.com
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Hugh Robjohns
SOS Technical Editor
Joined: 25/07/03
Posts: 18399
Loc: Worcestershire
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Re: Data compression article (MP3 - Wave file)
[Re: Glenn Bucci]
#979739 - 02/04/12 02:09 PM
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More a promotion on a pointlessy expanded version of their existing AAC coding scheme.
Given that few people have monitoring systems that can cope adequately with 90dB
dynamic range, why waste bits on trying to achieve a higher dynamic range that (a) almost
no commercial source material requires or uses and (b) that none of the audience could
appreciate anyway?
Utter cobblers!
hugh
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Technical Editor, Sound On Sound
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Glenn Bucci
active member
Joined: 28/10/02
Posts: 1159
Loc: Pennsylvania
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Re: Data compression article (MP3 - Wave file)
[Re: Hugh Robjohns]
#979749 - 02/04/12 02:51 PM
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Quote Hugh Robjohns:
Utter
cobblers!
hugh
I
guess you can't fool all the people all of the time. 
Here is the full article on the Itunes mastering. Apple ITunes
mastering I did learn ITunes catalog started in 2003 when they used 128kbps size
files. With Itunes Plus it is at 256 kbps which is at a more acceptable file size. I
normally get my favorite CD's and put them on my Itunes account at 320 kbps. Under the
preference tab you can adjust the file size of your songs. Due to the larger file size, it
is encouraging me to buy a new Iphone that has 32 gigs since my Iphone 3Gs with 16 gigs is
just about full. 
The article did give some good advise which is you should play back
the mastered music on some sources you will be listening to the music on. So get your
master, make it a MP3 and play it in your car stereo, or headphones and compared it to the
CD version. You may want to adjust your EQ or compressor at the mastering stage a little
to compensate for some diminished sound.
--------------------
revelationsoundstudio.com
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Hugh Robjohns
SOS Technical Editor
Joined: 25/07/03
Posts: 18399
Loc: Worcestershire
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Re: Data compression article (MP3 - Wave file)
[Re: Glenn Bucci]
#979751 - 02/04/12 02:58 PM
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Quote Glenn Bucci:
The article
did give some good advise which is you should play back the mastered music on some sources
you will be listening to the music on.
But isn't that (a) blatently obvious and (b) exactly what every
SOS article on DIY mastering has always said? 
hugh
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Technical Editor, Sound On Sound
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Glenn Bucci
active member
Joined: 28/10/02
Posts: 1159
Loc: Pennsylvania
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Re: Data compression article (MP3 - Wave file)
[Re: Hugh Robjohns]
#979787 - 02/04/12 05:03 PM
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Quote Hugh Robjohns:
Quote Glenn Bucci:
The article
did give some good advise which is you should play back the mastered music on some sources
you will be listening to the music on.
But isn't that (a) blatently obvious and (b) exactly what every
SOS article on DIY mastering has always said?
hugh
Well yes and
no. I always play my mixes through my car stereo as well as my open back headphones to
make sure everything sounds fine. However I have to admit I have not been doing this with
an MP3 version of the mix. So this is something I want to start doing as well. I am
guessing you would notice a difference in the top end. So perhaps if you know most people
are going to play it on a MP3, you may want to add a tad more top end to compensate for
it, while not too much so it still sounds good with the CD version?
--------------------
revelationsoundstudio.com
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Hugh Robjohns
SOS Technical Editor
Joined: 25/07/03
Posts: 18399
Loc: Worcestershire
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Re: Data compression article (MP3 - Wave file)
[Re: Glenn Bucci]
#979799 - 02/04/12 06:07 PM
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It makes sense to try any mix on as wide a range of replay systems as possible to ensure
maximum compatibility and that the mix works adequately on large and small systems etc.
When converting to MP3 it is essential to check the mix post-conversion to make
sure that there has been no clipping introduced by the encoder, and since most MP3 users
will be auditioning either on a computer or on earbuds via an MP3 player of some sort,
that the mix works in those contexts -- particularly the earphone variant since the human
ear/brain system works very differently when using headphones/earphones and things may
become audible that can't be perceived on speakers.
hugh
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Technical Editor, Sound On Sound
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maz_maz
Joined: 23/05/09
Posts: 1
Loc: Hamburg, Germany
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Re: Data compression article (MP3 - Wave file)
[Re: Hugh Robjohns]
#982221 - 16/04/12 08:15 AM
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Hi,
I experienced drastic advancements of MP3 over the years. A 128 kbps coded MP3
file with iTunes from 2010 sounds much better than with iTunes from 2004. I tested it for
a German magazine two years ago. It seems like there are optimizations happening in the
background. People from Fraunhofer told me that their clients have access to the latest
versions. But you never know if a software developer incorporates the newest codec from
Fraunhofer.
A general tip: The newer the software you use the better the chance for
best sound at a given bitrate.
Kind regards
Mark
PS: I compared some more codecs and programs than iTunes. The differences between
older and younger versions were generally much bigger than the ones between the codecs
MP3, AAC, WMA and Ogg Vorbis (actual versions each).
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Hugh Robjohns
SOS Technical Editor
Joined: 25/07/03
Posts: 18399
Loc: Worcestershire
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Re: Data compression article (MP3 - Wave file)
[Re: maz_maz]
#982246 - 16/04/12 10:14 AM
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Quote maz_maz:
I experienced
drastic advancements of MP3 over the years. A 128 kbps coded MP3 file with iTunes from
2010 sounds much better than with iTunes from 2004.
One of the really clever and intelligent aspects of the MPEG
set of data reduction strategies is that only the decoders were specified in any detail.
The precise design of the coder was left open because they knew that the technologies and
our understanding of how the human hearing system works would improve over time.
As a result, the coders only have to package the data in a way that the decoders
can understand, but how the coders arrive at which parts of the audio spectrum to keep,
which to throw away, and how to balanced the bit-budget is left very much down to the
designers. As you say, it is quite apparent how MP3 coders have improved over the years --
and the same is also true of MPEG2 coders used in UYK DAB radio, and in the MPEG2 and 4
codeers used in SD and HD TV.
hugh
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Technical Editor, Sound On Sound
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