[LAU] Need to convert 24bit/48000 to 16bit/44100 stereo on linux

[Steve Fosdick]

On Mon, 14 Jan 2008 10:44:34 -1000
david <gnome at hawaii.rr.com> wrote:

> Compressed music avoids the radio station nightmare of quiet passages - 
> listeners might think something's wrong with the station and switch to 
> another station. Any "selling better" effect is only because radio 
> stations simply refuse to play uncompressed music.

That was not the argument I have always heard in favour of "loud mastering".

After all, if the radio stations wanted to they could always compress the material as it is broadcast.  Perhaps Classic-FM (UK classical station) already do this as classical CDs tend to have much more dynamic range and are thus hard to listen to in the car because the quiet passages get lost in noise whereas Classic FMs radio output seems to be less prone to the problem.  I have often thought that the car CD player should offer a compressor but I'd want it under my control and still have the option of hearing the same CD at home with the full dynamic range.

Back to the reasons for "loud mastering" - I had heard it was to get people to notice the song, i.e. if it was louder sounding than the rest people would suddenly notice it.  Of course once one producer does it the others have to follow and a kind of war ensues.

Steve.