[LAU] Rolling off high frequencies when mastering?

nescivi nescivi at gmail.com
Sun Apr 25 02:50:11 UTC 2010


On Saturday 24 April 2010 04:37:57 Jörn Nettingsmeier wrote:
> > Even just saying "our ear drums" are
> > vibrating is a gross oversimplification as ear pinnae-shape actually acts
> > as a directional-filter, that in conjuntion with cognitive processes,
> > allow us to locate the position of sound. This positioning is extremely
> > phase and timing dependent.
> 
> thanks for this lecture on the basics of binaural perception ;)

yes, and in fact for higher frequency signals it is generally understood in 
psycho-acoustics that we distinguish location more by level differences (due 
to masking of the head) than by phase differences, as the latter have become 
quite irrelevant, as the wavelength of these higher frequency is generally 
much smaller than our ears are apart from each other. OTOH, the high frequency 
waves have a harder time bending around our heads, and thus create level 
differences based on whether the sound source is to the left or right of us.

> > Humans can potentially locate sound sources to within 10 degrees of arc,
> > even with complex reflections and reverberations taking place.

reflections actually help us to perceive distance of sound sources :)
 
> and they can also do that in artificially (re-)created sound fields made
> of digital signals sampled at 16 khz or less. also in the presence of
> significant phase distortion.
> you are welcome to drop by whenever you're in europe and hear for
> yourself. which should demonstrate that you are mixing lines of argument
> which should be kept separate.



The only argument for rolling of high frequencies when mastering would be that 
it makes the eventual sound less sharp and sound more warm... something that 
we have gotten used to from vinyl and mastering on tape. Many listeners may 
find it more pleasant to listen to.

sincerely,
Marije


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