The perception of hyper-compression by mastering engineers

Ronan, M; Ward, N; Sazdov, R; Lee, H

The perception of hyper-compression by mastering engineers

Ronan, M Ward, N Sazdov, R Lee, H

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: AES: Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, 2017, 65 (7-8), pp. 613 - 621
Issue Date:: 2017-07-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Ronan, M	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Ward, N	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Sazdov, R	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Lee, H	en_US
dc.date.available	2017-05-16	en_US
dc.date.issued	2017-07-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	AES: Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, 2017, 65 (7-8), pp. 613 - 621	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1549-4950	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/126118
dc.description.abstract	Hyper-compressed popular music is the product of a behavior associated with the over-use of dynamic range processing in an effort to gain a competitive advantage in music production. This behavior is unnecessary given the introduction of loudness normalization algorithms across the industry and has been denounced by mastering engineers as generating audible sound quality artifacts. However, the audibility of these sound quality artifacts to mastering engineers has not been examined. This study probes this question using an ABX listening experiment with 20 mastering engineers. On average, mastering engineers correctly discriminated 17 out of 24 conditions suggesting that the sound quality artifacts generated by hyper-compression are difficult to perceive. The findings in the study suggest that audibility depends on the Crest Factor (CF) of the music rather than the amount of CF reduction thus proposing the existence of a threshold of audibility. Further work focusing on education initiatives are offered.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	AES: Journal of the Audio Engineering Society	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.17743/jaes.2017.0023	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Acoustics	en_US
dc.title	The perception of hyper-compression by mastering engineers	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	7-8	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	65	en_US
utslib.for	0906 Electrical and Electronic Engineering	en_US
utslib.for	0915 Interdisciplinary Engineering	en_US
utslib.for	1005 Communications Technologies	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	7-8	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	65	en_US

Abstract:

Hyper-compressed popular music is the product of a behavior associated with the over-use of dynamic range processing in an effort to gain a competitive advantage in music production. This behavior is unnecessary given the introduction of loudness normalization algorithms across the industry and has been denounced by mastering engineers as generating audible sound quality artifacts. However, the audibility of these sound quality artifacts to mastering engineers has not been examined. This study probes this question using an ABX listening experiment with 20 mastering engineers. On average, mastering engineers correctly discriminated 17 out of 24 conditions suggesting that the sound quality artifacts generated by hyper-compression are difficult to perceive. The findings in the study suggest that audibility depends on the Crest Factor (CF) of the music rather than the amount of CF reduction thus proposing the existence of a threshold of audibility. Further work focusing on education initiatives are offered.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/126118