Pump Up The Volume!

Why is modern music so loud? Trevor Cox, professor of Acoustic Engineering at the University of Salford, investigates.

16:43 11 January 2016

CDs have been getting louder since the mid-80s as the music industry started using a production trick called dynamic range compression to make songs appear louder. It boosts quieter passages of music and adds artefacts, making music more attention-grabbing.

 

The trick has been used for several years and on many songs. A good example is Michael Jackson’s Thriller, which was first released in 1982. The music will fade through three versions; the middle and end are re-releases from the 1990s and 2000s. The music was re-mastered later on and it was made louder.

 

Although louder music is deemed generally more exciting, over-compression leads to sounds lacking light and shade. For it to work, dynamics is necessary; loud music is more impressive when contrasted with something quieter.

 

Dr Bruno Fazenda from Salford University commented that although a bit of compression is good, as it evens out the sound, too much of it can be unpleasant. The overuse of compression has led to music producers, audiophiles, and some consumers complaining. But it may come as a surprise to hear that the best-known example is from heavy metal fans.