Share This Thread Old school vinyl records... Cinda Private (4808) Miscellaneous Forum 8/20/2009 11:06:32 AM · 32 Views [Respond to this Message] I was listening to Jimi Hendrix Live at the Fillmore on a record and noticed something that doesn't exist much in the rock that you hear on the radio: dynamics There were times when the volume was low... time when the volume was high... in order to really meet what was intended by the song. Now, what you hear is a lot of straight ahead, maximum volume. Interesting... any opinions?

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• Respond to this Re: Old school vinyl records... 8/20/2009 11:20:25 AM Ken Richardson (6286) wrote: Check out The Who at the Isle of Wight !! Talk about dynamics! I love how Pete gets all the different tones/moods and does the "Tommy" music using 1 guitar, amp, overdrive box, and use of the volume control!

• Respond to this Re: Old school vinyl records... 8/20/2009 12:12:05 PM Randy Hano (6653) wrote: Dynamics is a lost art. Using it correctly can take the listener for a great ride on a song. It can make a bad song good and a great song even better. In today's music, much of it is dance based and non emotional. In heavy metal, its how much hair you can move since it is in your face. Even elevator music has become one level making it rather boring and is great for sleep therapy. There is alot of music out there that still has great dynamics. No I haven't jumped on the band wagon but the band Phish has some great music that will take you for a ride. I just love the song "Possum". Even music on the radio is heavily compressed for transmission through the airwaves. This takes some of the original dynamics out of the reproductions on replay within our stereos. MP3's and other digital media also comprise of compression because of space limitations on a disc. So it gets compressed musically and compressed electronically - whew! This could be a reason records are supposedly making a small comeback. It is to replace the missing warmth we all enjoy from the analog transfer where as digital sacrifices that warmth touch making everything clean sounding but at the sacrifice of sounding sterile.

• Respond to this Re: Old school vinyl records... 8/21/2009 10:13:28 AM Ken Richardson (6286) wrote: I forgot about the compression used by radio stations - that does influence the sound and dynamics.

• Respond to this Re: Old school vinyl records... 8/21/2009 12:34:28 PM Nick Scratch (413) wrote: Most of the compression that you hear in new music is added in the studio, not at the radio station.

• Respond to this Re: Old school vinyl records... 8/22/2009 12:49:15 AM Randy Hano (6653) wrote: Some of the compression is on the actual recordings but compression occurs in the radio stations as well. It how they are able to broadcast music without exceeding bandwidth when they are sending over the modulated signal. They usually compress both left and right side channels. This is why you do not hear DJ's or on air personalities have wavering volumes when the speak through there mics. Commercials sound hotter because they send the program pots up higher when they play the cart. Not much has changed over the past 22 years since I did a short stint in broadcasting.

• Respond to this Re: Old school vinyl records... 8/24/2009 7:44:55 PM Nick Scratch (413) wrote: I think all of that technical talk may be over my head. Any chance you'd explain in layman's terms?

• Respond to this Re: Old school vinyl records... 8/24/2009 11:35:10 PM Randy Hano (6653) wrote: Think of a radio station as your mixing board for a live gig. Your mic'd instruments is your music and your vocal mics are your dj's. When you perform, your dynamics are loud, soft, medium but never the same volume. It's the same with the radio station except they will use compression on the overall mix before sending to the broadcast transmitters (power amps). The signal is compressed to keep the low and high level signal at a safe even volumed level and than sent to the transmitter. Bandwidth pertains to how far a signal can travekl on a carrier. Example: A radio station broadcasts on 95.5Mhz FM. The upper radio station operates on 96.3Mhz. 96.3 - 95.5 = .8Mhz or 800khz. Let's divide 800khz by 2 equaling 400khz. Now each radio station is allowed 400khz above and below it's carrier frequency to modulate without crossover. If the signal crossover, you can have ghosting where one stations signal appears on another stations even though it frequency is not there. Harmonics can also cause ghosting which is why we have filters. I hope that helps.

• Respond to this Re: Old school vinyl records... 8/26/2009 8:49:31 AM Ken Richardson (6286) wrote: There is some discussion of limiting and remastering of the Beatles recordings in the new Rolling Stone mag - the Beatles are on the cover. There is a little discussion about EQ, limiting and remastering of their catalog over the years.

• Respond to this Re: Old school vinyl records... 8/26/2009 3:39:30 PM Randy Hano (6653) wrote: Great point Ken! Limiting is the other concept I forgot. Compressing signals will help with limiting so the transmitted signal won't be saturatated.

• Respond to this Re: Old school vinyl records... 8/26/2009 3:53:33 PM Ken Richardson (6286) wrote: I figured the RS article would be an interesting read for many folks on here. Some of the members may have copies of the CDs and LPs that they can listen to and compare the various remasters and reissues. I had forgotten about limiting too. I worked as a DJ at a couple radio stations off and on during college and for a bit after college.

• Respond to this Re: Old school vinyl records... 8/26/2009 4:24:34 PM Randy Hano (6653) wrote: Excellent Ken!!!

• Respond to this Re: Old school vinyl records... 8/31/2009 2:51:56 PM Nick Scratch (413) wrote: Right on.

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