No compression = not lifelike?

Wanted to mention, the CD in my collection with the most obvious use of available dynamic range is John Atkinson’s recording “Rendezvous” of Jerome Harris Quintet.

You have to play it quite loud and have a system that can handle it. It is easy to understand why the record companies compress the shit out of popular music. The “Rendezvous” recording would sound like something was wrong with a mp3 player and cheap earbuds.

I do hate the ridiculous amounts of compression that has become the norm. I would love to hear Arcade Fire’s 'The Suburbs " remastered without the excessive compression.

And I agree with Elk, those '50s jazz recordings often sound amazing, and I have some early digital recordings that show that recording in digital was way ahead of playback.

jeffstarr said

… and I have some early digital recordings that show that recording in digital was way ahead of playback.

Best example for me are the Delos LP's and some other like ProArte, which were digitally recorded with the Soundstream System long ago.

They are great sounding, very silky and refined, I have most of them! A completely different kind of great sounding than i.e. the old analog RCA ROYAL Ballet Gala Performances or some great Analogue Productions Reissues, but still great and not digital sounding in a way digital playback did at the time.

Jazznut- Please take a listen to some of the excellent recordings available at Sound Liaison www.soundliaison.com/

They have a number of live set, two microphone recordings without compression. They explain a bit of their approach used for the Carmen Gomes “Thousand Shades of Blue” recording:

“The musicians were placed in front of a stereo pair of microphones with additional spot microphones on each instrument. The musicians were playing without headphones, the reason being that we believe that when we get the musicians to play together in the same room,with out headphones, it creates a number of musical and technical benefits:
As they are not ‘‘separated’’ by the headphones, the musicians, in order to hear each other are forced to create a natural and musical balance, a balance which is then easily captured by the main stereo pair of microphones. Because of the natural and musical balance the need for compression to control levels is no longer necessary, and since everybody is in the same room,the boxed sound which is so common in many modern recordings is absent, and the sound of the room helps ‘‘glue’’ the sound of the recording.”

Thanks and happy new year!

I know this label and have many of their recordings and like the sound. Among them is their one DSD recording, one of the best acoustic bass recordings I know. This one is exceptional.

Most obvious to me at the sound of their other PCM recordings like the described Gomes, besides of a nice room sound, is that it is comparably rich/dense sounding in the midrange, like made for the DS. This might also be related to the instrumentation. They don’t sound exceptionally dynamic to me, but this IMO also is just due to the style of the music. I think a lot of possibly slightly compressed music sounds more dynamic than other uncompressed, simply because the music itself is played more dynamic than the other.

So yes I really like the Sound Liaison recordings very much, some of the best!

A great example of how an acoustic group does not need compression to sound wonderful.

I think a lot of possibly slightly compressed music sounds more dynamic than other uncompressed, simply because the music itself is played more dynamic than the other.
This can be true. Also, counter-intuitively, a bit of compression makes drums and bass guitar in particular sound more energetic.

And the latest ONE MIC albums from the little label are better than ever, the brand new Carmen Gomes Inc.'s Up jumped the Devil, is absolutely mind blowing.
Music and Sonics are superb.
https://www.soundliaison.com/index.php/677-up-jumped-the-devil-carmen-gomes-inc

This is some of the best sounding drum sound I have ever heard on a recording. Very dynamic and not reserved. The sound of the double bass is full, rich and powerful where needed but with no hint of bloat. And the guitar…It is clear and reverberant. Naturally, not with added reverb. Of course, the vocals are captured beautifully. Carmen is right there in front of you. This recording doesn’t take you to the recording studio. Even better, it brings the recording studio to your listening room. Very few studio recordings do this. The drums to the left, Carmen in the middle in front of the instruments and the bass just to the right of her and the guitar to the right side of the soundstage. The sound is totally three dimensional. You almost feel like you can reach out and touch everyone. The sound is totally open with natural decay and depth. It is stunning. It really is. No hyperbole.
audiophile style review.

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