The 2017 Grammy Nominees CD is out, so let's take a look at this years batch and see if the mastering is getting better or worse, or staying about the same. Refer to the 2016 Grammy CD blog to compare the last two years.
Remember that a good mastering job will have the right EQ, no clipped samples, and a dynamic range that is fun to listen to (although dependent on the style). I will show you the pictures of the overall waveform and the EQ curve. There are lots of problems there, but I will not mention those, I will strictly look at the numbers. This is basic and unarguable.
Here is a table that lists all the tracks on this CD along with their numbers.
First by artist...
Remember that a good mastering job will have the right EQ, no clipped samples, and a dynamic range that is fun to listen to (although dependent on the style). I will show you the pictures of the overall waveform and the EQ curve. There are lots of problems there, but I will not mention those, I will strictly look at the numbers. This is basic and unarguable.
Here is a table that lists all the tracks on this CD along with their numbers.
First by artist...
Next by LKFS level...before music was squashed, -16 was considered about as loud as you needed to go. Less than that means more squashing...been this way for 2 decades. (See a previous Blog)
Next by True Peak level...should be between -1 and 0. Note that not one is in that range.
Next, the result of not obeying the previous rule...Clipped samples. Note that only 1 has no clipped samples and it is squashed to high heaven(hell?)
And we will finish off with the Dynamic Range, which depends on the material...10 is a good place to start...Under 10 for Pop and Dance music...between 10 and 20 for ballads, soundtracks, classical music.
This is the one bright spot in this whole overview. There are a few with good Dynamic Range.
This is the one bright spot in this whole overview. There are a few with good Dynamic Range.
Here are the waveforms for each song...starting from worst...(Clipped Samples)
Closer
Closer
Cheap Thrills
7 Years
Stressed Out
Confident
Peter Pan
Am I Wrong
Brace For Impact
Church Bells
Dangerous Woman
Vice
Blue Ain't Your Color
Die A Happy Man
Don't Hurt Yourself
Hello
Love Can Go To Hell
Humble and Kind
Love Yourself
Piece By Piece
Hotline Bling
My Church
Well, there you have it...the state of popular music in 2017. Any improvement over 2016? The numbers say that mastering has not improved at all. And we have not even talked about the EQ problems, the DC offset problems, or the fact that all these problems get worse when being compressed to a lossy format for downloads.
I think that the information here speaks for itself.
I think that the information here speaks for itself.
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