Why do the guitar tones on Foo Fighters CDs hurt my ears?

[RockStarNick]

I feel like I never really understood the term "ear fatigue" until recently.

Everytime I put on a never Foo Fighters album (In your Honor, Echoes...), the guitar tones just seem like they're barking at me, in a bad way. It seems like there's this upper midrange spike that won't go away.

But their album "The Color and the Shape" - the tones are amazing, and I could listen all day.

Can someone help me put a finger on what it is that makes the new ones hurt me ears? Is it analog vs. digital recording? Is it mic choice? Is it the EQ'ing?

[Jahn]

hot mastering. the compression is redlined to as loud as possible, killing dynamics and having everything uniformly shouting nonstop - there are no peaks, it is ALL peaks. thus, fatigue.

[soulohio]

yessiree.

Originally Posted by Jahn

hot mastering. the compression is redlined to as loud as possible, killing dynamics and having everything uniformly shouting nonstop - there are no peaks, it is ALL peaks. thus, fatigue.

[Cuthbert]

My theory is digital recording and playing the music on cd's. If the records were done on tape and pressed on vinyl I doubt the tones would hurt your ears so much. Just my opinion.

[RockStarNick]

I agree with the "balls to the wall" limiting and matering and such... but still, there are other CDs coming out today that DONT hurt my ears quite as much. And they're mastered quite loudly too.

Is it the EQ? The mics? The guitars?

[JPF]

Originally Posted by Jahn

hot mastering. the compression is redlined to as loud as possible, killing dynamics and having everything uniformly shouting nonstop - there are no peaks, it is ALL peaks. thus, fatigue.

That's a perfect description of what the Rush "Vapor Trail" cd sounds like to me. I don't even bother listening to it anymore, despite the fact that I like quite a few of the songs on it. I haven't tried sourcing a vinyl LP version, although I'm not sure it'll sound much better if the mastering is the same.

[KazJY]

Originally Posted by JPF

That's a perfect description of what the Rush "Vapor Trail" cd sounds like to me. I don't even bother listening to it anymore, despite the fact that I like quite a few of the songs on it. I haven't tried sourcing a vinyl LP version, although I'm not sure it'll sound much better if the mastering is the same.

Great example. I didn't even make it through my LP version of Vapor Trails - I sold it on ebay soonafter I bought it for this exact reason ("gee, I thought vinyl would have sounded better!!").

[2hanz]

Originally Posted by Jahn

hot mastering. the compression is redlined to as loud as possible, killing dynamics and having everything uniformly shouting nonstop - there are no peaks, it is ALL peaks. thus, fatigue.

This is exactly right, and to further this, even from the start of production those tones were specifically picked with this type of mixing/mastering in mind. They do it this way because for the most part, people don't listen to full albums anymore. So they mix and master with the mindset of 'hitting them over the head with a hammer' for every song. It is unfortunate, but almost ALL new pop/rock albums are done this way, especially if its for radio.

[customstrat]

Listen to the new Metallica album.....ten times as loud as any Foo record.

[diamonddavewv]

For a great collection of articles on the topic:

http://www.turnmeup.org/

[KazJY]

Originally Posted by customstrat

Listen to the new Metallica album.....ten times as loud as any Foo record.

Really. I didn't think the album had any punch or loudness. I literally looked to see if my subwoofer was even on. Then again, maybe that's my perception of "everything on 10". I thought they should re-mix...

[le_plastique]

Just a bump for later reading.

[Jahn]

Originally Posted by KazJY

Really. I didn't think the album had any punch or loudness. I literally looked to see if my subwoofer was even on. Then again, maybe that's my perception of "everything on 10". I thought they should re-mix...

Exactly - the dynamics are crushed. If you play it at non-earbleeding levels, you just get a grey mess of nothing, zero impact. If you don't have quiet parts, you can't have loud parts, it's just common sense. And if you turn it up past your comfort level, hoping that volume will get you some impact, you just get a nonstop buzzsaw of nothing. And Tinnitus.

[The Golden Boy]

I think the guitars on "Colour And..." are overly squashed Mesa Dual Rectifier sounds. They're fine for what they are.

I really like all the FF guitar sounds after TINLTL... That's just to AC30 sounding for me. No deviation from it.