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  #1  
Old 01-14-2004, 11:36 AM
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SAM Software

Didn't I hear that the SAM software has a compression feature? If so, are you using it?

I'm asking because it seems like I'm constantly adjusting the volume in Winamp here. The songs from the 70's tend to be much quieter (due to mastering techniques) than the more recent ones, and I keep having to either turn it up (so I can hear it), or turn it down (because it's disturbing the folks next to me).

Now I wouldn't want to lose dynamic range altogether (like on regular stations) but is there a way to adjust that so that it's at least close?
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Old 01-14-2004, 12:33 PM
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We're tried the compression feature in teh past, and it has horrible results on dyunamic music like progressive riock and classical music. Any music that has quiet and loud in it gets butchered.

I eventually discontinued the use of it due to the many complaints. I guess I can try it again if folks want me to.

All of our tracks are normalized to 98% but as you said, it has different effects on different albums.
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Old 01-14-2004, 08:04 PM
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Speaking on behalf of those who don't have to worry about the guy in the next cube...

Normalize if you want, but pleeeeeease don't compress!!!

Jeff
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Old 01-15-2004, 10:08 AM
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all right

Yeah I was afraid of that... I guess there's no 'in-between' setting... it's either way overdone or none at all. In that case, go with whatever sounds best (which I guess is none at all). I just don't like turning up old Genesis and then being blasted apart by Liquid Tension Experiment. (for example)

OK, actually I do like it but the folks next to me (not even cubes to separate us) give me odd looks. I'm pretty well used to that though.
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Old 01-15-2004, 10:22 AM
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Don't compress. I don't mind adjusting volume if it sounds right. My two cents.
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Old 02-03-2004, 08:49 AM
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Tom Steady

Well I found the TomSteady plugin for Winamp and thought I'd give it a try. The results don't seem to me to be too overdone (i.e., some parts of the songs are actually quieter than others) but it does make for a smoother overall listening experience.

I realize I was the only one complaining about this (sorry!) but if there's anyone else out there who's having the same problem, give TomSteady a try.

As an aside, I'm also using Winamp 5 and it seems to be much better than Winamp 3, at first blush anyway.
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Old 02-03-2004, 08:54 AM
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The compression feature I was referring to above was indeed Tomsteady. For an example of what I was talking about, trying playing "Supper's Ready" through it.

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Old 02-04-2004, 09:45 AM
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Well maybe I'm the only one in this situation - I always knew I was one of a kind. But I didn't like walking away from my desk while a soft song from 1973 was playing at an acceptable level and coming back a minute later to Arena or something loud and newish blaring through my speakers and dirty looks from everyone else in the room. There are 7 people in this room (we're packt like sardines...)

And TomSteady sounds fine to me... But so you don't think I have ears of tin, let me explain that I tend to listen at a pretty low volume and so subtle changes are lost on me here at work. It just needs to be loud enough so that I can hear it and it drowns out the country music being played ad nauseum on the radio, and the occasional death metal playing softly from the guy directly behind me.

(Who listens to death metal at low volumes?)

So the purpose is mostly to override the other auditory signals that are constantly bombarding me. A white noise generator would work but prog is more fun.

I can't do requests here at work (because apparently audiorealm is in the "games" category and is filtered out) so I can't hear how Supper's Ready is affected, but King Crimson's "The Talking Drum" just played. As you know, that song is basically one long crescendo. Through TomSteady, it did crescendo, but it was just less pronounced. The difference - without adjusting my volume, i was able to actually hear the first 3 minutes of it.

So it's cool by me for this situation - if I were at home(or an office of my own), I wouldn't use it. I'm just glad that with this plugin and stuff, I have the option.
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Old 02-04-2004, 10:22 AM
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It is easy enough for me to turn it on, if people want to try it out again.
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