Research into music:

Combinations are bad for your health. Due to this there is currently a war being waged in the music world over our ears because of  the loudness.

Producers have been using compression techniques to make music sound louder and harder. This is because they want people to hear their music if they are not directly in front of the television.


Advertising Standards Authority:

Updated their rules on the sound levels of advertising, stating that: 'Broadcasters must endeavour to minimise the annoyance that percieved imbalances could cause, with the aim that the audience need not adjust the volume bof their television sets during programme breaks'

What is compression?
 
The inbuilt volume control in a track. It controls how loud the music sounds, whatever volume you have it at, levelling out the peaks and troughs of a track to a higher overall average. Record labels want their music to be heard above all of the background noise of the outside world, and so very slowly-over a period of decades-our favourite tracks have become much louder.

Many sound engineers feel under pressure to make record sound unnaturally loud, but this is not a new phenomenom as Ian Sheperd.

Ian Shepered:
Sound engineer.
'Mastering always used to the job of the mastering engineer, but there is always a temptation to make things louder. So, over the years, levels have crept up'

Why has music got louder?
*The way people consume music has changed.
*The speakers or headphones now used in Mp3 players are not as powerful, as those of a stereo sysem. So more record labels and artists want their records to reflect this change in listening habits.

Dense compression:
Albums by the Artic Monkeys and Lily Allen have used dense compression technology to give their sound more bite, and have sold a lot of records as a result of this.
A growing number of fans are unhappy with the way that their favourite band's records are being mixed.

Metallica:

Their last album, Death Magnetic, has had rave reviews, but has also left many fans unhappy with the final mix of the album. They've complained that the metal band's record is, ironically, too loud. In fact, over 20,000 fans have signed an online petition asking for a remix of the release, making the record quieter and, as a result, more dynamic-sounding.

But why isn't louder better?
* Can bring about a condition called 'Tinnitus'

Tinnitus:

*Tinnitus is an inner-ear condition which affects the tiny strands of hair (known as stereocillia)which pick up sound vibrations and essentially transform them into any sounds you hear.
*These can be broken by loud noises, including music, and once broken, can cause the rain to produce a ringing sound. This can vary in pitch-but in serious cases it can become difficult for a sufferer to hear above the ringing.
*In addition to this, listening to loud, overly-compressed music can even tire you out.
*'Too much compression makes recordings sound flat and lifeless,often disorted, and fatiguing to listen to as a result', explains Ian.
*CDs have an absolute maximum level which can't be exceeded, and pushing the level up too high against this 'brick wall'ruins the sound'

What can be done to combat this?

*A group of studio engineers- led by Charles Dye-have set up an organisation called turn me up!, which promotes responsible audio practices and is anti-compression.
*An album awarded this honour include the BRIT award-winning The Seldom seen kid by Elbow.
*Soon we may have a say on every stage of an album's production.