The Perception of Hyper-Compression by Mastering Engineers

Ronan M, Ward N, Sazdov R, Lee H. The Perception of Hyper-Compression by Mastering Engineers. J Audio Eng Soc. 2017;65(7/8):613-621. doi:10.17743/jaes.2017.0023

@article{Ronan2017_19176,
  author = {Ronan, Malachy and Ward, Nicholas and Sazdov, Robert and Lee, Hyunkook},
  title = {{The Perception of Hyper-Compression by Mastering Engineers}},
  journal = {Journal of the Audio Engineering Society},
  volume = {65},
  number = {7/8},
  pages = {613--621},
  year = {2017},
  month = jul,
  publisher = {Audio Engineering Society},
  doi = {10.17743/jaes.2017.0023},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.17743/jaes.2017.0023}
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - The Perception of Hyper-Compression by Mastering Engineers
AU  - Ronan, Malachy
AU  - Ward, Nicholas
AU  - Sazdov, Robert
AU  - Lee, Hyunkook
T2  - Journal of the Audio Engineering Society
J2  - J. Audio Eng. Soc.
VL  - 65
IS  - 7/8
SP  - 613
EP  - 621
PY  - 2017
DA  - 2017/07/06
DO  - 10.17743/jaes.2017.0023
UR  - https://doi.org/10.17743/jaes.2017.0023
PB  - Audio Engineering Society
LA  - en
AB  - Hyper-compressed popular music is associated with the overuse of dynamic range processing in an effort to gain a competitive advantage in music production. This behavior should be unnecessary given the availability of loudness normalization algorithms across the industry; the practice has been denounced by mastering engineers as generating audible artefacts. However, the audibility of these artefacts to mastering engineers has not been examined. This study probes this question using an ABX listening experiment with 20 mastering engineers. On average, mastering engineers correctly discriminated 17 out of 24 conditions, suggesting that the sound quality artefacts generated by hyper-compression are difficult to perceive. The findings in the study suggest that audibility depends on the crest factor (CF) of the music rather than the amount of CF reduction, thus proposing the existence of a threshold of audibility.
ER  -