Does Going Digital Mean Missing Music?

arlanTLDR writes "The Seattle PI is running a story about how the MP3 format is the sign of a musical apocalypse. Apparently, many top music producers are 'howling' over the fact that files in a compressed format contain 'less than 10 percent of the original music on the CDs.' Is this just sensationalist FUD, or is there something to the assertion that listening to an MP3 is like hearing music 'through a screen door?'" The article mentions that the iPod and its cheap earbuds bear some of the responsibility for rendering this degradation in sound quality less objectionable.

Comments

Darned whippersnappers

[smchris]

I remember AM tube radios.

Now quit complaining and get off my lawn.

Re:Darned whippersnappers

[Bonobo_Unknown]

Does it really matter that kids listen to crap quality recordings of crap music?

Re:Darned whippersnappers

[Xonstantine]

Mod parent up. Increasing the recording quality or encoding quality won't improve a lot of what passes for music these days.

Re:Darned whippersnappers

[Air-conditioned cowh]

Bah that's nothin'. Back in my day, we knew that it was only rock and roll. And we liked it!

Re:Darned whippersnappers

[Pope]

So I guess leaving the 10% left as what happens with MP3/AAC encoding is perfectly fine! QED

If it contains only 10% of the original music ...

[trolltalk.com]

Shouldn't they only be charging a dime per download, instead of a buck?

... and shouldn't any copyright violations be for a lot less, since only 10% was copied?

That's Fine

[pedropolis]

10% of Britney Spears or the Aguilera Monster is fine with me, although 5% would be better.

Re:That's Fine

[notasheep]

I don't know...I can think of more than 10% of either of them that I'd like. Not speaking musically...

But

[fishthegeek]

Seriously... 6% of any given Britney Spears song is still sufficient to cause internal hemorrhaging. The other 94%, if added back, would just be salt on the wound.

Re:Sounds we can and cannot hear.

[Anonymous Coward]

ipods have a few million users as a base, i bet at least 25% (probably way more) use the $0.50 earbuds that came with them.

Yeah, but those monster cable earbuds are a little heavy on the ears.

OH YEAH?! Well...

[Anonymous Coward]

Well..um...my 5.3 system cost me 12,000 dollars, and it goes to 11!

So there!

Re:OH YEAH?! Well...

[Anonymous Coward]

thats gonna suck when the RIAA starts demanding royalty payments per channel

Re:If it contains only 10% of the original music .

[datapharmer]

shhh! Not so loud! if you wake them they'll make all the non-drm tracks flac and start charging $10 a song!

you need to get some new friends

[HelloKitty]

>> hell i have friends who like the over compression of FM radio.

you need to get some new friends

Re:Irrelevant

[dkleinsc]

People used to find all-mechancal gramophones perfectly acceptable, and for a long time music was heard - and greatly enjoyed - when belted out by rank amateurs that couldn't carry a tune in a bucket.

As opposed to now, where music is heard, and greatly loathed, when belted out by rank professionals that can't carry a tune in a bucket.

Missing the important part of this article

[aslvrstn]

FLAC: ... reduces storage space by 30 percent to 50 percent, but without compression. Think of the possibilities! 50% smaller files, without compression! Think how small we could get the files if we compressed them!

Slashdotters of Old Age

[funkdancer]

funny, I believe music has been crap ever since the death of Beethoven...

Would your real name by any chance be Lestat?

Audio enhancers improving MP3 output

[Anonymous Coward]

At 192Kbps, I can hear the difference in audio quality when it is enhanced by DFX. You guys should check it out.