Equally at home in the mastering domain, pro- bably the most demanding audiotechnical discipline, and in the recording studio, Frie- demann Tischmeyer has acquired an excel- lent reputation internationally. His tutori- al videos on DVD and his mastering book have sold worldwide in huge numbers. Currently his main focus is the loss of dyna- mics in music, but also the health conse- quences resulting thereof. Norbert Lehmann (Lehmannaudio) in an interview with Friede- mann Tischmeyer. Master of Dynamics Fig.: Friedemann Tischmeyer visiting the Gadgetbox Studio, Santa Cruz (www.gadgetbox.net) NL: Since when have you been active in the also need room for other activities like mi- NL: Overmodulated masters are becoming audio business and what is your personal xing, workshops, writing books, producing an ever more important topic. How can a relationship with music? tutorial videos as well as the foundation master be overmodulated even when you FT: My musical career began at the age of work. still have more than 1dB of headroom, i.e. five when I was playing the recorder. La- modulation reserve? ter as a professional guitarist I was already NL: Who are the best known artists for FT: When converting the digital stairs back strongly involved with the subject of tech- whom you have been doing mastering into the round analogue world, signals can- nology to provide the best possible sound work? not be cut off at 0dBFS, but will overshoot on stage and in the studio. Long before the FT: The greatest celebrities are artists like beyond zero just because the analogue first Midi-controlled effects board I ow- Steely Dan, Iron Maiden, Johnny Cash, world is not angular. In other words: If you ned a completely remote-controlled guitar Eric Burdon etc., for whom I did lots of have ten samples in a row which have been rig that occupied a whole VW bus. Shif- masterings and remasterings on behalf of limited (cut off) at minus 1dB, then the ana- ting my interests towards technology and the Institute of Art. Due to my teaching logue waveform will not be able to follow engineering was therefore only a logical job my client structure has changed signifi- this artificial curve, but continue to rise for progression. Being an engineer today I’m cantly. One of my specialities is to cultivate a while, then exceed zero and fall again. lucky to have a musical background know- mastering as a process of development and Top-level D/A converters do tolerate up to ledge, aural training and skills in the theory learning. As a consequence of the readily 6dB of overmodulation. But there are many of harmonics on hand. In the daily studio available low-cost production tools, the hifi devices on the market whose converters routine, even at mastering, this often comes customers – often young sound engineers will even respond to 0dBFS (full-scale) of a in useful and leads to decisions that other- and producers – realise budget independent single sample with distortions. Not to men- wise would turn out different without this productions on their own funds, which, for tion the numerous overmodulation chances experience. lack of sound engineering experience and with data compression like e.g. mp3 enco- because of a mediocre monitoring environ- ding. Because of the data reduction based NL: Roughly, how many CDs did you mas- ment, often still reveal some potential for on the masking effect we have some kind ter so far? improvement. A focused cooperation whe- of energy reallocation here which produces FT: Ten years ago I had already done more re the mastering studio takes over a guiding enhanced peaks and a reduced loudness than 300 masterings. This can be traced role, can bring forth huge increases in qua- (RMS). The greater the density of the sour- back easily, because in those days ever- lity for reasonable budgets. This work is ce material, the higher distortion figures are ything was stored on DDP tape backups. much more rewarding than to master a “fat to be expected in the data-reduced copy. But Since hard drive space has become so che- sausage“ on the quick, as I use to paraphra- it’s also true the other way round, the lower ap, I stopped counting at 500. Today I can se those overcompressed masters as they the data rate (i.e. the higher the data com- add another 50 to 80 masterings per year, are almost invariably requested by major pression) is. Motivated readers who have an as my sphere of action has broadened and I record companies. audio software may take a undistorted track from a CD (wave), convert it into mp3 and long-term consumption of overly loud mu- tics. Monitoring via headphones is there- then back into wave format. The result will sic. Hypercompression plays a major part fore a perfect complement for judging suffer from overmodulation. here, since this kind of music exerts much and finetuning the nowadays so critical more stress on our ears than dynamic music sub-bass and bass range. The quality of a NL: Dynamics is one of the most essenti- with the same sound pressure level. Heavy headphone amplifier becomes apparent in al means of expression in music. Much is compression will lower our ability to fol- the low frequency range, since middle class being written about the low spoken dialogues devices have a flabby bass reproduction. I “Loudness War“, i.e. the The DR Meter de- under certain conditi- use the Linear headphone amplifier and this very loss of musical dyna- veloped by Friede- ons and requires much unit is phenomenal! It opens up an entirely mics. What can musicians mann Tischmeyer more concentration for new dimension of headphone work for me, and music listeners do to is a PC plugin in- this. You can visualise because with an adequate quality headpho- bring the dynamics back dicating the dyna- the acoustical burden ne set it means listening with almost no fa- into the music? if you picture the au- tigue. Another application is to judge stereo mics of the audio FT: It’s a bit like with ditory cilia which are enhancement or stereo base stretching ef- premium foods. If the material. With it stimulated by a tran- fects. Due to the extreme channel separa- demand for dynamic mu- you can easily de- sient, hence an impul- tion over headphones, the stereo image is sic goes up, the market is termine the degree se. In dynamic music, excessively bloated. This makes it easier to bound to follow some day. of compression of a loud sound event assess very subtle effects which are barely Our enemy is the adapta- the music you are which sends a strong audible over loudspeakers. Sound restaura- tion effect of the human stimulus to the audito- tion and all sensitive editing works can be ear. Often the drawbacks listening to. ry cilia is followed by performed outstandingly well using head- of undynamic music are a natural pause with phones, as long as they offer a good and merely perceived on a As a general rule: softer events. In this comfortable fit. Just watch out here, since subconscious level, which the higher the DR context a statement by a rather diligent sound engineer might as results in people turning value, the better. Miles Davis comes to well get bogged down in details because down the music or even my mind: He says mu- you hear much more than is actually nee- turning it off completely. sic is the rests between ded for many applications. Here we must However, people who are the notes. The bad thing is that a European stretch a point then. not accustomed to a high sound quality re- commission is now pushing forward the Friedemann grettably tend to turn up hypercompressed loudness war by limiting the headphone Tischmeyer’s music, hoping to be able to compensate the playback level to 80dB/SPL. This solely DVDs entitled mutilated transients with loudness. This is creates an ideal prerequisite for the record “Audio- what makes hypercompression so dange- companies to keep compressing CDs to Mastering with rous with respect to hearing damages. death, because under many listening condi- PC Worksta- tions dynamic music would be too soft on tions“ are an NL: What are the consequences – also with those playback devices. We are witnessing international reference to health –, if the trend towards a situation worsened by ignorance with in- bestseller in the ever less dynamics in pop music will not be tent to improve noise control and hearing field of audio stopped and reversed? protection. In order to deal extensively with technology. FT: All collected studies and empirical these topics, the Pleasurize Music Founda- findings suggest that hypercompression tion urgently needs further support. Tischmeyer Mastering 615 Mission Street and NOT sound pressure level (SPL) is Santa Cruz CA 95060 USA responsible for the extreme rise in youth NL: When do you use headphones for mi- Tel.: +1 831 713 7915 deafness! According to the European Sci- xing/mastering and what’s the good of email: [email protected] entific Commission, up to 10 million lis- this? Web: www.tischmeyer.com teners in the EU are already threatened by FT: One of its biggest advantages is the Pleasurize Music Foundation a permanent hearing loss caused by the complete isolation from the room acous- www.pleasurizemusic.com „The Linear ist phenomenal – a whole new dimension of headphone work!“ Friedemann Tischmeyer On the job the mastering engineer, text book writer and lecturer “The Linear is phenomenal – depends on the Linear headphone amplifier. Listen for yourself why. a whole new dimension of headphone work!” Friedemann Tischmeyer On the job the mastering engineer, text book writer and lecturer depends on the Linear headphone amplifier.