MP3 and the Pro Studio

MP3 and the Pro Studio

Are MP3s of any use in pro studios? You might be surprised...

by Craig Anderton

As engineers and/or musicians, we want the best-sounding recordings possible. Okay…but then the MP3 format came along, which some call data compression, but is actually data omission. At lower bit rates all those nuances we slaved over have been impacted, trampled by a mercilessly efficient coding algorithm. What’s more, the reduced file size encouraged the downloading phenomenon that re-shaped the record industry—for better or for worse.

But does the MP3 format have anything to offer those involved in professional recording - especially now that with lower storage costs and higher bandwidth, FLAC (which seems to be Microsoft's choice of music formats) is making its move? Read on…

MUSIC TO GO: THE REALITY TEST

We’ve all heard of the musicians who don’t sign off on a recording until they’ve heard it through a car radio. This makes sense: not only does it test a mix’s real-world transportability, but road noise obscures any subtleties, so that you find out what truly stands out in the mix. For example, you may find out that the guitar figure you could hear perfectly over the studio monitors needs to come up a bit in level to match the other instruments in the mix.

MP3s exhibit a similar phenomenon at low bit rates. Below 96kbps (stereo) in particular, if your mix can survive the MP3 torture test, it can probably survive anything. There seems to be a correlation between mixes that can hold up at low bit rates, and their ability to sound good over a variety of systems. Although Fig. 1 shows the main difference as relating to high frequencies, low-level information also takes a hit with MP3.

Fig. 1: Note the spectra for a standard 44.1kHz stereo WAV file (top) and an MP3 version encoded to 64kbps stereo (bottom). Above 8 kHz or so, response in the MP3 file falls off a cliff.

ARE YOUR SONGS IN ORDER?

Smart phones (a/k/a portable music players!) provide a great way to test out song orders. When you’re assembling an album (yes, there are ways to disseminate music other than singles!), do a rough assembly into your smart phone or other MP3 player—then listen to it when walking around, doing yard work, exercising, food shopping (added bonus: it can drown out the lame background music in your local supermarket), or whatever. Repeated listenings can reveal flaws in song orders that you might not catch otherwise.

While a lot of players will play back WAV and AIF files, the size reduction for MP3s make them well-suited to smart phones, where you’re often competing for memory with various apps and data. And because your smart phone is with you most of the time, you’ll have instant access to your music.

CREATING MP3 FILES

Programs that can “rip” audio files to MP3 are cheap and plentiful—including iTunes, Windows Media Player, digital audio editors, many DAWs, and the like. If you want the ne plus ultra of conversion for pro applications (MP3 as well as AAC, surround, and other formats) conversion, check out Sonnox Fraunhofer Pro-Codec (Fig. 2).It’s expensive, but use it for a while and you’ll find out why. It’s not just about simultaneous conversion to multiple formats, but also about signal analysis and comparison.

Fig. 2: The Sonnox Fraunhofer Pro-Codec has multiple talents in addition to basic conversion.

MP3 RECORDERS: NOT JUST TOYS

The MP3 format has even worked its way into recording, with small, hand-held devices (such as those from TASCAM, Roland, etc.). These perform no-moving-parts recording to memory cards like SD or microSD, and most offer recording at 320 kbps. The quality is virtually indistinguishable from WAV or AIF files, but you can pack a lot more data on that memory card. These types of recorders have several possible applications:

Field recording. With a quality mic, the results can be usable even in pro situations. Sound effects are usually layered sufficiently in the background so that the data omission isn’t as problematic as it would be for critical musical recording.

Notepad. Because of the compact size, these small recorders are easy to carry around for capturing any inspiration you might have. For some instruments, the quality is good enough so that if you capture something really incredible, it can be brought over to your DAW and used. Most people will probably not recognize you’ve slipped an MP3 into the mix.

A “record everything” box. These recorders are so easy to set up and use that it’s a no-brainer to just hook the thing up to your mixer’s stereo outs and then record rehearsals, jam sessions, the songwriting process, whatever.

An accessory when playing live. Any MP3 playback device can store long samples—pads, sound effects, spoken word sections, drones, etc.—which can be played back and mixed into the set at strategic times. This is particularly good for “groove” type applications where you can mix what’s playing in and out of a tune, although of course, the material has to be something that doesn’t require synchronization.

I used to cart around a sampler for this sort of playback, then I downsized to Minidisc, and now it’s a TASCAM DR-22WL. Of course, a huge advantage of solid-state playback is there are no worries about the constant vibration of subwoofers woofing and people dancing.

THE RODNEY DANGERFIELD OF PRO AUDIO?

MP3s and other data compression formats don’t get much respect from pro audio types, because…well, because they simply aren’t “CD-quality,” despite what marketing weasels would like you to believe. Yet, in the pre-digital days, studios routinely ran off cassette copies for band members to carry around with them and play in their portable players. Data-compressed files are just the latest version of that concept, and if you make peace with their limitations, they still have uses in today’s high-res world.  - HC -

______________________________________________ 

 Craig Anderton is Editorial Director of Harmony Central. He has played on, mixed, or produced over 20 major label releases (as well as mastered over a hundred tracks for various musicians), and written over a thousand articles for magazines like Guitar Player, Keyboard, Sound on Sound (UK), and Sound + Recording (Germany). He has also lectured on technology and the arts in 38 states, 10 countries, and three languages.