Why do so many recording sound bright or "harsh"?

[ernestcarl]

It would be interesting if you could give us some common example tracks (of the genre you listen to) which you personally find harsh. That way it’s easier to examine with a spectrum analyzer...

 

[Doodski]

I consider this as bright/harsh sometimes. Maybe the recording level is too high.

 

[Blumlein 88]

I consider this as bright/harsh sometimes. Maybe the recording level is too high.

Yeah that sounds a bit sharp and uptilted in response to me. Though not the most horribly harsh thing I've heard. Sounds like someone just cranked up their treble control.

 

[garbulky]

I don't think the claim carries weight without examples. I'd also like to square the original poster's age, and his level of hearing loss with the assertion. If the poster is as old as he looks and has negligible hearing loss, I'm astounded. I'm 51 and will need hearing aids soon- no joke. So this isn't something I notice.. most of the time. The Moinet/Erhardt Berlin Classics disc of Bach concertos from last year is painful (someone please comfirm!)

We don't know much about his setup speakers or room so it's true, there's not enough information. (But I'm right though...)

 

[Wombat]

FWIW:

https://www.masteringthemix.com/blogs/learn/how-to-fix-harshness-when-mastering-music

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190920111349.htm

 

[ernestcarl]

Yeah that sounds a bit sharp and uptilted in response to me. Though not the most horribly harsh thing I've heard. Sounds like someone just cranked up their treble control.

The Spotify track is way better... but my ears are still ringing from that youtube link version. I need to rest my ears.

 

[Blumlein 88]

The Spotify track is way better... but my ears are still ringing from that youtube link version. I need to rest my ears.

Yeah the youtube version is like that as is often the case with youtube tracks that have been data compressed.

 

[Doodski]

Yeah the youtube version is like that as is often the case with youtube tracks that have been data compressed.

I have the DDD CD version and it's even a little sharper/brighter. Something about that recording. It shines on some stuff but on others it gets annoying.

 

[Sal1950]

Anyway, it would be nice if all recordings sounded nice, not bright or harsh. Many sound great, why can't they all?

Wow, what an awesome post! I just caught up with it and now need to go back and read the other posts but will say this first. I believe the fact is that the bright edginess we hear on some recordings was put there in the production for a lot of varied reasons. A really good system will remove distortions induced by system weaknesses, but reveal the problems in the recording even more vividly. It's a mean-ass hobby we're addicted to. LOL

 

[majingotan]

Wow, what an awesome post! I just caught up with it and now need to go back and read the other posts but will say this first. I believe the fact is that the bright edginess we hear on some recordings was put there in the production for a lot of varied reasons. A really good system will remove distortions induced by system weaknesses, but reveal the problems in the recording even more vividly. It's a mean-ass hobby we're addicted to. LOL

On the dark side of this hobby, we have people inducing more distortion in the system chain (through NOS and/or filterless R2R DACs with tubes plus tube amps) in order to get rid the said harshness

 

[CDMC]

Very interesting. For my part I listen to mainly Classical music where compression and high mix levels are used to a much less extent. Nevertheless "harshness" is very common; it's a notable problem for violin, brass, soprano voices, and the like. The best recordings I have, at least for large scale works, the mix levels are very low compared to Jazz or popular music recordings, or even chamber music recordings.

Clearly this is a cable or amplifier problem. Buy a bunch of expensive ones and your problems will be solved. You will be so broke, you won’t have any money left for music.

 

[Sal1950]

On the dark side of this hobby, we have people inducing more distortion in the system chain (through NOS and/or filterless R2R DACs with tubes plus tube amps) in order to get rid the said harshness

Very true but you can't blame them for wanting to improve the sound of their rig, I've done the same in years pasts. The paid reviewer/hucksters of the high end media encourage such expenditures constantly. Currently I try to encourage folks to assemble as transparent a rig as possible and then introduce the ability to alter things such as FR and ambience to allow them to be able tweak a bad sounding recording into something a little more tolerable.

 

[tmtomh]

I have the DDD CD version and it's even a little sharper/brighter. Something about that recording. It shines on some stuff but on others it gets annoying.

Based only on the YT track, not only is it bright, but there's audible distortion that contributes significantly to my perception of harshness. My guess would be microphone (or perhaps mic preamp) overload during recording, combined with overly bright mastering. Rock and pop usually are the focus of complaints about brightness or harshness, but I've found that jazz brass and piano recorded or mastered poorly is just brutal to try to listen to.

 

[Sal1950]

Would y'all generalize cymbals sounding like a blast of air from an air-hose as "bright or harsh" ???

 

[Doodski]

Based only on the YT track, not only is it bright, but there's audible distortion that contributes significantly to my perception of harshness. My guess would be microphone (or perhaps mic preamp) overload during recording, combined with overly bright mastering. Rock and pop usually are the focus of complaints about brightness or harshness, but I've found that jazz brass and piano recorded or mastered poorly is just brutal to try to listen to.

Yes, I was thinking there is some distortion in the background too. It's subtle and it comes and goes. It's too bad because it's a killer album musically.

 

[Doodski]

Would y'all generalize cymbals sounding like a blast of air from an air-hose as "bright or harsh" ???

That sounds like lunchtime at a place I worked at.

 

[Guermantes]

I consider this as bright/harsh sometimes. Maybe the recording level is too high.

There's a lot of noise such as hiss and ticks in that YT clip. Might be a needle drop of a vinyl pressing . . .

 

[Doodski]

There's a lot of noise such as hiss and ticks in that YT clip. Might be a needle drop of a vinyl pressing . . .

and they sold it as a DDD disc. The noise is on the disc too. I used that disc as a demo for years and it was hit and miss with the customers.

 

[Feanor]

Would y'all generalize cymbals sounding like a blast of air from an air-hose as "bright or harsh" ???

Well, ah, no. That's a natural sound that we are all trying to reproduce in it's full glory. We, that is, I am talking about brightness or harshness that sounds unnatural, and I'm suggesting, an artifact of the recording and/or mastering process.

 

[Feanor]

Clearly this is a cable or amplifier problem. Buy a bunch of expensive ones and your problems will be solved. You will be so broke, you won’t have any money left for music.

You jest of course.

It's certainly true the equipment makers would like us to spend ever more on equipment. But as I said recently in another thread, No equipment you got is going to make a crappy recording sound good.