The Producer's Ear: December 2008

One of the main things record producers strive for is to effectively communicate the emotional content of the music. It begins with trying to make a recording that's as universal as possible, one that sounds good on any playback format. It turns out that bottom end really helps this when it comes to CDs. That's because there are many more samples per cycle and fewer gaps between the samples at lower frequencies. Another positive aspect of bottom end is that it's visceral. You feel it in your body, not just in your ears. This helps explain why louder music sounds better; the louder you listen, the more bottom end you perceive. Check out the low end on the Beatles' Abbey Road, the Band's The Band, or reggae music in general, and you'll hear (and feel) what I mean. Gotta run. Next month, I'll introduce you to RealFeel. In the meantime, happy listening.

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