Anglia Ruskin Research Online (ARRO)
Browse

File(s) under permanent embargo

Listener preferences for alternative dynamic-range-compressed audio configurations

journal contribution
posted on 2023-09-01, 14:08 authored by William M. Campbell, Justin Paterson, Ian van der Linde
Some audio experts have proposed that using Dynamic Range Compression (DRC) to increase the loudness of music compromises audio quality. Conversely, in listening tests, researchers sometimes find that audio subjected to DRC is preferred over uncompressed audio. We test the hypothesis that it is DRC configuration, rather than the use of DRC per se, that determines listener preferences. In this study 130 listeners completed 13 A/B preference trials using pairs of RMS loudness-equalized stimuli subjected to different DRC configurations: viz., two magnitudes (heavy, moderate) and two compression types (limiting, compression) applied at three different points in the mix chain (track, subgroup, and master buss, here termed fullsum), along with an uncompressed control stimulus. Our results suggest that listeners prefer audio in which moderate compression has been applied to fewer signals simultaneously and dislike heavy limiting, particularly when applied to the full-sum, presumably because heavy DRC (and particularly limiting) applied to pre-mixed signals produces disagreeable distortion or because tracks whose amplitude characteristics would not have reached the DRC threshold alone may be deleteriously affected (e.g., attenuated) as a consequence of amplitude peaks in other tracks with which they are grouped.

History

Refereed

  • Yes

Volume

65

Issue number

7/8

Page range

540-551

Publication title

Journal of the Audio Engineering Society

ISSN

1549-4950

Publisher

Audio Engineering Society

File version

  • Accepted version

Language

  • eng

Legacy posted date

2017-08-11

Legacy creation date

2019-04-23

Legacy Faculty/School/Department

ARCHIVED Faculty of Science & Technology (until September 2018)

Usage metrics

    ARU Outputs

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC