yes 320 kb/sec is standard for clubs, but when must one start using wavs?

[bigheadmikelove]

You know mp3's were designed to cut out frequencies we humans can't hear.. but that doesn't mean we can't feel them.

This, it's not so much of an issue of sound quality I thought, more of an issue of larger speakers take more of the sound wave (for lack of a better term) to be pushed properly

[ellgieff]

The way i look at it is, if i am being payed to dj then i am there to provide the best possible performance for the crowd, that includes sound quality of the music. For that reason don't second guess the chance that an mp3 will sound like crap, just play out wav's no matter what then you can forget about that issue. Never leave yourself open for an opportunity for something to go wrong.

What, there's no such thing as a badly mastered wave file?

All those mastering engineers are getting paid for nothing!!!!

[biru]

FYI, human ear begins to compress at 90db SPL.

At a festival/in a club you won't get enough clear sound to determine if there's artifacting without have your ears naturally fighting to get out alive, thus ruining your critical listening skills.

You should use uncompressed CD quality audio when you are producing a mix compilation for mass retail on CD.

[16b441khz]

Please tell us then of this amazing storage device you use to house all of your uncompressed music and take it with you everywhere you go.

Haha, I wish to inform you that there is no such magical device :P. I just "trim the fat" on my music that goes on my djing laptop everything else is on an external with a back up.

What, there's no such thing as a badly mastered wave file?

All those mastering engineers are getting paid for nothing!!!!

I'm in the wrong profession then i think! :P I'm just saying if the DJ apply's some sort of quality control at his end then if it still sounds crap its either a) poor sound system set up and/or b) poorly mixed and/or mastered tune. These things he will never have control over unless it is his own productions he is playing out.

FYI, human ear begins to compress at 90db SPL.

Not exactly correct but the general idea is there; your ears will naturally 'compress' (i think you mean fatigue) once noise goes beyond a threshold which is specific to each individual. At 85dB SPL most people can last 8hrs before they can't accurately 'judge' what they are hearing. That's why in some studio's they will mixdown at this level. However, over that 8hr period the hearing will still slowly fatigue no matter what. After this time period your pretty much in the zone of getting hearing damage. At 100dB SPL it only takes 2-3 minutes before you get hearing fatigue/damage. With this said though the human ear can build up a certain 'tolerance' after extended time in these environments. It depends how often you go beyond these guidelines as to whether or not you get hearing damage.

[biru]

Not exactly correct but the general idea is there; your ears will naturally 'compress' (i think you mean fatigue) once noise goes beyond a threshold which is specific to each individual. At 85dB SPL most people can last 8hrs before they can't accurately 'judge' what they are hearing. That's why in some studio's they will mixdown at this level. However, over that 8hr period the hearing will still slowly fatigue no matter what. After this time period your pretty much in the zone of getting hearing damage. At 100dB SPL it only takes 2-3 minutes before you get hearing fatigue/damage. With this said though the human ear can build up a certain 'tolerance' after extended time in these environments. It depends how often you go beyond these guidelines as to whether or not you get hearing damage.

I mean your ears will begin to distort around that level, from the physical sound pressure. Which will impact your ability to tell the difference someone is mixing 320kbps MP3s or wax cylinders inscribed by Moses.

Although I imagine Moses to be more of a Gabba fan, so maybe the musical selection would tell you.


And these are the National Institute of Health & Safety (American organisation) safe dosages :

LEVEL	NIOSH MAX TIME
> 115 dB SPL	NONE
115 dB SPL	        28 seconds
112 dB SPL	        56 seconds
109 dB SPL	        1 minute 52 seconds
106 dB SPL	        3 minutes 45 seconds
103 dB SPL	        7 minutes 30 seconds
100 dB SPL	        15 minutes
97 dB SPL	        30 minutes
94 dB SPL	        1 hour
91 dB SPL	        2 hours
88 dB SPL	        4 hours
85 dB SPL	        8 hours
82 dB SPL	        16 hours
80 dB SPL	        24 hours (continuous)

With my own eyes (and shamefully, on occasion without protection) and ears I have monitored venues just hitting 102dB SPL (liquor licensing had them capped at 103 so the bar manager wanted them as loud as legally justifiable), festivals at 88db SPL at the mix position (30 metres from the stage) and once I mixed a carols service at a megachurch for a mate - 97dB SPL with 3 VTEC arrays (not direct sound only - the congregation was singing it's guts out).

And I'm not trying to nitpick, but I don't think you 'build up a tolerance', I think you screw your hearing and thereafter don't notice your ears ringing as much from the most recent event due to the tinnitus you develop the first few goes around.

[willinfluence]

I use Wav files all the time, they are the best!

[darkside]

you guys obviously weren't at the Tiesto show where he started out spinning MP3's, the crowd instantaneously erupted in a murderous rage and we held his wife hostage until he put some WAV files on.

In all seriousness, to the average person the sound quality may not be noticeable, but I use WAV files because (as previously mentoned) it's one less thing to worry about, why leave it to chance?

[biru]

you guys obviously weren't at the Tiesto show where he started out spinning MP3's, the crowd instantaneously erupted in a murderous rage and we held his wife hostage until he put some WAV files on.

Sure the crowd wasn't in a murderous rage cos it was Tiesto?

[AdamPollard55]

the difference between a proper 320k and a wav will be much smaller than the other sources of error in the music chain.

[tito]

I can not believe that people still saying wav over 320 kbps in a club soundsystem. Till this day i have not met a person in a blind test to notice any difference between them, is all that audiophile crap. Remember do a true blind test and you will be amazed, unless you have monkey or dog ears. Better yet do a blind test with 10 persons from the crowd even in a funktion one or nexo system and the more you will be amazed (I have done it). More stupid is the statement that for festivals is better wav what all the people are smoking because i will llike to have some. It is like all the idiots swear that traktor sounds better in a 96 Khz output when they play wav or mp3 ripped from audio cd´s it is like saying you have a 1 lt. bottle of wine and if you put it in a 2 liter container you have more wine