ABSTRACT
This chapter explores a broader perspective of sound quality and music production. A sound recording is an interpretation and specific representation of a musical performance. A sound recording is an interpretation and specific representation of a musical performance. The sound quality, technical fidelity, and sonic characteristics of a recording have a significant impact on how clearly the musical meaning and artistic intentions of a recording are communicated to listeners. The chapter considers some of the specific characteristics of a stereo or surround image that are important to analyze. The characteristics include overall bandwidth, spectral balance, auditory image, spatial impression, reverberation, and time-based effects, dynamic range, changes in level or gain, artifacts from dynamics processing and balance of elements within a mix. The chapter presents analysis examples by performing survey of some recordings, highlighting timbral, dynamic, spatial, and mixing choices that are apparent from listening.
