[Mag]

I've watched a video or two where the sound engineer uses compression in a mix. In the hands of a pro who knows what they're doing, yes it can definitely enhance a mix.

Listening to streaming through PA system at work IMO the use of compression in modern Pop is really just a cover up for lack or no talent with vocals. In the past with Pop vocals the singer/s actually had a voice with talent to sing.

I find the use of compression annoying and it's difficult for me to describe why, I think it acts on the brain subconsciously. When listening to many dvd's I have I find compression contributes to listening fatigue that can last for days. And that's another thing, after hearing compressed streaming at work for a shift, when I get home I don't want to listen to music on my rig, I just sit in silence resting my ears from the noise people call music, at work.

[FullRangeMan]

+1. Iam afraid to think what garbage teenagers and young adults will be listening in ten years.

[Freo-1]

It's pretty sad.  Check out the sound from the Frank Sinatra CD "Only the Lonely" stream on you tube.  It's very good.  Frank actually sounds like he is in the room.  The classical and jazz cuts on you tube also sound pretty good.  The pop music, ugh!  Most sound very poor.

[Tyson]

Can you wear earplugs at work so you don't have to listen to it?  Or even better, IEMs so you can block it out & listen to your own music.

[Mag]

+1. Iam afraid to think what garbage teenagers and young adults will be listening in ten years.

IMO every genre has its share of crap Pop. So to pick on modern Pop, Hip Hop exclusively is not fare. I'm actually trying to embrace Hip Hop, but there is something about it, besides crap songs that I resist, and that I  blame on compression. Rap is a no go for me, I see it as brainwashing, not music to begin with.

[Mag]

Can you wear earplugs at work so you don't have to listen to it?  Or even better, IEMs so you can block it out & listen to your own music.

No, I'm a Blackjack Dealer at a Casino. I need to hear what people are saying at the table. I tried earplugs, that people don't know you're wearing, which filtered too much foreground, I need to be able to hear when people are close to whispering and with ear plugs I can't hear 'em.

[Elizabeth]

You might try a hearing aid designed to filter out ALL other BUT vocal frequencies...
To remove all the noise above vocal range and below... would really cut down on the garbage noise load. and allow you to hear whispering and low level speech better.
I would try to ask the management if they have thought about such stuff?
You might be able to get them free via management  to see if they would work for others too.

[FullRangeMan]

Rap is a no go for me, I see it as brainwashing, not music to begin with.

Yes it work as tribal brainwashing if one are a member of this community, these ''music'' styles are not pop music for a global audience but only war hymns for these groups of teenagers who are already part of the community since early age.
I feel sorry for these people, they are a cultural problem.

[Elizabeth]

Yes it work as tribal brainwashing if one are a member of this community, these ''music'' styles are not pop music for a global audience but only war hymns for these groups of teenagers who are already part of the community since early age.
I feel sorry for these people, they are a cultural problem.

Same exact thing could be said for 'rock and roll' back in the mid 1950's. the exact same sort of negatives back then.
Rap is not the problem. In fact Rap has added immensely to the musical environment beyond it's own style, and has plenty of amazingly great talented songs.
And just like any style, there ARE hacks and hangers' on who suck at it. Plus all the posers and posing for whatever personal reasons.. same but different... as other musical art forms.

[FullRangeMan]

Same exact thing could be said for 'rock and roll' back in the mid 1950's. the exact same sort of negatives back then.
Rap is not the problem. In fact Rap has added immensely to the musical environment beyond it's own style, and has plenty of amazingly great talented songs.
And just like any style, there ARE hacks and hangers' on who suck at it. Plus all the posers and posing for whatever personal reasons.. same but different... as other musical art forms.

Certainly the emergence of rock was a musical and cultural downgrade from previous radio music that was basically voice and orchestra, not to mention the popular smooth jazz of Glenn Miller and Ray Conniff and others.

[SET Man]

I've watched a video or two where the sound engineer uses compression in a mix. In the hands of a pro who knows what they're doing, yes it can definitely enhance a mix.

Listening to streaming through PA system at work IMO the use of compression in modern Pop is really just a cover up for lack or no talent with vocals. In the past with Pop vocals the singer/s actually had a voice with talent to sing.

I find the use of compression annoying and it's difficult for me to describe why, I think it acts on the brain subconsciously. When listening to many dvd's I have I find compression contributes to listening fatigue that can last for days. And that's another thing, after hearing compressed streaming at work for a shift, when I get home I don't want to listen to music on my rig, I just sit in silence resting my ears from the noise people call music, at work.

Hey!

   And I believe that at your work they probably have music on low bit MP3 file streaming out of those cheap speaker in the ceiling, I feel for you man.

   Anyway, the big problem is a lot of producers and engineers have been overusing compression over the past few years now, to the point where music just sound flat... I have albums that kick drum and vocal sound exactly at the same level! I like the music I just couldn't play it often on my system. And I don't have big giant woofers or mega watts amp here. It is very annoying and sad at the same time. Well, I can't blame it all on producers and engineers though, sometime I wonder how could singers/bands the aritists themselves could let their own musics out like that.

   Yes, the overuse of compression is annoying for sure. But for people who growing up with 1000+ songs on low rate MP3 in their pockets, this doesn't matter to them. This so called "Loudness War" is not good for anybody, especially for us audiophiles.

Same exact thing could be said for 'rock and roll' back in the mid 1950's. the exact same sort of negatives back then.
Rap is not the problem. In fact Rap has added immensely to the musical environment beyond it's own style, and has plenty of amazingly great talented songs.
And just like any style, there ARE hacks and hangers' on who suck at it. Plus all the posers and posing for whatever personal reasons.. same but different... as other musical art forms.

   Well put there about Rap/Hip Hop. I wasn't much of a Rap fan but my younger brother got me into some of it. With that said, yes there are some good rap out there. Of course it is not for everyone. Just like the fact that I've never got into country or heavy metal musics.

Buddy

[toocool4]

Same exact thing could be said for 'rock and roll' back in the mid 1950's. the exact same sort of negatives back then.
Rap is not the problem. In fact Rap has added immensely to the musical environment beyond it's own style, and has plenty of amazingly great talented songs.
And just like any style, there ARE hacks and hangers' on who suck at it. Plus all the posers and posing for whatever personal reasons.. same but different... as other musical art forms.

Very true and I agree 100%

[dB Cooper]

I've watched a video or two where the sound engineer uses compression in a mix. In the hands of a pro who knows what they're doing, yes it can definitely enhance a mix.

Listening to streaming through PA system at work IMO the use of compression in modern Pop is really just a cover up for lack or no talent with vocals. In the past with Pop vocals the singer/s actually had a voice with talent to sing.

I find the use of compression annoying and it's difficult for me to describe why, I think it acts on the brain subconsciously. When listening to many dvd's I have I find compression contributes to listening fatigue that can last for days. And that's another thing, after hearing compressed streaming at work for a shift, when I get home I don't want to listen to music on my rig, I just sit in silence resting my ears from the noise people call music, at work.

I second all of this. I am in a retail environment where the 'background' music is often so effing loud that it is difficult to carry on a conversation. Customers complain all the time, but they don't care because they have noisemakers (read: 'smart speakers') they want to sell and they feel they are projecting a 'hip' image to the customer demographic they covet. But, like you, I often seek silence when I get home as a result.Too bad, as music is one of my best ways to 'get away from it all'. But often, when I get home, I've had enough.

Dynamic contrast is one of the fundamental elements in the language of music, but it has been squeezed out of modern music, especially Pop, almost entirely.