Quote:
Originally Posted by cacophony
there's a physiological reason for the loudness war. the human brain is designed to identify loud, sustained sounds as warning signals, alarms, something requiring attention. it's difficult to overcome the impulse to pay attention because we evolved to listen for things we identify as warnings.
compressing and jacking up the volume on content makes the noise level more sustained and thus taps into our compulsion to pay attention. it's an exploitation of an evolved reflex.
when i was audio engineering we were encouraged (read: strong armed) to compress the shit out of anything intended for broadcast. regardless of the necessity.
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That's a very interesting point since I think about issues based largely on how our evolution has shaped the human species. Great insights, Cacophony.