Now this is some fascinating information-- The Death of Dynamic Range. It's a page which visually illistrates the metamorphasis of the CD format from a rich, dynamic medum to one in which maximized loudness rules with clipping at its right hand. Pretty sad stuff, and just another token of evidence as to how un-helpful the major music labels are to music fans.

Case in point-- and I can't confirm this just yet-- but, as you know, I am a big Evanescence fan. One of the most common (and accurate) criticisms of their major-label debut album, Fallen, is that "all the songs sound the same." Yet, this was simply not the case for the lush, dynamic, and varied music which they recorded and mastered themselves before they were even a blip on anyone's radar. Comparing older Evanescence songs to the Fallen songs will leave the newer material sounding, well, flat. My guess is that Ben Moody, being a self-educated Pro-Tools genius, mastered his own songs the the proper way-- with proper attention to peak levels and clipping and dynamic range. But when those very same songs were remastered by the experienced record label veteran who knew all the tricks to make it a "commercially viable" record the dynamic range is lost.

Like I said, I don't have the tools in front of me to confirm this, but I think it would make a good case study.

Aparently, some professional recording engineer thought that Rush would make a good case study as well. As such, he makes some much more salient and well-informed conclusions than I do, so if this discussion sounds interesting, check that out. And Rush has-- for a band I've never heard one note of-- brought alot of joy into my life.