Official: MP3's are shite on Funktion1 systems

[simonr]

So I was reading an article about Funktion One sound systems - the preferred rig of the very best EDM clubs on the planet, and the ones that take their music very seriously (e.g. Space in Ibiza and Twilo in Miami) - employing Ambisonic Surround Sound and Hybrid Clusters, the quality of sound from which is unsurpassed.

So its rather worrying when their spokesman says :

We're anti-mp3 - if you put an mp3 out through on eof our systems and then a WAV file, you'll hear a huge difference. We're always astounded by the number of so-called professional DJ's using mp3's and putting them out over our live systems.


So even if DJ's are getting 320kbs quality downloads and playing from @Live or off CD, the quality we are paying for and hearing in top-end clubs has been compromised.

BRING BACK VINYL !!

[Miroslav]

Re: Official: MP3's are shite on Funktion1 systems

^^^ or maybe invest massively in disk space and try to play WAVs?

[simonr]

Re: Official: MP3's are shite on Funktion1 systems

It depends on how they get their music, a lot of sharing can be mp3 based. I assume Sasha plays off the high quality he can, however his post MAVEN sound always seems to lack punch and depth.

[scifi pi]

Re: Official: MP3's are shite on Funktion1 systems

Its because any MP3, not matter the bit rate it still has compression even at 320 kbs. Funktion1 (also the original founders of TurboSound but later sold to AKG) have the most elaborate processing and audio wave reproduction Thats why its condusive to electronic dance music since the speakers and the processing was designed from the ground up for the type of music that is projected. These guys literally live above their sound labs and are constantly tweaking their products. There are different audio applications and encoders that can convert your MP3 to a WAV or AIF file with increased dynamic range. When an MP3 is played it must be decoded which in turn can cause distortion and noise. When you play a WAV or AIF file its a pure sound file, no decoding (or re-interpretation) is needed. But then again your dealing with digital files that have digital data that is rigid and structured compared the analog organic audio that has many curves and natural flow. The closer the conversion from digital to analog to be as organic and smooth curve as possible is when more bits and sample rates are needed. The more information available to more detail the audio can be.

FYI - this is more of my condensed version and somewhat rudimentary terms.

[SyntaxTerror]

Re: Official: MP3's are shite on Funktion1 systems

This is where flac comes in to play.

A lossless audio compression scheme. You end up with a moderately sized file, with the exact same information a wav file would have.

It's the most widely accepted of the lossless compression schemes available for audio, and I'm pretty sure abelton can handle it fine.

[day_for_night]

Re: Official: MP3's are shite on Funktion1 systems

^
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flac hasn't gained wide acceptance, and i am fairly sure even the new cdjs can't handle flac files. plus that'd be a pain in the ass to deal with...converting every purchased wave file into flac = time consuming.

[SyntaxTerror]

Re: Official: MP3's are shite on Funktion1 systems

Lossless audio will never be as convenient as mp3.

I didn't say it was widely accepted, I said it was the most widely accepted lossless compression scheme (you could argue in favour of wav, but it does no compression).

I know the pioneers can't handle them, but when computer people think lossless compression, they think of flac. Abelton people should be using this if they can't handle to size of wavs.

It still makes me laugh when I play Transitions 2 and you can hear the mp3 glitches all the way through one of the tracks Well done Mr Digweed

[scifi pi]

Re: Official: MP3's are shite on Funktion1 systems

I replied to this thread earlier with an extensive explanation in simple layman terms but for some reason it has to approved via an admin for some reason. Don't know why and it was long so I'm not about to re-type it. I hope it makes it through.

[MJ]

Re: Official: MP3's are shite on Funktion1 systems

I replied to this thread earlier with an extensive explanation in simple layman terms but for some reason it has to approved via an admin for some reason. Don't know why and it was long so I'm not about to re-type it. I hope it makes it through.

Are you saying that your post was deleted?

[scifi pi]

Re: Official: MP3's are shite on Funktion1 systems

Here's a link to a good explanation in MP3 vs. WAV with a bit technical data. Enjoy.

http://311unity.com/mp3VSwav.php

MP3 vs WAV - WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? WHICH IS BETTER?

So what's so bad about MP3's anyway? Well, it's not that MP3's are a bad thing as they do have their purpose. Their purpose, however, is not meant to be included in the world of bootlegging. And here's why...

MP3's are a form of LOSSY compressed audio. This means that digital audio information is permanently deleted in order to shrink an MP3 file size down. When you convert to MP3 you have to select a bit rate to use. The bit rate chosen constitutes how much digital audio information will be sent to your speakers per second. As you select smaller bit rates, file size decreases. While smaller file sizes are more convenient, as you lower the bit rate of an MP3, sound quality suffers more and more. When you convert to MP3 there will always be compression involved regardless of the bit rate used. So, if you convert a WAV file to an MP3, no matter what bit rate you use, that MP3 will never be of equal quality to the original WAV file. And that basically sums up why WAV files are better.

Goto link to see technical diagrams of compression stepping compared to natural audio waveforms.

[scifi pi]

Re: Official: MP3's are shite on Funktion1 systems

Also, there is a possibility that the MP3 format might be upgraded to MP4 which is now widely used in the video industry which contains Apple's H.264 codec - a high definition, high compression rate format. MP3 (aka MPEG-3) originally came from the motion picture industry, so the transition to a newer and better technology is possible if the audio world transitions or evolves into the MP4 format.

Side note information: What is MP3?

MP3 stands for MPEG Audio Layer III and it is a standard for audio compression that makes any music file smaller with little or no loss of sound quality. MP3 is part of MPEG, an acronym for Motion Pictures Expert Group, a family of standards for displaying video and audio using lossy compression. Standards set by the Industry Standards Organization or ISO, beginning in 1992 with the MPEG-1 standard. MPEG-1 is a video compression standard with low bandwidth. The high bandwidth audio and video compression standard of MPEG-2 followed and was good enough to use with DVD technology. MPEG Layer III or MP3 involves only audio compression.

[scifi pi]

Re: Official: MP3's are shite on Funktion1 systems

so how does all this relate to sounding like shit on the infamous Funktion-One sound system (as well as any highend commercial-based speakers - i.e. EAW Avalon, EAW KF, EAW NT, EAW AX, TurboSound ASPECT, JBL Vertec, EV Dynacord)? All these sound systems pure and perfect ultimate goal is to have ZERO distortion. Combined with the latest in hybrid materials, computer technology these systems are getting closer in producing or rather creating a PURE and PERFECT audio waveform. With today's current convergence and fusion of speakers, amplifiers, and digital processing - these systems can be perfectly matched to each environment as well as the type of music that is played on them.

[MJ]

Re: Official: MP3's are shite on Funktion1 systems

I have a friend who is into buying top notch quality audio equipment for his car, you can hardly fit anything in the boot because of the enormous sub. He's spent and absolute fortune on all this gear but still insists on playing all his music in MP3 format. I keep telling him but he won't listen.

[scifi pi]

Re: Official: MP3's are shite on Funktion1 systems

Car Audio is a different story. Your dealing with a very small space. Car audio is more about louder levels. Its not really about zero distortion at high DB (Decibel) level. I'm sure a trained ear could tell the difference but in most cases I think not. There is more things in a car that can rattle and vibrate with a minimal and limited air movement. The amount of air or free space is one element that is key to better sound - being better, distortion free at high decibel levels. And I doubt he will have digital, computer controlled DSP's in his car (DSP = Digital Signal Processors), worth thousands of dollars alone, He will more likely have equalizers and crossovers built into his head unit that are 10 or more times LESS intelligent.

His best bet if he wants to stay in MP3 format is to encode it a the highest level possilbe - 320 or above and he should be fine. The other key is having his components match up. Its best that his speaker are all by the same manufacturer and that he has enough amplifier power to run them efficiently (60-70% at the max level you want to hear them). EQing and crossover points are also key.

[jeffrey collins]

Re: Official: MP3's are shite on Funktion1 systems

well with the amount of bandwidth we can get these days. it should be set up with these download sites, that they sell wav's at the same price as mp3's.

I don't know about the funktion systems. but the company that did the sound for Love in NYC has put in custom turntables that are part technics, and part very high end tonearms which help to bring the sound from your vinyl even better than what you can hear at your own home.Gary Stewart Audio