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Can we increase dynamics?

It might be a silly question, but since recordings have compressed dynamics (to work on average systems) is there anything to expand dynamics back to normal (or at least close) - either in form of hardware "expander box" or software I could batch convert my files with?
128x128kijanki
kijanki's avatar
kijanki OP
4,394 posts
 
Plato, I don't listen very loud but it is important observation. I will be careful with expanded files. I will likely only experiment but can see some other applications for "Sound Forge", like removing noise from few old recordings. I learned something new today.
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,135 posts
 
There are any number of hardware or software expanders available. The software ones are typically far more flexible. However, an expander can never truly undue the compression/limiting applied to modern recordings. You will be able to gain a few dBs in dynamic range, but it's unlikely that it will sound any more natural than before processing.
kijanki's avatar
kijanki OP
4,394 posts
 
Onhwy61, Ngjockey also mentioned that compression is pretty complex. It explains why expanders are not that popular. TV concerts are the worst - so overcompressed that it becomes a joke. Perhaps it is intended for TV set with the smallest speaker. Even less than perfect decompression would be good but it would have to be SPidif-in SPdif-out (I use Toslink to DAC).
jjrenman
279 posts
 
What type of files are you trying to improve the dynamics of? If you are dealing with "lossy" files such as MP3 what you may want to do is some form of "compressed music enhancer" to help replace the music info that was thrown out during encoding, not just increase the dynamics (although I will admit that most new pop recordings have next to no dynamic range).... BTW you do not need to worry about a CD's 96 db dynamic range because in real life a listening environment has around 70 db between the noise "floor" of your room and max volume level that most audio systems can produce.
jjrenman
279 posts
 
What type of files are you trying to improve the dynamics of? If you are dealing with "lossy" files such as MP3 what you may want to do is some form of "compressed music enhancer" to help replace the music info that was thrown out during encoding, not just increase the dynamics (although I will admit that most new pop recordings have next to no dynamic range).... BTW you do not need to worry about a CD's 96 db dynamic range because in real life a listening environment has around 70 db between the noise "floor" of your room and max volume level that most audio systems can produce.
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