Quality Vs. Convenience

Mobiles Have Long Embraced the MP3, But For Some Old-School Club Jocks the Digital Conversion Still Doesn’t Add Up. Here Are Some Tips That’ll Help Make a Sonic Difference.

Published in the September 2006 issue of DJ Times Magazine

Volume 19 – Number 9

By William Johnson

Advances in digital audio technology have presented DJs with more options than ever before. Along with those options comes the ever-challenging task of balancing new advances with traditional/established methods of spinning music, especially in the nightclub.

Among the sea of obvious advances in digital music, the popularization of DJ software programs, CD DJ “all-in-one” packages, the increase in file-sharing sites on the Net have enabled DJs, both professionals and hobbyists alike, to include spinning MP3s in their sets. However, many DJs and promoters around the world are not convinced that this newest move is as great as it seems. Is this just nostalgia from those who prefer vinyl and/or CDs? Or, are there truly sonic issues when spinning MP3? Let’s take a look…

First, what exactly is an MP3?

By definition, MP3 is short for Moving Picture Experts Group, Audio Layer III. It is a compression format that shrinks audio files, but with a sacrifice in sound quality. The German company Fraunhofer-Gesellshaft developed the MP3 and now licenses the patent rights to the audio-compression technology to companies around the world.

MP3 files can be compressed at different rates, but the more they are “squashed,” the more there is a noticeable degradation in quality. A standard MP3 compression is at a 10:1 ratio, and yields a file that is about 4 MB for a three-minute track. This file size makes MP3s perfect for download and exchange over the Net and, as a result, they became extremely popular around 1999 with the legendary rise of Napster. In the past four to five years, MP3 has become a household word, brought on by the onslaught of digital, portable music players.

However, someone playing MP3s on their home PC or portable device is living in a different world from a jock spinning MP3s over a high-quality nightclub sound system. Typically, when an MP3 is created, high and low end frequencies are sacrificed, and the resulting file can sound “dull” and “flat” when played over a system in a club.

Obviously, DJs have already discovered the convenience of walking into a venue with a laptop running Serato Scratch Live or Stanton’s Final Scratch, or burning their own, unique CDs with dozens of MP3s off the Net-but are we sacrificing sonic quality?

Alex Pearce, who captivates crowds with his “dirty, yet energetic” style of house music as a resident at New York venues Sullivan Room and Crobar, happens to think so.

Alex Pearce working the crowd at Avalon NY

“There are definitely issues in quality,” says Pearce. “On one hand, I’ve heard small and big DJs play MP3s, and I swore they were playing vinyl. The low end was warm and thick, and the high end was clear. On the other side, I’ve been out to see some of the biggest DJs in the world play, and you can tell they’re playing MP3s. The low end is flat and the highs are extremely dull. It sounded horrible. However, the same argument can be made for some vinyl pressings as well.”

Like many other club DJs, Pearce holds that the source of the MP3 is a major determinant of its quality. He points out that MP3s that were downloaded from popular sites and have passed through many hands are typically subject to sonic issues. Quality control is up to you, the DJ.

According to Derek Hicks, who mans the deck at New York’s Sapphire Lounge, “We’re making a sacrifice to spin MP3s, but we also have more creative options available to us than ever before. In the digital world, everyone can make their own remixes, which wasn’t an option for many DJs in the past.

“MP3 is only one available format. Its quality is poor and it’s kind of outdated, but it’s convenient because you can stick a thousand of them on an iPod.”

Many club DJs (and their aching backs) agree-it’s much easier to bring CDs full of MP3s or a hard drive and laptop to a gig, rather than 10 crates of records. But some, like DJ Shane, are sticklers for quality and they tend to trust their own ears.

“I was spinning at Ministry of Sound in London, and got to the venue early,” says Shane, who also spins soul and funky house at London’s Mojama and New York’s Nest. “They were doing sound check and records sounded good, the CDs sounded OK, but MP3s sounded thin. I’m not really into MP3s right now because I notice the difference in quality, but in the future-who knows?”

DJ Shane is definitely an old schooler and says he prefers vinyl because he trusts the quality. “But,” he continues, “I said in ’93 I would not buy CD turntables, but five years later, I purchased my first CD turntable-a Pioneer CDJ-700. I bought it just in case I needed it, and over time found it to be convenient for certain gigs, but I still have waaay more records than CDs.”

For DJs out there who want to continue to spin MP3s but remain concerned with quality, here are some pointers that will help improve the sound of your audio files.

ADDITIVES

Adding an EQ (preferably analog) in the signal chain between your mixer and the house system is one tactic to handle MP3s that suffer from sonic issues. On the low end, use your EQ to boost the frequencies in the 60-80hz range, or for more of a “global warming” on the signal, boost around the 200-300hz range. To address clarity issues, start boosting your signal at around 12-18khz, and set to taste. I suggest boosting in increments of 2-3db for a noticeable difference in sound.

Adding a Digital-to-Analog converter between the output of your mixer and the venue’s sound system can help as well. I suggest checking in with a pro-audio dealer (like Guitar Center, Sam Ash, Sweetwater, etc.) for options best-suited to your needs.

HOME COOKING

“I make my own MP3s from my records,” says DJ Dummy, who has controlled the set on tour for hip-hop artists like DMX and Group Home, and is currently on the road with veteran rapper Common. “I digitize from vinyl, so the low end is still there. I add a small amount of highs, and the MP3 file usually sounds good.”

QUICK MIX

Import your MP3s into a DAW like Pro Tools or Cubase or two-track editor like Peak, and boost the lows and highs using the digital EQs included with the software. Convert to MP3, and listen to the quality based on the changes you made. After some trial and error, you’ll be making MP3s that sound better in no time.

ALTERNATIVE COMPRESSED FORMATS

For a growing number of audiophiles, FLAC is a better-sounding alternative to MP3 files. FLAC stands for Free Lossless Audio Codec. In a nutshell, FLAC is similar to MP3, but is “lossless,” meaning that audio is compressed in FLAC without any degradation in quality. FLAC was designed specifically for audio, and is being supported by a growing number of software programs (like Roxio’s Toast Titanium for Mac OSX) and digital music players. For more information, stop by flac.sourceforge.net.

So, is loss in sound quality the only downside of spinning MP3s?

“I have to say, I think the availability of MP3s has changed the game completely,” says Pearce passionately. “There are more people that are into DJing now because it’s easier and cheaper to get into the game. Early on, my concern was that everyone would have equal access to the same pool of music. But you still have to know what to play.

“Eventually, there will be a split between the home DJ/hobbyist who buys an ‘all-in-one’ package and the professional DJ who collects music and settles for nothing less than the best quality possible-in any format.”

According to Derek Hicks, there’s a homogenous element to the MP3 phenomenon that prevents DJs from standing out. “Back in the day, what version of a record a DJ had was part of what made them special,” he says, “A DJ would get one version, cut it up on a reel-to-reel, and now you have a different version-but he/she was the only one with that reel. Everybody could get Sylvester ‘I Need You,’ but only a couple of people had that version that makes the crowd really jump, you know?”

Of course, with the advent of digital studio technology, it’s up to the DJ to create edits that do help him stand out. In the end, talent still matters as much as technology.

Sonic Quality & The Bit Rate

When it comes to creating MP3s, bit rate is the biggest factor in determining the file size and quality of the audio file. In a nutshell, the higher the bit rate, the better the sound quality and the larger the size of the resulting file. You can lower the bit rate to create a smaller file, but beware: your sound quality will go down. Also, setting your software to Variable Bit Rate (VBR) encoding, as opposed to Constant Bit Rate (CBR), can improve the quality of your audio files. However, many MP3 players do not support MP3s encoded this way—so check your player’s manual.

Here’s a short guide on MP3 bit rates and what it means to your ears.
• 160 kbps bit rate: 1.5 MB file size per minute, top audio quality
• 128 kbps bit rate: 1 MB file size per minute, CD audio quality
• 96 kbps bit rate: 700K file size per minute, almost CD quality
• 64 kbps bit rate: 400K file size per minute, radio-station quality

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