Painful High-pitched Ringing Sound in "Slow Down Time"?

[jasondunn]

Hi there everyone - it's my first post here, so be gentle. ;)

I'm a big fan of Jeremy Camp, both as a musician myself and fan of great music made by people of faith, and was excited to purchase his new album. I bought it online from Amazon.com for the steal-of-a-deal price of only $5. Hopefully Jeremy still makes some money when it's sold at that price; I like to support the artist. :D

All in all, I really like the album - it's great stuff. BUT...and I hate to say this...what on EARTH happened with the recording/mixing of "Slow Down Time"? At exactly the 2:43 mark, when the song goes into the breakdown, there's a very obvious and very irritating high-pitched ringing sound - it's hard to pinpoint what it is, but I suspect it's a drum cymbal causing some sort of harmonic. The painful ringing sound continues until the 3:19 mark, then it's no more.

I've never heard anything like this from a professionally produced album - it's atrocious. I've listened to the track on two different computers - one with a set of Audioengine A2 speakers, the other with a Logitech 5.1 sound system - and it's incredibly obvious on both. I've also listened to it on my Zune with a nice set of Ultimate Ears super.fi 5 EB headphones. The ringing is obvious on all of them.

So here's the million dollar question: do those of you with the CD hear this as well, or is it some strange encoding glitch that only us MP3 purchasers got stuck with?

[Kelly]

Weird, I hadn't noticed that. I'll give it a listen and let you know.

EDIT: Ok so I listened and I know exactly what you're talking about, but on my stereo it's not noticeable unless you REALLY listen for it. Don't know what to tell you. I'll ask someone who bought it on Amazon and let you know.

Welcome to the boards btw :)

[CaraBear]

Jason,

HI! Welcome again! I took a look at your website and you are without a doubt a very interesting person, and I mean that in a good way. Im in maketing and have been trying to convince my roomate of the resourse YouTube can be to her marketing company for months.

Anyways back to this issue....you will now have all CAMPERS investigating this mystery but hey for 5 bucks you can get yourself another copy and check it out yourself. ;)

[cori]

lol, indeed all of us will be checking it out, for sure!

i just did, and the high pitched sound is on the physical cd as well....but like kelly said, only noticeable if i'm looking (listening!) for it....not enough to bother me, though. :)

[CamperGirl]

Wierd...i've always noticed it and always thought it was just part of the song...I rather enjoy it...ha-ha! :p

Welcome to the boards, by the way! :)

[LauraA]

Wow, I'd never noticed that before. It was pretty sharp....I'm usually really sensitive to high pitched sounds because they bring on migraines for me. But like the others, I never noticed it until I sat and listened for it. Wonder what it is. Wonder if Matt could help us out with this....? (If you're reading this, could you let us know what your take on it is?)

I'll probably forget about it and never hear it again.

BUGGWADD!

And welcome! Jump in and join the fun.:)

[jasondunn]

Ok so I listened and I know exactly what you're talking about, but on my stereo it's not noticeable unless you REALLY listen for it.

Thanks for checking for me - the thing about high-pitched sounds is that everyone hears them differently. Do you remember reading the stories last year about how teenagers could hear certain ring tones that their teachers couldn't? Some people, usually people 30+, can't hear certain high pitch frequencies and younger people can. What's a bit strange is that I'm 33, so you'd think I wouldn't be able to hear it that well. :D

At any rate, for me, it was like a hammer to the side of my head the first time I heard it - I didn't have to strain to listen it at all.

[jasondunn]

i just did, and the high pitched sound is on the physical cd as well....but like kelly said, only noticeable if i'm looking (listening!) for it....not enough to bother me, though. :)

Darn. I was hoping it was some screw-ball thing from the MP3 encoding process, but if it's on the CD, then I guess me buying the CD won't solve my problem.

I literally can't listen to that part of the song, so I usually skip the song, which sucks because it's a good song. :(

Does Jeremy read these forums at all? As a musician who's done a bit of studio recording, I know I'd hate to have one of my songs make some people want to turn it off. ;-)

[Kelly]

Hehe well I'm 28 so what does that say about me :p I can't stand high-pitch noises but I can hear them from time to time (like the buzzing of the tv when it's on). But this on the CD is FAR from a hammer to the side of the head kind of buzzing! It seems to me that on the CD people can't hear it AS WELL....so maybe if you know someone who has the CD you can borrow it and see if there's a difference. Or maybe buy the song on iTunes if you have that & see if you get the same thing. It's only $1 ;)

[jasondunn]

It seems to me that on the CD people can't hear it AS WELL....so maybe if you know someone who has the CD you can borrow it and see if there's a difference.

That's a good idea, thanks, I'll check into that.

[LauraA]

Told ya I'd forget. DUH. As I was reading this, the song was on and I didn't even notice 1) It was the song I was reading about 2) The noise. But I can explain this issue. Age. 50! YIKES. :eek:

Jeremy might read this. Matt does, I'm sure. Jeremy reads the "To Jeremy" section. Will you be seeing Jeremy in concert this year?

[drake71449]

i have never really noticed it but its there ...i guess if its too loud you are too old!!! thats the rockers saying !!

:p

[drake71449]

i listened to it again and it sounds like a mic feedback problem...probably on the drums...cuz when u mic the drums those microphones are really feedback sensitive...but unless you pay attention to it...then you wont hear it!

[Give_me_Jesus]

I hear it, but to my ears, it's just an instrument...maybe a triangle or something? It doesn't bother me...lol, maybe I've been playing my music too loud. =]

Welcome to the forums Jason!!! :D :D

In Him,
Miranda

[Labby]

I'll give it a listen later and "see" what I can figure out.

[jasondunn]

...but unless you pay attention to it...then you wont hear it!

I wish that were the case, but the very first time I listened to the song it JUMPED out at me. I've never heard anything like it, and it's not something I can chose to ignore. It's great that everyone else here isn't bothered by it, but I am, and that's why I'm posting here. :o

[jasondunn]

Will you be seeing Jeremy in concert this year?

I've never seen him in concert - I'd really like to, but I don't if/when he's coming to my home town of Calgary, Alberta. Doesn't seem to be according to the touring schedule. It's funny because there are only nine cities in the US with populations above one million, and only five in Canada - and Calgary is one of them. Yet so many artists skip my town. Oh well. :) It would be great if he came to my city one day!

[CamperGirl]

I'm always noticing little white noises in songs like that too...at first they sort of jump out at me but then after a few listens, you get used to it. It might bother you now but i'm sure it will eventually feel like just part of the song. :)

[djbos]

I downloaded it from Ruckus, which is a free and legal source of music for college students, and I can hear it, but it sounds to me like it's a really high-pitched bell or triangle or something like that. It doesn't sound like a continuous noise, but rather an instrument of some sort.

[LauraA]

I've never seen him in concert - I'd really like to, but I don't if/when he's coming to my home town of Calgary, Alberta. Doesn't seem to be according to the touring schedule. It's funny because there are only nine cities in the US with populations above one million, and only five in Canada - and Calgary is one of them. Yet so many artists skip my town. Oh well. :) It would be great if he came to my city one day!

I hope he does. Start praying about it. :)

[Labby]

Just gave it a listen, and I can hear it. It's not continuous -- it fluctuates, like a triangle or chime being hit. The sound carries, then dies. It seems to be hitting on the beat, suggesting it's intentionally being "played" (although the side-effect is most definitely unintentional).

[Toddrick33]

Wierd...i've always noticed it and always thought it was just part of the song...I rather enjoy it...ha-ha! :p

Welcome to the boards, by the way! :)

Right, thanks for ruining the song! Haha, jk
I blast it in my car and it doesn't annoy me.

You know those chimes where you sweep the wand all the away across them from high to low, I think that's it's one of those instruments.