Why is most everything remastered?


It's becoming more and more difficult to find what sound signature was originally meant by the artist. I have examples that sound terrible after remastering. I understand why it has to be this way, If and only it improves the original, if not... leave it alone!

voodoolounge

Showing 3 responses by cd318

@voodoolounge

I agree. Giles Martin remastered Beatle records his father mastered as intended. What I hear is cranked up bass and accentuating vocals or instruments. I guess Giles needs the money.

 

As a Beatles fan it’s pretty frustrating that neither the 2009 remasters nor Giles’ efforts bear repeated plays.

You’d think with all of the technical advances since 1987 he could do just a little better than his dad?

I guess not.

Perhaps his job was simply to represent them in a slightly more modern light?

Perhaps his job was to keep milking the biggest cash cow that popular music has ever seen?

If so, then Giles has succeeded fabulously.

 

However, there will always be those like me who wished he’d keep his hands off the knob twiddling and present the albums as straight transfers, as I believe he did with the sonically excellent Esher Demos off the 2018 White Album set.

Unfortunately, I have found that the vast majority of remasters offer nothing over the original issues.

A few exceptions might include the most recent Jimmy Page Zeppelin remasters, perhaps some Mofi releases, the 2012 Dylan reissues, the Springsteen, or even the 2012 Johnny Marr Smiths reissues.

The key word is ’might’. There are many who prefer the earlier Barry Diament Zep remasters, the Rough Trade UK Smiths releases, or even the Springsteen Box etc etc.

Again, my opinion, but I can’t remember hearing many remasters that blew away it’s predecessor in terms of sonics. Ok, the 90s Dylan Street Legal was an improvement over the muddy original, but it was a remix.

The 2003 Blonde on Blonde was an improvement over the earlier version.

The jury is still out on whether the ISB, Kinks or Scott Walker remasters are any better than earlier efforts.

 

There’s no doubt that remasters might improve things, but obviously a lot of care and expertise is needed. Not to mention a strong desire to do as little knob twiddling as possible.

Just allow the technology to do its work.

@audioguy85

"I'm amazed how many 1950-1960's treasures I've found in the thrift stores. Nothing can compare to the sound of these old records. The engineers knew what they were doing back then, a lost art, gone forever....scoop up that old vinyl."

 

Yes, there must have been some very talented folk working on the production side back in those days.

Those records might be going cheap nowadays, but at the time they were quite expensive prestidge items. It's no exaggeration to say that some of them sound fabulous.

Especially many of those recorded with a string section. It was almost an art form in itself.

 

 

 

 

@audioguy85 You’re right.

There are bargains to be found but you need a bit of luck. A friend of mine picked up an original mono copy of Sgt Pepper for £5 at a charity shop. He also got a copy of the Beatles Oldies but Goldies for the same amount.

A few years back (pre-plandemic, 2017/8?) I managed to pick up a couple of Glen Campbell LPs for him that were part of a set for £1 each!

Even better, they were both in mint condition. I spent many, many hours browsing in record and comic shops/marts and I don’t regret any of them - but then came the internet...

Anyway, the best of luck in the future.

 

@mike_in_nc

Remastering is done for three reasons.

  • The first is to boost the highs to make them irritating.
  • The second is to compress out all the dynamics to get a modern sound.
  • The third is to sell more CDs. NEW! IMPROVED! BUY NOW!

 

 

It’s all true!

Ok, not all remasters have irritating highs, but many do, and all are boosted.

Even worse, I have yet to hear ANY remaster that didn’t have some form of dynamic compression added, even if was just a hint.

Why oh why do they need to sound modern?

 

Oh hang on, your 3rd point explains it!

 

It might sound a bit cynical, but I should tell it like I see it.

I felt like a heretic when I compared the Steve Hoffman remastered Nat King Cole to the earlier Bear Family releases, and, shock horror, preferred some of the earlier transfers.

Steve did an excellent job on sourcing the original tapes no doubt, but even his ingenuity couldn’t quite replicate the famous Capitol Studios echo chamber.

 

https://www.acontinuouslean.com/2013/12/02/secret-capitol-studios-sound/