Worst mastering you've ever heard?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Spaceboy, Jun 16, 2007.

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  1. john lennonist

    john lennonist There ONCE was a NOTE, PURE and EASY...


    What're your (and others') thoughts of the sound of the two-disc "The Very Best of Marvin Gaye" [ (c) 2001 ] mastered by Kevin Reeves?




    And ditto re sound of the two-disc "The James Brown 50th Anniversary Collection" [ (c) 2003] mastered by Ellen Fitton?
     
  2. MikeP5877

    MikeP5877 V/VIII/MCMLXXVII

    Location:
    OH
    I think that's more due to the original mix sounding that way to begin with, as opposed to "bad mastering" of the CD. The original LP isn't very good sounding either.

    The current CD edition is a complete remix from the multi-track tapes, which would account for the difference in sound IMHO.
     
  3. Dave D

    Dave D Done!

    Location:
    Milton, Canada
    Just curious if you've actually heard the new one. It's nowhere near as bad as Contraband.
     
  4. john lennonist

    john lennonist There ONCE was a NOTE, PURE and EASY...


    Does this set have his NBA All-Star Game "Star Spangled Banner" performance?

    If not, where can the best-sounding version of that be found?
     
  5. Johnny Connor

    Johnny Connor New Member

    Location:
    Homdel,NJ
    I HAVE heard the new one and it's bit better due mainly for the supeior music.The sound still reeks IMHO!:mad:
     
  6. Radiotron

    Radiotron Tube Designer

    Location:
    Montreal, Canada
    Oh man, that one sucks big time.
     
  7. Harry Krishner

    Harry Krishner Forum Resident

    I'm startled by the fact that 'Memory Almost Full' isnt getting slammed!
     
  8. nin

    nin Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    One of the worse must be the Black Sabbath box-set that came a couple of years ago. Bright as hell and thin.
     
  9. RoyalScam

    RoyalScam Luckless Pedestrian

    I've got to wonder if there isn't a problem with the mastering monitors at Universal Music and Capitol. There seems to be so much made about ear-bleeding on stuff remastered out of those houses nowadays, I have to wonder if there isn't a major problem with their tweeters or if the acoustics in their rooms aren't severely sucking out highs, causing the engineers to jack them ever higher?
     
  10. Drifter

    Drifter AAD survivor

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC, CA
  11. Purplerocks

    Purplerocks Forum Resident

    Location:
    IN
    "Down Home Chrome" by Junior Brown, mastered by Michael Bishop.
    Great music ruined by horrible mastering.
     
  12. MikeP5877

    MikeP5877 V/VIII/MCMLXXVII

    Location:
    OH


    Yes, "The Star Spangled Banner" is on The Master box set.

    All the early hits are in mono. Great box :thumbsup:
     
  13. Johnny Connor

    Johnny Connor New Member

    Location:
    Homdel,NJ
    :laugh: Give me some examples,please?:help:
     
  14. john lennonist

    john lennonist There ONCE was a NOTE, PURE and EASY...


    Those are the worst two major labels for remasters -- no doubt about it!

    But even if their mastering rooms are bad, they must from time to time play their stuff at home on good systems and know how their masterings sound.

    It seems like it's either company policy and/or the tastes of the remastering engineers to me.
     
  15. john lennonist

    john lennonist There ONCE was a NOTE, PURE and EASY...


    Are you referring to the DVD-A (or is it SACD) of this title?

    IIRC, there has been much love for the sound of that pressing on the Forum.
     
  16. audiospirit

    audiospirit Active Member

    Location:
    Germany
    John Mayall & Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton.Digitally remastered from original tapes in 24 bit utilizing Apogee uv22 super cd encoding process.

    Remastering engineer must be punished to death for such remaster :) .Sound is killed.
     
  17. zebop

    zebop Well Known Stranger

    Ok, thanks :)
     
  18. All the Virgin Bowie cd's, all 3 Coldplay cd's and George Harrison's 'Brainwashed', Beatles '1'.

    the Coldplays and GH were "re-mastered" for US consumption,
    Beatles '1' and the Bowies were trashed at Abbey Road Studios where they all use Bowers & Wilkins' "Super Diamond" tweeters.
     
  19. Widespread overkill-use of NR,
    Then smileyface-eq'ued to cover up:
    1) the analog "depth" of the originals (which date the recording, heh heh) and 2) replace the treble that the NR sucked away.

    "If you remaster vintage analog recordings these days you owe it to the public to make it sound as bright and modern as possible" seems to be the prevailing theory.
     
  20. John Carsell

    John Carsell Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northwest Illinois
    Melissa Manchester - Melissa, the Budda CD from 2000.

    No-noised beyond belief.
     
  21. It must be the remixing you object to.
    I was rather pleased with the tonality & dynamics!
    I'm particularly sensitive to boosted treble, "Love" seemed to have none!
     
  22. RoyalScam

    RoyalScam Luckless Pedestrian

    Also...Norberg Sinatra remasters (come to think of it, pretty much Norberg ANYTHING remasters)

    And on the Universal side I give you the Stevie Wonder remaster collection, just to name one glaring example...
     
  23. SamS

    SamS Forum Legend

    Location:
    Texas
    Why are you suggesting that particular speaker is the cause of the poor mastering? There have been several outstanding remasters (including at least one by our host SH) that use those exact speakers.
     
  24. Purplerocks

    Purplerocks Forum Resident

    Location:
    IN
    The redbook cd is all I've heard...
     
  25. mickeyfrith

    mickeyfrith Forum Resident

    Yes, that one was horrible. The Japanese CD from the mid-90's sounds TONS better.
     
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