The Robots are coming for the Mastering Engineers now

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Brian Gupton, Oct 11, 2015.

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  1. Carl Swanson

    Carl Swanson Senior Member

    Yes, at least up to this point.
     
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  2. Ham Sandwich

    Ham Sandwich Senior Member

    Location:
    Sherwood, OR, USA
    Bandcamp is a mixed bag. There is some good stuff there and not so good stuff there. They don't enforce any mastering guidelines (like made for itunes does). The band can upload what they want there. It might be mastered well. It might not be.

    There is some music on bandcamp worthy of getting lossless. There's even some high-res albums there. There are even some albums there available in optional high-DR versions with better mastering than the regular release version. Some bands care about that sort of stuff. Some don't (most don't). Some of the albums on Bandcamp have been mastered by people who frequent this forum and have been mastered with care (as much care as the band will allow).

    Here's an album I like (it's in 24/44.1 and wasn't mastered by a robot): Frozen Ants, by Subsurfing »
    Here's an album available in 24/96: Machina Viva (24/96 hi-res version), by Wolverine »
    Here's an album that's a bit compressed (intentionally because the bass sax kinda needs it for the sound effects it does) but still sounds good and very much worth of getting lossless: SORROW - a reimagining of Gorecki's 3rd Symphony, by Colin Stetson »
    Here's a metal album that's compressed like a typical metal album: Kadotetut, by Vainaja »
    And here's the same album in a high-DR 24-bit version: Kadotetut HDR (24bit vinyl master), by Vainaja »

    That metal album would sound even worse if done by a mastering robot. A mastering robot would not even be able to do the high-DR version. Humans win that round.
     
  3. husafreak

    husafreak Great F'n music that's difficult to listen to!

    Location:
    NorCal, Bay Area
    Thanks for the suggestions. That is true about the band being able to upload whatever they want. My son's band did a terrific recording and mastering job on their "American Hippo" album and the lossless file is well worth it for the great sound quality, and great songs too I think:

    American Hippo, by Bob Fossil »

    I picked up a Big Big Train album (The Underfall Yard) and a SUNN O))) album (out of curiosity) on Bandcamp. These are established bands and the AIFF files sound good. Very inexpensive.
     
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