The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's 50th Anniversary (Content, Sound Quality & Discussion Thread Only!)

The screaming was loud yes, but the band were relatively quiet. Very quiet by today's standards.

 

Well... I have a brand new car (on lease). Came with a CD player. I have a pretty new laptop. It too has an optical drive and pretty much everyone over a certain age still has a blu-ray or DVD player. I think not having these things is a choice at this point more than an inevitability but yes they are diminishing. However, the people who buy the top 20 albums from the supermarket (just as I did with the Hollywood Bowl set for example) who probably form the majority of CD buyers (in the UK at least) clearly have some item of equipment to play them on and it is unlikely to be an audiophile hi fi set up.

 

I really wish they'd roped in someone like Steven Wilson to do the mix....

Thankfully they took the right approach to the outtakes and mono disc. But the remix feels like a missed opportunity.

 

All of the crybaby pessimists in this thread must be absolute pleasures to hang with. Seriously, you have made this forum an absolute bummer.

With the numerous Sgt Pepper threads, I'm surprised one hasnt been started strictly for people who enjoy the set--positive posts only.

 

Khronikos, I was one of the posters who said this was not an audiophile album.

And I maintain that is 100% correct.

There is nothing ridiculous about making an honest assessement, and it's unfortunate when you encounter one your approach is to attack the poster. We could surely use a bit less of THAT here.

The loudest album I own is Californication by the Red Hot Chile Peppers. It scores a 4 on the DR scale. On the new Pepper, Mr. Kite scores a 6. This beautiful, haunting song becomes just another part of the assault of ultra-hot songs constatntly flirting with 0db on the meter.

It's not an audiophile album because it lacks any type of nuance that might require a decent table, amp, or speakers to articulate those things. At 100mph all the time, your phone or computer speakers will do just fine.

And that's ok, btw. I also wrote that this was a fun release.

But lets not for a moment get carried away and claim this is high fidelity. It just isn't. That isn't an ignorant statement. And believe me, as much as I wanted to hear those premixes for decades, I wish it were.

 

In the case on When I'm 64, I believe the bells were recorded on the backing vocals track after the first bounce. The bells were just panned to the left in the original stereo mix (as well as the Yellow Submarine Songtrack (YSS) and 2017 Remixes), while the backing vocals were panned right in the original stereo mix (they are centered in the YSS remix and have some fake stereo effect in the new 2017 remix).

Also on Mr. Kite, I thought John's vocal was treated with ADT and was not manually double tracked.

 

What's the point of a discussion forum where everything is just mindless praise?

Once upon a time we used to discuss sound quality here and not just sit around patting each other on the back for buying new product.

The Pepper set has good points and bad points. I'm still happy I bought a copy.

 

Start one. I do think there is quite a lot of audiophile nonsense being spouted here but, having said that, my own views (having now heard the entire thing) are mixed.

The 5.1 sounds great. The video looks great. Discs 2 & 3 are lovely. The stereo mix is revelatory but yes, I am afraid the mastering on Disc 1 is a bit harsh/loud in places, even for someone whose aural faculties mean that I am listening to everything through a wall of tinnitus that resembles a car alarm.

 

I think we are criticizing a product that took most consumers into account.

There is the new mix without the mastering applied on the vinyl for the vinyl audiophiles. We have a surround mix and high headroom version on blu ray for the more modern tech-minded audiophile. We have the CD's which are mastered for the everyday consumer who use modern and portable listening devices. The original mono... Christ...

I fail to see the travesty.

I see a comprehensive and high quality product considerate of almost every demographic of listener.

 

Oh come on...you know this is an extreme that's happening here. All the dramatic "it's causing my ears physical pain" comments over and over again...relentlessly attack Giles Martin--its over the top.

I have no problem with someone reasonably stating their opinion. That is what the forum is for. But this is over the top, to the point where you can't read through to the rational posts, which is why I suggested a pros-only page (and I know that is a ridiculous idea).

 

Just did a 5.1 analogue rip downmixed to stereo and it sounds SUPERB.

Analyzed: The Beatles / Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 50th Anniversary Edition [Blu-ray Analog 5.1 Stereo Downmix]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DR Peak RMS Duration Track
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR9 -0.80 dB -11.39 dB 2:02 01-Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
DR10 -0.88 dB -12.33 dB 2:45 02-With A Little Help From My Friends
DR9 -0.76 dB -12.57 dB 3:28 03-Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
DR9 -0.87 dB -11.39 dB 2:47 04-Getting Better
DR8 -0.77 dB -11.25 dB 2:38 05-Fixing A Hole
DR9 -0.91 dB -11.36 dB 3:26 06-She's Leaving Home
DR9 -0.75 dB -11.27 dB 2:39 07-Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!
DR9 -0.81 dB -12.58 dB 5:07 08-Within You Without You
DR12 -0.95 dB -14.10 dB 2:40 09-When I'm Sixty-Four
DR9 -0.74 dB -11.54 dB 2:46 10-Lovely Rita
DR8 -0.68 dB -10.08 dB 2:34 11-Good Morning Good Morning
DR6 -0.61 dB -8.35 dB 1:21 12-Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
DR7 -0.62 dB -10.60 dB 5:34 13-A Day In The Life
DR9 -0.69 dB -12.65 dB 4:11 14-Strawberry Fields Forever
DR9 -0.68 dB -10.76 dB 3:02 15-Penny Lane
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of tracks: 15
Official DR value: DR9

Samplerate: 96000 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 24
Bitrate: 2696 kbps
Codec: FLAC

 

Yeah, I got laughed at when I mentioned Steven should do the remix. Go figure.

He understands remixes. Has the mojo for it. Very few do.

 

What new Mono transfer? Are you talking about vinyl?

 

My Japanese copy of the deluxe box arrived today: it comes with a Sgt Peppers "amazing paper diorama". Not sure if I'll spend the estimated 2-3 hours putting it together though.

Does this come with the non-Japanese sets?

 

LOL. I suppose we don't really know what The Beatles would sound like today. I'm definitely going to listen to this mix again a few times. So far I like it. I love the new details and stereo spread going on. Some parts did come off congested. But it's hard to tell with the original mix being so weird in stereo. In general, this mix just sounds so much more clear and pretty to my ears despite being louder. I can only wonder what a DR9-10 sweet spot would have done for it. Maybe not a whole lot in the end depending on the original stuff they used. We don't really know. It's not like the release is brickwalled. It clearly is not and retains peaks and valleys.

 

The new monotransfer cd in the super deluxe set.

 

Very pleased with the remix! I can hear all instruments extremely well, one can finally hear why Ringo is the best drummer in the world. Guitars have become more powerful. I applaud not changing anything radically as in bringing up that rhythm guitar like on Rock Band. It was this way on the original, let it stay that way. There's no cello lick on She's Leaving Home, contrary to some of the testimonies I've read. Don't know what people said about hearing the chord on one of the pianos mutiing way too early. That chord is the glorious I've ever heard it, with the complementary chair squeak while it is decaying. That crescendo gave me very fresh powerful goosebumps, and the final chord was just too much to bear. The ultrasound is there alright. It's just there's less tape hiss, less compression so it's harder to detect. Now I listened through headphones, and really cranked it up. No ear fatigue. Well, on GM GM, but the ear fatigue sets in with the mono mix as well where the trumpets just roar without control, heh. Only thing I didn't like from the preview - rhythm section slightly off centre on the first track - I finally understood why. On YSS, rhythm section is in the middle, and the left channel has almost nothing in it. So, Giles pulled the same trick as on Paperback writer - placed rhythm track slightly off-centre to the left, but not hard panned, and bass slightly to the right. Sounds more cohesive that way and balanced. A Day in the Life piano part is there in the beginning, no worries.

The drum fill in Good Morning Good Morning surprised me since the rest of the drums are in mono in the middle. But that break is equally spread across two channels, so there are two options. They have either unearthed an overdub for that exact part, and it does sound kick ass in either mono or stereo mix. Or they have artificially doubled it. I reckon it's an overdub, like in Fixing a Hole. There are two distinct drum parts in two channels, with cymbals and kick being to the left while the snare strikes are to the right. If it's also digital separation, it's a bloody good one. Same thing with When I'm 64 - kick thumps in the middle but the brushes - slightly off-centre. Don't know if it was recorded this way in stereo, or it's a bit of manipulation. In any case, I didn't hear any digital artifacts that could have rubbed me the wrong way, to be honest.

I am really happy with this, and it's something I've been waiting for all Beatle albums to happen. One could hear with new force that they were remarkable musicians despite being, well, wiithout education. Ringo hits like John Bonham sometimes, keyboards are shining with different colors, the guitars are ROCKING, and stereo placement is really nice. Proper mono mix done in stereo, Mirror Spock really looked into the future, didn't they? Yes, the remixes aren't as super dynamic as Wilson's remixes, but The Beatles were never about the dynamics me thinks. Besides, it's not like Pepper is an album of contrasts between pianissimo and fortissimo.

I am a very happy Beatle fan today. I didn't think that remixes of the title track, Friends, and Lucy from YSS could be bested, but they were. The new ones sound warmer and more authentic.

If I have any more thoughts on the remix later - I will do another post I guess.

 

What do you mean all the drama? One guy said his ear hurts or something to that effect. I could easily say "All this praise and worship for this thing. Geesh, talk about being sunshiney dramatic"

People have a right not to like the remix and state why if they wish to. This isnt the "Sgt Peppers Remix Worship" thread.

If we who are wanting an actual content/remix discussion/crtique here are wading through anything its the "This is so good etc etc" comments.

 

I mean, the difference is subtle for me. Some songs really benefit with being a bit louder. The more complex ones seem to suffer now and then.

Dynamic or not it's hard to say if the source elements would even hold up to being audiophile quality. There is no audiophile quality on the mono and stereo remasters previously done. Those are 60s recordings. That isn't audiophile to me just because the DR values are okay.

I personally do not know what made them go to DR8 overall as even DR9 is fine for portable devices. I know that lower DR numbers can be used to bring out the bass a bit on certain recordings. Since this was a remix it does seem like DR9-10 across the board could have been a sweet spot. I'm not making excuses or accusing people of much here. The record is not brickwalled though.

 

While true I don't think anyone honestly expected the new mix to be DR6 and 7 in places. I get that some music with huge bass needs maximum impact and DR values are not much concern, but DR 6 is usually what you see on recordings that demand to be played much louder and more abrasive than this one.

There are definitely elements in this mix I would have turned down slightly when at max volume. I don't totally understand all the decisions that went into making this.

 

This

 

See my post after this one...

 

Here you go

The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper 50th Anniversary outtakes only (Content and Discussion thread)

 

How about the vinyl? Better, same master?

 

This is partly what I am talking about. When people just speak of DR values it matters little to me. The so called audiophile MONO remasters will hurt my ears with shrillness as well. This is what some people do not seem to understand for THAT part.

But I can see where people would have been a little more crafty with the mix. For some songs things get a bit too chaotic for my liking. That being said Lovely Rita and others have never sounded better.