Andy Pearce's Mastering Style

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Neilson77, Dec 4, 2015.

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  1. xcqn

    xcqn Audiophile

    Location:
    Gothenburg, Sweden
    Any love for the Pearce mastered Keeper Of The Seven Keys PT1/2 (DE)?

    Listened to it yesterday and kinda liked it. More bass than the original Noise-Records discs wich is a good thing.

    Bonus tracks doesn't hurt either :cool:
     
    sathvyre likes this.
  2. rnranimal

    rnranimal Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    The replica has a smiley face EQ so it has a fuller sound compared to the '96, but still too bright. There's more hiss on the replica, especially on Planet Caravan where the '96 (and deluxe) have the ambience killed with NR. And looking at waves, it looks like the replica uses less compression but has limiting/clipping. I don't believe they are even sourced from the same transfer.
     
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  3. rnranimal

    rnranimal Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    I wasn't saying the '96 and "Pearce" remaster were digitally identical. I was saying the deluxe is not really a Pearce remaster and sources from the '96 remaster. There are minor differences in gain and maybe a slight tweak to the EQ. There were dropouts in the '96, so it's possible the lack of those or other slight adjustments are what's keeping the two from staying in sync. I've tested two tracks. "Iron Man" does not stay in sync after a while, but "Electric Funeral" does. It's not a perfect sync where you can't hear a difference- there's the phasing from being slightly off from each other, but they never stray apart. My guess is that either the "Pearce" was upsampled then downsampled or maybe converted to analog and back to digital (not to tape, just recaptured to digital from an analog output - though I think that would cause some more noticeable differences in the waveforms and there aren't any). The wave for the whole album looks the same for each and when I switch back and forth between the two, while there may be a slight difference if you really pay attention, they sound pretty much the same and there's certainly nowhere near the difference you hear between the other Pearce remasters and the '96 CDs. I surely don't think Pearce would've used the NR we are hearing on "Planet Caravan", which sounds just like what we hear on the '96. If Pearce had any hand in the deluxe mastering of the main album, it was extremely minimal and was only slight alterations to the '96 transfer. This sounds nothing like I've heard from any other Pearce remaster. Basically, it's the opposite of what I've come to expect from him.

    Here's a waveform comparison of "Electric Funeral":

    [​IMG]


    Here's a short clips from each, so everyone can decide for themselves.

    https://www.sendspace.com/file/436wpw
     
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  4. Claus

    Claus Senior Member

    Location:
    Germany
    Better than the original CD and definitely better than the 1st remaster. The original has better dynamic range, but sounds so lifeless for a Metal album.
     
  5. xcqn

    xcqn Audiophile

    Location:
    Gothenburg, Sweden
    Yes it does, especially keeper I. The Pearce remaster sounds more balanced. It's 3DB lower in DR but i barely noticed.

    Pearce remaster actually reminds me of how the vinyl sounds which is a good thing.
     
    sound chaser likes this.
  6. J. Warren

    J. Warren Senior Member

    Location:
    New Jersey
  7. danielbravo

    danielbravo Senior Member

    Location:
    Caracas. DC
    Yes, totally true. I did the same composition as you have done, the remaster of Ray Staff (Castle '96) has a brighter sound with emphasis on high frequencies.
     
    jon9091 likes this.
  8. rnranimal

    rnranimal Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    Do you feel the difference is to the degree that they are totally different masterings or just a little different? Could you post a clip of your Pearce remaster? I'm trying to figure out if there are maybe two masterings out there, because as shown in my above post, my '96 and Pearce are basically the same. It's not possible for a track to have a waveform which looks identical but is a totally different mastering.

    I have not labeled my clips, please listen to them and tell me if either sounds like your Pearce disc.
     
  9. Dave

    Dave Esoteric Audio Research Specialistâ„¢

    Location:
    B.C.
    It is possible, but I agree not too likely. Check my signature link.
     
  10. rnranimal

    rnranimal Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    That's why I said totally different mastering. My point is that the Pearce remaster is not new work by Pearce. It's very much rooted in the '96 and basically sounds the same.

    I don't know the context of Barry's quote in your signature, but it's not a different mastering if you take one mastering and change the gain or some other minor tweak. For the purposes of matching masterings on different pressings, I understand the importance of noting ANY difference. But for the purpose of figuring out if something is a totally new remastering by another person, then no, I don't agree any slight difference makes it one.
     
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  11. jon9091

    jon9091 Master Of Reality

    Location:
    Midwest

    Electric Funeral sounds very close on both of my versions...and both of yours as well. Paranoid, does not however (on my versions anyway).
    There is something odd going on. Perhaps Pearce only mastered the bonus tracks for this title..or added subtle changes to the original digital transfers? Not sure.
     
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  12. danielbravo

    danielbravo Senior Member

    Location:
    Caracas. DC
    Uhmm, I have the two series of remasters (Andy Pearce and Ray Staff) and they are different. I insist that the remasters of Ray Staff are more brighter and with an emphasis on high frequencies (especially the first three albums). I like your post with waves and comparison of both remasters, but I think they're different.
     
    jon9091 likes this.
  13. Dave

    Dave Esoteric Audio Research Specialistâ„¢

    Location:
    B.C.
    Oh, agreed on your point. To claim a "new" mastering it shouldn't be sourced from another's.

    FWIW I'm not fond of Pearce's Black Sabbath work I've heard so far.
     
    rnranimal likes this.
  14. rnranimal

    rnranimal Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    I'm just talking about Paranoid. All the other albums are clearly different masterings between the '96 and Pearce. I can't hear what's on your discs, but I am 100% sure my '96 and Pearce share a source and the Pearce is not a totally new mastering, but has had some changes made to it.
     
  15. artfromtex

    artfromtex Honky Tonkin' Metal-Head

    Location:
    Fort Worth, TX
    Pearce's work on the Thin Lizzy catalog was awesome, IMO.

    I wish his versions of "Jailbreak", "Johnny The Fox" and "L&D" would have been released.
     
    slipkid likes this.
  16. danielbravo

    danielbravo Senior Member

    Location:
    Caracas. DC
    I will take into account your observation, I will review again and give you my opinion. But I'm sure about my appreciation.
     
    rnranimal likes this.
  17. rnranimal

    rnranimal Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    Going by my discs (as I can't say they never changed it), they definitely share the same digital transfer and even some mastering moves like the NR in Caravan. I'll go compare Paranoid as that was not a track I rechecked.

    It's a strange case, but like I said, he confirmed that TE and NSD were not the masterings he submitted. He was supposed to look into it, but was never from again on the matter. So I don't know if that meant they weren't his work at all and were switched with a totally different mastering or if someone messed with his after they left his hands. I never cared much for those albums, so I never investigated like I have with Paranoid. But maybe as part of my Paranoid investigation, I'll see if those two masterings seem to maybe source from the '96 transfers.

    I do think between the '96 and the deluxe, the deluxe is better. The small difference in sound is more pleasing on the deluxe and it doesn't have the dropout(s). I just don't care for the sound of these in general as this album is supposed to have a much fuller sound, imo.
     
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  18. rnranimal

    rnranimal Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    I compared the title track and there is a more pronounced difference in EQ between them than I observed on the other tracks I checked, but do still share the same source. But with gain and fairly light EQ differences. I think the minor EQ differences are more noticeable on this track because the song has so much bass. They do drift slightly out of sync, which is not something I've seen before with masterings sharing a digital transfer. So I don't know what caused that, but this album is definitely not a brand new transfer from tape. It could be Pearce's mastering using the old digital transfer, but then that means the transfer already had NR built in to it and that Pearce made mastering moves very similar to those made on the '96 mastering and quite different from the moves he made on the other Sabbath albums (and any Pearce mastering I've heard).
     
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  19. Dam

    Dam Forum Resident

    Location:
    Australia
    I think his [Andy Pearce] remastering of Lou Reed's 'Transformer' was a little on the bright-side compared to Vic Anesini's effort!
     
  20. rnranimal

    rnranimal Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    You're right, I forgot about that one. I wasn't thinking that far back. He definitely changed his style from that one to the metal masterings I've heard in more recent years.
     
  21. Queezma

    Queezma Forum Resident

    I just picked up Sacred Heart and it sounds fantastic. Very pleased with this. Do you know how the Heaven and Hell deluxe (I am assuming you are referring to the 2009 remaster?) stands up against the Castle remaster from 1996? I find that one quite muddy with too much low end
     
  22. xcqn

    xcqn Audiophile

    Location:
    Gothenburg, Sweden
    Yes, 2009 remaster. Haven't heard the '96 so can't compare.
     
  23. driverdrummer

    driverdrummer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Irmo, SC
    I've enjoyed every Andy Pearce remaster I've heard. Is there a list of CDs that he has remastered?
     
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  24. Lucidae

    Lucidae AAD

    Location:
    Australia
    driverdrummer likes this.
  25. BKarloff

    BKarloff Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    He's just remastered the entire Free back catalogue, and these are out on vinyl and CD in September. I'm really looking forward to hearing these and really hope he's done a good job.
     
    Dennis Metz and sound chaser like this.
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