What the hell! I haven't heard the 5.1 yet, but, the Blu-Ray and CD 2017 stereo mixes are heavily limited. I'm sure someone will point out that the DR isn't in the 4s, but, bad limiting in the 7s and 8s can sound worse than better equipment pushing 4s (not that I want to hear either). This sounds like the default settings of Slate's FG-X. Very fatiguing even at lower levels. I think this is the second recent Steven Wilson remix that I've heard recently like this. I buy his remixes because I thought he understood the value of not using lookahead limiting. Crap. Burned again, Fat Freddy! I thought I could trust SW. And to my XTC? Hopefully, the 5.1 isn't so treated.
XTC remixes have been more compressed than SW usually does because Andy seems to insist on adding some limiting...
I guess, at least it's an Andy thing and not an SW thing. Not that I won't buy the rest of the XTC remixes. I will. but i won't like it (maybe the 5.1 and flat transfer).
According to dr.loudness-war.info, the original BS 1987 CD release had a DR level of 13 while the SW CD remix of 2017 has a DR level of 10. The much-hated (around these parts) 2017 remix of Sgt. PEPPER on CD has a DR of 08. While not as good as SW's 24/96 remix of Aqualung at DR 14, the new remix of BS isn't too bad. The SW remix of Drums & Wires on CD from 2014 also rated a DR 10.
It's what the lookahead limiting does to the transients that bothers me most. It affects the sound of everything. It's subtle. I do a fair share of listening on mid-field monitors. When listening at a healthy volume, in the case of this 2017 remix/remaster, the kick starts to really affect me. Once it gets you (or me anyway), I have to keep pulling the volume down and it takes a few hours to reset my ears. The kick stops sounding like that nice poofy boom and becomes a PAH sound with emphasis on the hard P. That's what all this fancy limiting is doing. It's not making things too audibly loud to us, it's changing all of the first part of each sound into a hard sound that's psychologically makes it seem/feel too loud. What then causes the fatigue is that your ear and facial muscles tense to protect your hearing from the perceived loudness. I started to really go off topic here (which is my norm), so, I created another thread: What volume level are current trend mastering engineers listening to their work?
I have to wonder if part of this is due to hearing loss on the part of AP but he also liked the 2001 re-masters as well.
Yes, I just read it. Interesting but Andy DID like the 2001 remasters as I recall. Then again the remaster for Skylarking with the polarity corrected didn't have the limiting as I recall.
I don't remember that. I can't find any quote, but I recall Andy said that the 2001 remasters were done without the consent or approval of the band, and that is one of the reasons Andy started this whole new reissue campaign. However, I will say that my memory isn't what it used to be.
And the new English Settlement is glorious as well, and Andy approved it's mastering. I'm hoping that Andy, and band, also do new original mix stereo remasters for Nonsuch, Oranges and Lemons, Drums and Wires and Black Sea like the latest English Settlement vinyl/CD!
That would be nice but I have the feeling that probably will only come on vinyl (which is fine for me, too but it will limit the audience a bit) as these have been re-mastered a number of times.
You could be right and I might be misremembering. I did notice that the 2001 are the ones on the BDs for the original stereo mixes (as I recall I haven't listened to them)
They've only been remastered once (not counting the surround series) in 2001. I'm sure Andy wants to put them out on APE RECORDS just like the 'English Settlement' CD and vinyl release. The band make more $$ with the licensing on APE. Again, I can't find a quote, but I'm sure someone asked if any of the other albums would be done like ES and he replied that he does want to redo them all.
Note: 5.1 I was strictly talking about stereo: Straight from the -other- horse's mouth as well, but that was a few years ago for the couple first reissues, might have changed.
What's with the constant repetition? Sorry but you people either lack reading skills, reading comprehension or memory. I apologize for the snark, but I've noticed things must be repeated more than usual lately, in various threads. Sometimes the info that is repeated is available just a few posts up. People don't seem to read all the threads anymore, just check the last posts in a vacuum and continue posting misinformation until they are corrected. Then it goes round again. Nothing is learned or memorized.
