How do you like your oldies on CD or hi-rez to sound? *

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Grant, Feb 2, 2005.

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  1. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me! Thread Starter

    This is inspired by the ongoing discussion on the BSN board.

    How do you like your oldies to sound? All accuracy issues aside, I really love and appreciate it when a mastering engineer makes the result sound like the original vinyl.
     
  2. bartels76

    bartels76 Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    CT
    That's a hard question because sometime the vinyl version sounds awful so I'd rather have what the tapes gives us. It depends on the title.
     
  3. markl

    markl Forum Resident

    Location:
    cyberspace
    How 'bout another option, for "If *necessary*, 'tweak' them *subtly* to make the most of the material" or something to that effect? In other words, allow for the use of judicious EQ-ing, judicious increase in volume, if the end result can sound "better" than what you started with? LOUDER LOUDER LOUDER sounds like a joke selection, what I'm suggesting is something in between what that represents and "stay true to the master tape". Let's say a master tape is missing a lot of bass information and isn't that pleasing in a totally flat transfer. I would argue it's "OK" to *subtly* EQ it to make the resulting CD sound more balanced, and yes, maybe even "better" than the original tape. I'm not suggesting wholesale re-mixing, total buzz-saw maximization or ridiculous over-EQ-ing. Just *enough* to make it put its best foot forward, not overwhelmed and over-processed.
     
  4. ChristianL

    ChristianL Senior Member

    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    I agree with markl. IMO,to make them sound flat doesn't necessarily mean make a flat transfer. Equalizing means to make all frequencies (bottom/midrange/treble) sound equal to your ears. I voted for "Make them sound like the original vinyl" because thats the way the artist wanted it to sound like when the album has been released, in the most cases.

    True to the master tape can be tricky, see the story behind "Hotel California"
     
  5. poweragemk

    poweragemk Old Member

    Location:
    CH
    CASE BY CASE for me!

    Making a broad statement here is pretty useless. Some tapes sound good unadulterated, some don't (some people have differing opinions of what sounds 'good' - see: Rascals Ultimate on Warner Special Products). Some attempts to make a CD versions sound more like the original vinyl (see: Count Five/Psychotic Reaction on Nuggets) fall flat.
     
  6. Joe Koz

    Joe Koz Prodigal Bone Brotherâ„¢ In Memoriam

    Location:
    Chicagoland
    I had to go with 'Make them sound like the original vinyl', because that's were it's at! IMO!

    To clarify my answer, in most cases (not all) they got it right the first time, on the vinyl versions.
    Again, IMO!
     
  7. Sckott

    Sckott Hand Tighten Only.

    Location:
    South Plymouth, Ma
    I'm a believer that the artist liked how the sound was on the tapes. Cutting and mastering engineers can really pull apart a perfect sound.

    Course, there's the Capitol Beatles stuff people like so much! :rolleyes:
     
  8. Joe Koz

    Joe Koz Prodigal Bone Brotherâ„¢ In Memoriam

    Location:
    Chicagoland
    ...and you don't! :confused: Just curious!
     
  9. Runt

    Runt Senior Member

    Location:
    Motor City
    Too many variants can affect how it ultimately sounds on vinyl. Gimme the tapes.
     
  10. jjhunsecker

    jjhunsecker Senior Member

    Location:
    New York city
    I agree . I mean, what if the sound was compromised in some way to fit the original vinyl? I remember an interview in ICE a few years ago with Gus Dudgeon, and he was saying most of the original Elton John albums on vinyl did not fully represent the sound they wanted (ex- bass rolled off, etc). He felt that the CD remasters of a couple years ago finally captured the sonics that they were seeking .
    A lot of people enjoy the sound of the original vinyl, because that's the way they first heard a particular song, and that aural image has remained with them. But I've read a lot of interviews with engineers, producers, and artists, where they say that they were not happy with the limitations of vinyl, and prefer the sound of the CDs. (of course, there are exceptions to this )
     
  11. RetroSmith

    RetroSmith Forum Hall Of Fame<br>(Formerly Mikey5967)

    Location:
    East Coast
    Absolutely make them sound like the TAPES. THATS what the artist and producer created in the studio. thats what they heard played back after their session.

    i have heard so many vinyl lps that ended up sounding WAY different from what the tapes sounded like. Some of those mastering engineers took poetic license way too far.
     
  12. eelkiller

    eelkiller One of the great unwashed

    Location:
    Northern Ontario
    True to the tapes. It is what the artist envisioned when creating the music.
     
  13. markl

    markl Forum Resident

    Location:
    cyberspace
    Or, it's the best compromised sound they could achieve on the equipment they had to work with at the time.
     
  14. Beatle Terr

    Beatle Terr Super Senior SH Forum Member Musician & Guitarist

    My vote was "True To Vinyl". Heck we didn't get to hear the tapes anyway as the hit versions. CORRECT???
     
  15. JorgeGvb

    JorgeGvb Senior Member

    Location:
    Virginia Beach

    That was my initial thought too.
     
  16. Sckott

    Sckott Hand Tighten Only.

    Location:
    South Plymouth, Ma
    I'm a huge Beatles fan. But no, I didn't buy the Capitol box. Don't ever plan to either. :( Sorry.
     
  17. Bob Lovely

    Bob Lovely Super Gort In Memoriam

    Tapes...without a doubt!

    Bob :)
     
  18. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    ..like the original vinyl of course, but with a bang!
     
  19. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me! Thread Starter

    Think about this, many engineers used to record and mix with the vinyl format in mind, so they, built the treble rise into the tapes, knowing that it would get lost upon vinyl playback.

    I like to hear the tapes too, but I also think it's cool to have the sound of the singles. Of course, if I have the vinyl on hand, I can attempt this myself, although not easy.
     
  20. Robin L

    Robin L Musical Omnivore

    Location:
    Fresno, California
    Like Lt. Drebin likes his pot roast in "Naked Gun": "Very, very hot. . . .and very, very wet." Of course, my favorite oldies are the Reiner/Chicago Symphony Orchestra RCA SACDs. They have more life and detail than I managed to come up with on my gear when I owned the shaded dogs. While I understand that folk's memories is based on hearing vinyl, it's also based on hearing that vinyl on AM radio and really bad one-box stereos. There's more on the tapes than there is on the vinyl. A good remastering engineer should be able to compensate for the EQ difference between the Tape and the LP.
     
  21. househippie

    househippie Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Diego
    I don't think there's necessarily anything intrinsically sacred about vinyl in and of itself. In fact, I've had many dull sounding records, which led me to ultimately seek alternative import pressings. I have to believe the original master tapes are what the musicians originally intended.
     
  22. I voted "tapes" and here's the proof to back it up that I really do feel this way: I picked up the Gerry Rafferty 'Best Of' comp. and was shocked at how different it sounded than the old records. Shocked . . at first. There was speed correction, less echo and tons of dynamic range all in the mastering. It sounded like Gerry was RIGHT THERE, and I have not heard him from vinyl since; I do not miss it either.
     
  23. Joe Koz

    Joe Koz Prodigal Bone Brotherâ„¢ In Memoriam

    Location:
    Chicagoland
    That's cool... :righton:
     
  24. Evan

    Evan Senior Member

    LOUDER!!! DUUUUDE!!!










































    just kidding, of course. I want them to sound the way Steve says they should, mostly ;)
     
  25. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me! Thread Starter

    That's becuse they were remixes. Apples and oranges.
     
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