Is it the Artsts or the Labels...

...that are more willing to license certain titles for LP (S & G, ZEP etc)and not for CD or high rez? Does anyone know the reasons behind this?

 

Steve, Gary:

I have long had the growing impression that the major labels and artists really do not want us to have high rez digital copies of recorded work. Eventhough the present technologies are very capable, I believe the major labels and some artists, at an emotional level and for business reasons, are growing increasingly uncomfortable everytime they have to release a recording in a high quality digital format. In other words, it is "digital" that they fear. Because LP's are analog, they are more comfortable. Digital files are easy to download onto computers, etc.--the whole file sharing thing. At some level, the major labels and some artists believe that many of us are going to "rip them off". For those of us who purchase, versus downloading, our music on CD, DVD or SACD format this "lack of trust" is offensive. I even have a fear that the reason so many labels "maximize" the sound in the mastering process today is so we do not have a high rez digital copy of recordings they offer for sale. It is ironic, actually. Technology has developed to the point where we can reproduce the full resolution of just about any recorded work and yet we, as consumers, see more and more added compression and maximizing of recordings released in the digital format by the major labels.

Bob

 

Depending on the situation, someone's paying before you buy the discs. Sometimes the label, sometimes the artists.

 

Oh, GOOD theory! It makes a LOT of sense, especially when you consider that radio promos on CD are many times NOT level maximized! This just may be the dirty little secret that NO one will discuss!

You do notice that it has not done one thing to help discourage file-sharing...

 

Grant,

Yes, I actually believe that my theory is the "secret" that no one wants us to know.

Bob

 

I would like to comment here,
I am not a full fledged engineer, however have been trained in the basics and have produced some work so here it goes:

I think the reason why stuff sounds so maxed out is because at the level of A & R, it is being dictated to compete for attention. When one is instructed about shopping a new band, for example, they are told that in order to get the A&R's attention, or the label president or financial or whatever, they should not have to get up to turn your CD up: it must be mastered loud in order to sound "radio-friendly".

Now, if you understand that at the source, the stuff we call art is being sold to be competitive on modern radio, (be it modern rock or AC or what ever) then this is what this kind of philosophy dictates.

Also remember that money talks, bu--s--t walks. Most people who want to be impressed by "hi-fi" will notice a goose in the low and high end and a general instensity increase as being proof that something miraculous has occured. That will just about pacify anyone, except most everyone here, and the guru himself. (thank you!)

Also, the other piece of noise that bugs me in the modern day mastering process for rock 'n' roll is that there is an all pervading opinion that mastering will fix the flaws in the tape. The master sounds dull and lifeless? Wait till we get it back from the facility! It will be more compressed and that high end will live again, as well as that guitar fill that was lost in the mix. In fact, there will also be a lack of low-end because radio doesn't favour bass in popular music other than rap so we will find limited low frequency information when it arrives.

What gets sent out as a master tape for a modern rock group now? I have seen and heard lifeless treble-missing, bass heavy (they will remove most of that in the mastering process too, so why not jack the levels?) piece of garbage that is sent away to be doctored into shape.
My question of course is always: Why send the tape out mixed horribly to be fixed by mucho processing, when you could send out a tape with close tonalities and as much compression as you wanted for the final product, so that minimal processing would be performed on it?

So folks, that has been my experience. Makes me ill. I figure that if I get enough dosh and my next project works, I would love to hire Steve. That is no jive either sir!!

 

Somebody on the ICE board was complaining that the guitars weren't loud enough on the new Chicago remasters...