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

It is because Giles Martin believes that the younger generation will not accept mono, as a format.

Most people today are more familiar with the original stereo mix. But, the problem with it is that it lacks the impact of the mono mix. So,the young Martin thought it would be a good idea to remix the stereo so it sounds more like the mono. After all, The Beatles worked on and and approved the mono mix, something a lot of stereo fans can't accept.

 

Which is fine and dandy, but making it a loud as possible and distorting it with a lot of compression doesn't make it sound more like the mono.

 

Let the mono be the mono.

Let the stereo be the stereo.

Stop trying to invent a bridge version because it'll never be as good as either.

 

The mono mix does have more mixing compression. I think a lot of people just aren't used to the mono mix, or cannot comprehend compression in the stereo mix. However, the new CD has been subjected to mastering compression, and it affects two tracks, most notably "Being For the Benefit Of Mr. Kite!", which seems to have an average higher volume than the rest for some unknown reason.

I know i'm stating the obvious, but if you compare the mono mix with the new stereo mix, you will find that Giles duplicated the compression found on the mono to make the sound more authentic.

 

Except that millions of people disagree. There is a serious hatred of mono out there.

 

They applied more compression onto the CDs then the vinyl, meaning they obviously would have no problem applying more compression in the first place.

The dynamic range of the vinyl is close to the mono but still a little lower, meaning they added more compression.

Also, since they compressed it and made it as loud as possible, they made their intentions clear as to why they compressed it, and that was to cater to the loudness war of today. They couldn't do that to the vinyl so we get a regressed version of it, thankfully an alternative to audiophiles.

 

I forgot to mention that my post only refers to CD versions.

 

Well that's even worse. The vinyl is the only one that remotely compares to the original mono.

Look at the dynamic range of the CD stereo to the 2014 mono vinyl:

CD:

Sgt. Pepper - 8
With A Little - 9
Lucy - 8
Getting better - 8
Fixing A Hole - 8
She's Leaving Home - 10
Being For The Benefit - 6...
Within You - 9
Sixty-Four - 10
Rita - 7
Good Morning - 7
Pepper Reprise - 7
A Day in the Life - 7

2014 Mono Vinyl:

Sgt. Pepper - 11
With A Little - 12
Lucy - 11
Getting better - 12
Fixing A Hole - 12
She's Leaving Home - 9
Being For The Benefit - 10
Within You - 11
Sixty-Four - 12
Rita - 12
Good Morning - 11
Pepper Reprise - 11
A Day in the Life - 12

 

Except this is the first project to date where "recreating the mono" was the stated goal.

 

I do not pay attention to DR values, but my reference for the Beatles mono is all from the 2009 mono CD box, which was not subjected to mastering compression or limiting. I also think it is useless to use DR results on vinyl rips because of the variances in cartridges and phono stages. They will all yield a different DR result.

 

Well you don't have to pay attention to them, but it's a statistic that exists which proves that they added much more compression to the new mixes, but I will go to extra lengths to prove it if you must.

2009 Mono CD:

Sgt. Pepper - 10
With A Little - 12
Lucy - 12
Getting better - 11
Fixing A Hole - 11
She's Leaving Home - 9
Being For The Benefit - 11
Within You - 12
Sixty-Four - 13
Rita - 11
Good Morning - 11
Pepper Reprise - 11
A Day in the Life - 11

Overall: 11

2017 Stereo Remix CD:

Sgt. Pepper - 8
With A Little - 9
Lucy - 8
Getting better - 8
Fixing A Hole - 8
She's Leaving Home - 10
Being For The Benefit - 6...
Within You - 9
Sixty-Four - 10
Rita - 7
Good Morning - 7
Pepper Reprise - 7
A Day in the Life - 7

Overall: 8

 

You didn't even need to do that, because, while I don't pay attention to DR values, I do inspect the rip in an audio editor, and I listen to them.

But, you see, aside from the aforementioned track "Being For the Benefit Of Mr. Kite!", I don't mind the compression on the new mix. I know it was added. It was to make the new stereo mix sound like the mono mix. And, of course your little DR values are going to be different from the mono mixes. It's a different mix!

Don't get me wrong: I certainly do hear hyper-compression on many (non-Beatles) new masterings compared to the older masterings. I know what it sounds like, and it sounds like it's congested and aggressively in your face. I don't like it. But, in the case of this remixed album, it doesn't bother me.

Steve mentioned that some guy tried to dub the stereo remix onto a reel to reel. I could have told that guy his effort was useless. That same compression would be translated to the tape!

Perhaps my equipment doesn't let me hear the bad compression you guys hear. I know that the first time the "Let It be Naked" compression on the CD really hit home to me was when I heard it on a high-end system. It was horrid! It was especially bad because the store was using it as a demo!!!

 

I guess. To me the new CD mixes just sound loud. They don't make me think mono.

The new vinyl mixes sound better. A little more lively and not in your face. I can appreciate it as a nice mix to listen to. I can't with the CD.

 

THE BEATLES IN MEREO

 

or monstereo

 

They really don't sound alike at all to me.

 

OK. I've had a week or two to fumble about with ll the mixes, ignore all the expert-texperts here and decided that I prefer the unofficial Mirror Spock mono-into-stereo version which, admitted or not by Giles, was what he set out to produce an official version of. It was Mirror Spock's aim to get the hit of the mono with the spread of stereo and on all counts I think his mysterious process worked better than an actual remix.
Although I love the Macca bass, it's just mixed too high on the official remix. Speaking as a bass player, you should never let the bass player do the mix. I suspect Giles was in bass-player pleasing mode here but it's JUST TOO LOUD

 

I don't actually think that it is just a case of recreating the original mono mix because, let's face it, the new mix is anything but mono. What I think should have been said was that they were trying to emulate the impact and power of the mono mix while using the whole range of available 'tracks' on the various pre-bounced tapes to create a stronger and less limited stereo image. When you listen to the original stereo mix on headphones there are horrible vacuums within the stereo picture on some (not all) of the tracks which make for very uncomfortable listening. The title track, for example, sounds ridiculous and very weak. When you compare the new mix with the old you realise that there is a powerful rock track hiding. The original sounds like you have one ear to the door of the studio - it is muffled and thin and the hard panning of elements are really poor on this track. The new mix fills the stereo image with clear and integrated instrumentation, effects and vocals.

So, if you ignore the statement of "we're recreating the mono mix" they have created a new modern mix which does cure a lot of the weak stereo mix decisions of the original stereo release. Time and a lack of choice of instrumentation placement as a result of pre-bounce mixing to individual tracks gave them some very odd options where it was often only the later 'effects' that were available for balanced placement across the stereo picture and as a result the core 'band' performance was relegated to a very rudimentary setting rather like Please Please Me. This affected some tracks more than others in the original stereo mix. Some such as Within You Without You and Getting Better do not give the sense of vertigo that other tracks do. I think that this is what Giles meant when he said he was "recreating the mono". He was filling in 'holes' in the stereo picture and creating a more balanced arrangement of instrumentation that offended the (modern) ear, not creating a pseudo mono mix. A lot of the loudness that listeners seem to be complaining about seems to me to be because the new mix is replacing an almost complete absence of sound in one channel (and/or) the centre of the stereo image with a balanced array of instruments, effects and vocals liberated by the availability of the full array of pre-bounced tapes giving a range of mixing options which was unavailable to those mixing the album in 1967.

 

The remix vinyl has an overall DR of 10.

 

The mono mix has bad edits (end of "Good Morning Good Morning" to "Pepper" reprise for example) that make me think that, while the Beatles may have been present and "approved" that mix, they likely were stoned and didn't care if there was a bad edit or too much trippy effect on John's vocal on "Lucy". Maybe they just wanted it done quickly so they could leave? To me, it sounds like MUCH MORE care was taken with the stereo mix, probably BECAUSE the Beatles were NOT there hanging over their shoulders. Same with The White Album. I mean, the stereo mix of"Helter Skelter" alone sells that version for me.

 

And 1+ ?

 

And let the remix be the remix

 

Not exactly, but I decided to go for the vinyl set over the CD set for now. Usually, I grab the CDs first and then add the vinyl later on but the good reviews for the vinyl here have caused me to reverse my normal approach.

 

Uh, it is an actual remix.

 

I have enjoyed the remix but I have already found myself going back to the 2009 CD as my source for casual listening. The outtakes material is great though (with a few speed modifications).