Why I Don't Buy "Remastered" CDs.

The high quality version is here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UjQc0dM4H4&fmt=18
The sick thing is, this is a very mild example. There's MUCH MUCH worse out there. I just so happen to own both of these.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• loudness
• war
• race
• dire
• straids
• money
• for
• nothing
• nothin'
• master
• remaster
• mastering
• remastering.

[vbrindle]

In sound editors there is a Normalise option to maximise the peak volume. Does this destroy the music? I don't see this as loudness though as there is no compression involved to make the lower sounds louder, it's just like turning the volume up. Thoughts?

[wado1942]

@vbrindle Normalizing is not as destructive as limiting & clipping etc because it does not alter the dynamics or crest factor of the music. I will state, though, that almost all digital processes add distortion. Exceptions to this are simple summing and increasing the level by exactly 6.02dB (assuming you're still not clipping the signal). Now, increasing the level by 6dB or 6.04dB will increase quantization error, but if you're using a good DAW, it shouldn't be enough to notice.

[nibiru48]

"Remastered" is a very loosely used (and overused) term. You have to read between the lines and watch out for the marketing people.

[wado1942]

@nibiru48 It's pretty simple actually. Any time a new source for copies is made, a new master is made and thus "remastered". That could mean taking a production copy and making a master copy off of it or it could mean months of research finding the original mix tapes & meticulously trying to recreate the sound the artists intended for a new medium. So yeah, it's pretty broad, but not dishonest either way you go.

[nibiru48]

@wado1942 Thanks. I know how the process works. I did not mean that it's dishonest. I mere pointed out that one should approcah the term "remastered" with caution and not expect the "latest" version to necessarily be better in all respects than an earlier edition. There are many factors at play. Quality of source materials, A/D conversion quality, competence and skill of the mastering engineer, catering for particular playback mediums etc.

[wado1942]

@nibiru48 Yeah, you're totally right.

[Pippomone]

FUCK LOUDNESS WAR.

[Adrian5606]

Modern recording/mastering sucks... but then again, so does modern music.

[khaliamoon]

Looks like Cool Edit Pro interface.

I use it. ;)

[jimmyjamx1]

I call them non transient track squasher

[antonio610]

I just want to punch people in the face when I see someone praise a remaster.

Use. Your. Fucking. Volume. Knob.

[JoeyDrunko]

Honestly, even casette tapes on a decent player sound better than modern cd's... and that is just sad.

[misterbilbotbaggins]

@pacmanfan1214 True, but that has more to do with songwriting than with production. ;)

[TheeAldeen]

@nibiru48 Remastered = Maximized to the Max : : Emphasize on Max: :Straight up against the digital ceiling of 0dbfs (decibels full-scale)