Remastered Beatles - stereo, mono or both? - Page 3

innerSpaceman · 09-11-2009, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moonliner

For music: I tend perfer it in whatever quality I first heard it. They way people tend to like their first James Bond or Dr. Who. Clean it up too much and it just sounds wrong.

Or is that just me?

Interestingly, in creating the Disneyland 50 retrospective, I mixed remastered segments of such Park hits as Yo Ho, A Pirates Life for Me and it's a small world after all with old recordings from the 60's. The old sounds were decidedly "right," and the new mixes were beautifully awesome. I used them both, as both were great. I'm glad I didn't have to choose between, and I'm none too sure anyone notices the mid-song switcheroos but me.

mousepod · 09-10-2009, 01:30 PM

Actually, that's pretty silly. Microphones and recording technology were perfectly fine (sound-wise) back in the 1960s. However, mass-produced records are fraught with potential sound problems (and crappy styluses (stylii?) didn't help much either). The idea of these CDs is that the original master recordings are utilized and the digital reproduction will be lossless.

innerSpaceman · 09-10-2009, 02:43 PM

What recordings did they use for the first round of CD? The slaves?

mp, are you going to listen to any of them any time soon? I will trust your discerning ear.

As for imperfect technicolor strips ... I dunno about that. But I watched the blu-ray of Close Encounters the other night - - and it looked so crisp and clean and grainless that it seemed downright wrong at times.

Alex · 09-10-2009, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

As for imperfect technicolor strips ... I dunno about that. But I watched the blu-ray of Close Encounters the other night - - and it looked so crisp and clean and grainless that it seemed downright wrong at times.

Yeah, I jested but there are legitimate issues (such as how much grain to leave in when cleaning up the dust and other later imperfections). For the new Wizard of Oz blu-ray the perfect alignment of the strips resulted in otherwise barely discernible strings snapping into perfect clarity when the flying monkeys come through. They made the decision to remove them (the monkeys, not the strings) digitally.

mousepod · 09-10-2009, 02:55 PM

I've listened to much of the stereo and mono boxes so far. They sound spectacular. This is the best CD release so far.

I haven't compared them to the Purple Chick needle drops yet, but I imagine they're at least a little better.

Still, if I'm going to spend money on The Beatles again, I'm going to wait for the audiophile vinyl pressings.

Betty · 09-10-2009, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mousepod

Purple Chick needle drops

What in the heck does that mean?

mousepod · 09-10-2009, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Betty

What in the heck does that mean?

Since the original CD releases sounded inferior to the original LPs, a bunch of different fans (under various different names) went back to the cleanest-sounding vinyl they could find and recorded it, using no special digital tricks or equalization. They're called "needle drops" because it's basically the sound you'd get if you dropped the needle on the record and hit "record".

Another fan group called Purple Chick weeded through the best of the needle drops (and all other existing bootlegs) and built and shared (for free) a set with other Beatles fans.

flippyshark · 09-10-2009, 03:17 PM

*sigh* - I forgot about the vinyl release. I'm going to want that too.

flippyshark · 09-10-2009, 03:34 PM

Oh, and Purple Chick Needle Drops would be a great name for a band.

innerSpaceman · 09-10-2009, 04:16 PM

Heheh, Isaac asked me why I just didn't disconnect my turntable yesterday. I can't remember the last time I used it.

That said, I have both a German set and a Japanese set of Beatles vinyl. That's as good as I care to get, considering I'll NEVER listen to them.

Too bad the new release is not in one of the (extinct I guess) audiophile uber-CD formats. Now that I've got an Oppo blu-ray to decode and play those, I'm hankering to get a few somehow (a time machine might be necessary). Beatles would have been perfect.

As it is, maybe I'll buy one of the new CDs and do a Pepsi/Coke blindfold test with the old CDs. If I can tell the difference .... hmmm?

09-10-2009, 01:30 PM	#2
mousepod You broke your Ramadar! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,635	Actually, that's pretty silly. Microphones and recording technology were perfectly fine (sound-wise) back in the 1960s. However, mass-produced records are fraught with potential sound problems (and crappy styluses (stylii?) didn't help much either). The idea of these CDs is that the original master recordings are utilized and the digital reproduction will be lossless. __________________ "Give the public everything you can give them, keep the place as clean as you can keep it, keep it friendly" - Walt Disney
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09-10-2009, 02:43 PM	#3
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	What recordings did they use for the first round of CD? The slaves? mp, are you going to listen to any of them any time soon? I will trust your discerning ear. As for imperfect technicolor strips ... I dunno about that. But I watched the blu-ray of Close Encounters the other night - - and it looked so crisp and clean and grainless that it seemed downright wrong at times.
	Submit to Quotes

09-10-2009, 02:55 PM	#5
mousepod You broke your Ramadar! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,635	I've listened to much of the stereo and mono boxes so far. They sound spectacular. This is the best CD release so far. I haven't compared them to the Purple Chick needle drops yet, but I imagine they're at least a little better. Still, if I'm going to spend money on The Beatles again, I'm going to wait for the audiophile vinyl pressings. __________________ "Give the public everything you can give them, keep the place as clean as you can keep it, keep it friendly" - Walt Disney
	Submit to Quotes

09-10-2009, 03:17 PM	#8
flippyshark Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 2,852	sigh - I forgot about the vinyl release. I'm going to want that too.
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09-10-2009, 03:34 PM	#9
flippyshark Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 2,852	Oh, and Purple Chick Needle Drops would be a great name for a band.
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09-10-2009, 04:16 PM	#10
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	Heheh, Isaac asked me why I just didn't disconnect my turntable yesterday. I can't remember the last time I used it. That said, I have both a German set and a Japanese set of Beatles vinyl. That's as good as I care to get, considering I'll NEVER listen to them. Too bad the new release is not in one of the (extinct I guess) audiophile uber-CD formats. Now that I've got an Oppo blu-ray to decode and play those, I'm hankering to get a few somehow (a time machine might be necessary). Beatles would have been perfect. As it is, maybe I'll buy one of the new CDs and do a Pepsi/Coke blindfold test with the old CDs. If I can tell the difference .... hmmm?
	Submit to Quotes