EMI Beatles Remastered Box Sets

[Keiko]

Just got this ad from elusivedisc in my mail. I'm hoping for SACD releases as well, but here's what's on the horizon.

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/c302d005e1.jpg (http://www.freeimagehosting.net/)

[Danny Tse]

I have the fear of these remastered CDs sounding horrible.

[Keiko]

I have the fear of these remastered CDs sounding horrible.
One can only pray Daniel San. ;) Hopefully not, just have to wait and see.

[nspindel]

I have the fear of these remastered CDs sounding horrible.

They've been working on this at Abbey Road for four years, with George Martin. There's no way this will sound horrible, this will be the real deal. If you listen to "Love" you can appreciate what this set is capable of sounding like. I'm pretty optimistic that this will be great.

[TECHNOKID]

Can't wait, september is sooo far away!

[cnh]

The first album I ever bought as a kid was HELP. I hope this stuff sounds great!

cnh

[TECHNOKID]

The first album I ever bought as a kid was HELP. I hope this stuff sounds great!

cnhI think we are in the same age area. This was and still a good one! Is your vinyl still in good shape? I have to get busy cleaning all my old vinyls from the mid-late 70s. I am convinced with a good cleaning HELP would play almost like new! Everything that is Beatles, Credence, Guess Who and PMc & The Wings always been cherished and well taken care of. I think I'd really like the mono mini vinyls collection :cool:

[cnh]

Unfortunately I don't have all that vinyl, only some of it. My loss, was seduced by the CD in the 80s. But all that is good--Credence, Guess Who, any one for some old Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, Kinks, Stones, Hendrix, Who,L. Zeppilin, can we continue? Man what an era....no one has to tell you about it...just look at that monster list by George Grand! That boy is my age or within a year. And he knows his 'music'!

cnh

[nooshinjohn]

why can they not do a vinyl release as well? I can only pray for it

[treitz3]

If you listen to "Love" you can appreciate what this set is capable of sounding like.I've got "Love" and the way it was recorded lets me know that this is something that will not be on my long or short wish list. No offense, I just wasn't that impressed with that recording. My impressions are archived somewhere in the depths of this forum....

[nspindel]

why can they not do a vinyl release as well? I can only pray for it

Mobile Fidelity has already done it. The Mobile Fidelity Beatles vinyl is amazing stuff.

[nspindel]

I've got "Love" and the way it was recorded lets me know that this is something that will not be on my long or short wish list. No offense, I just wasn't that impressed with that recording. My impressions are archived somewhere in the depths of this forum....

You weren't impressed with the mix? Or with the recording quality? I can understand why a purist wouldn't enjoy all the overdubs and sampling, although if you appreciate the fact that it's a soundtrack to a show and not just a simple Beatles compilation it's understandable. But sonically, I think it's about as good as you can expect the Beatles to get. Like it or not, these are still recordings from the 60's....

[Keiko]

Mobile Fidelity has already done it. The Mobile Fidelity Beatles vinyl is amazing stuff.

Long out of print. And this box set will cost you now just shy of your left testicle and first born. I had most all the original LP's and left them home when I went to report for US Army Basic Training. Long gone now. :(

[treitz3]

Mix is fine. Recording quality leaves something to be desired. I feel they could have done better.

[Keiko]

Mix is fine. Recording quality leaves something to be desired. I feel they could have done better.
Respectfully Tom, I gotta disagree. I have this on 180g vinyl. The SQ is amazing IMO.

[comfortablycurt]

I thought Love was incredible myself. It's one of my favorite CD's to use a reference these days actually.


If these new remasters sound anywhere near as good as Love does, I'll be happy. I'm definitely going to be buying at least the stereo box set.

[F1nut]

They've been working on this at Abbey Road for four years, with George Martin. There's no way this will sound horrible, this will be the real deal.

They've already admitted to using compression, so excellent sound quality has already been thrown out the window.

[treitz3]

Respectfully Tom, I gotta disagree. I have this on 180g vinyl. The SQ is amazing IMO.That's ok. It's only what I hear. You may hear different. Unlike others on this board, I can agree to disagree and move on.

I have not heard the LP, FYI. Only CD. That may be part of the difference in what we hear.

[Keiko]

That's ok. It's only what I hear. You may hear different. Unlike others on this board, I can agree to disagree and move on.

I have not heard the LP, FYI. Only CD. That may be part of the difference in what we hear.

PM'd coming at ya bro. :cool:

[LessisNevermore]

They've already admitted to using compression, so excellent sound quality has already been thrown out the window.

Compression is fine. Dynamic range limiters are satan's preferred tool for the demise of SQ. They are both useful tools for the good, but they obviously have more sinister uses.

Seriously though, I think if Martin is involved, it will be up to his caliber of work, not just bending over for the $$.

[treitz3]

Compression is fine.Not to my ears.

[LessisNevermore]

Not to my ears.

When it's used lightly, it's very useful for fattening up the tone of individual instruments and vocals in the studio.

There's a difference between compressors and limiters. Compressors can shape tone, and like most studio components, has a gain compensation. Usually, if you compress an instrument, you would lower the gain back to it's previous level to compensate for the effect. They can be pushed to distortion, but this is not what is used to make most new recordings sound bad.

Limiters raise the overall loudness of a given track, by limiting the db peaks, usually just before clipping. They also can raise the volume of the quieter parts of the waveform, up to near the levels of the peaks. This raises the overall volume, and pushes the peaks into clipping and distortion. This is what ruins recordings, and likely what people mistake for compression. I know I did, before I learned the difference.:cool:

[F1nut]

Ok, here it is and I stand corrected, they did use limiting, not compression. Also note that George Martin nor his son had anything to do with it, which I'm not so sure is a bad thing considering what a mess he made of the originals.


"Re-mastering the Beatles catalogue

The re-mastering process commenced with an extensive period conducting tests before finally copying the analogue master tapes into the digital medium. When this was completed, the transfer was achieved using a Pro Tools workstation operating at 24 bit 192 kHz resolution via a Prism A-D converter. Transferring was a lengthy procedure done a track at a time. Although EMI tape does not suffer the oxide loss associated with some later analogue tapes, there was nevertheless a slight build up of dust, which was removed from the tape machine heads between each title.

From the onset, considerable thought was given to what audio restorative processes were going to be allowed. It was agreed that electrical clicks, microphone vocal pops, excessive sibilance and bad edits should be improved where possible, so long as it didn’t impact on the original integrity of the songs.

In addition, de-noising technology, which is often associated with re-mastering, was to be used, but subtly and sparingly. Eventually, less than five of the 525 minutes of Beatles music was subjected to this process. Finally, as is common with today’s music, overall limiting - to increase the volume level of the CD - has been used, but on the stereo versions only. However, it was unanimously agreed that because of the importance of The Beatles’ music, limiting would be used moderately, so as to retain the original dynamics of the recordings.

When all of the albums had been transferred, each song was then listened to several times to locate any of the agreed imperfections. These were then addressed by Guy Massey, working with Audio Restoration engineer Simon Gibson.

Mastering could now take place, once the earliest vinyl pressings, along with the existing CDs, were loaded into Pro Tools, thus allowing comparisons to be made with the original master tapes during the equalization process. When an album had been completed, it was auditioned the next day in studio three – a room familiar to the engineers, as all of the recent Beatles mixing projects had taken place in there – and any further alteration of EQ could be addressed back in the mastering room. Following the initial satisfaction of Guy and Steve, Allan Rouse and Mike Heatley then checked each new re-master in yet another location and offered any further suggestions. This continued until all 13 albums were completed to the team’s satisfaction."

Why use limiting at all.....idiots!

[LessisNevermore]

Limiting can be useful too. If you had one take of an acoustic guitar, that was "the one", (keeper) but let's say the guitarist backed away from the mic, and the level was too low. You could then use a limiter to bring the level up to save a previously unusable take.
It's when labels started wanting their cd to be the loudest in the changer, that things went to hell.

At least there was a group effort on the remasters, instead of one person potentially mucking it up to suit himself. I guess we'll see....

[nspindel]

I just don't get it. They're doing this project because the original cd's sound like shit. Who do they think they're target audiece is? 12-year olde with iPods? Or adults with real equipment who want the best sound imaginable? I don't know about everyone else, but I'm happy to turn up the volume!

I had thought Sir George was involved, I guess not...

[heiney9]

My biggest concern with any remaster of older (what I consider "classic" recordings) is that they many times end up becoming "modernized". A lot of the allure of the older recordings is the process and equipment they used 20,30,40 years ago. It has a certain "character" that can't be reproduced today and can be diminished or even totally ruined by modern methods used to "remaster" a recording.

I agree........a light handed clean-up and fattening and adding some overall consistency to older recordings is OK. I just hope they don't "sterilize" them too much. It will ruin the catalog which are great documents for that time period.

Don't even get me started on the "butchering" of the Zep catalog. It all started with the original cd's being pressed many times form 2nd or 3rd generation masters in the haste to get stuff out. Every time they remaster a new release they get worse. It should have been done right the first time. The band wasn't even consulted when the original cd's were pressed.

Would we go back and repaint the Mona Lisa or other famous paintings, sculptures, etc...........no we meticulously, painstakingly clean and freshen these types of world masterpieces. The same time and care should be taken with classic music, IMO.

H9

[Keiko]

Educate me guys, but aren't all redbook CD's compressed digitally?

[danger boy]

they need to use tube gear to lay the tracks down, not digital.

I think these remasters could sound pretty good.. they better not eff it up.

I like what I read what F1Nut quoted....


Finally, as is common with today’s music, overall limiting - to increase the volume level of the CD - has been used, but on the stereo versions only. However, it was unanimously agreed that because of the importance of The Beatles’ music, limiting would be used moderately, so as to retain the original dynamics of the recordings.

[LessisNevermore]

Educate me guys, but aren't all redbook CD's compressed digitally?

I think that would depend on the mastering house, the producer and the equipment they have on hand. Redbook is a set of standards, not a processing chain, and certainly not a magical seal of approval-guaranteeing a good sounding disc. There's a lot that goes into it, and plenty of opportunity to futz it up.



they need to use tube gear to lay the tracks down, not digital.

I think these remasters could sound pretty good.. they better not eff it up.

I like what I read what F1Nut quoted....


danger boy, a fair amount of music is still recorded to 2" tape, before bringing it into the digital realm for editing. Editing in digital is much more efficient than cutting and splicing tape, not to mention safer for the recording. You can see what you are editing, rather than having to watch the timecode meter, to see where to make your cuts on the tape. Cut and splice is very time consuming, and it's a one-shot deal. Doing it in the digital realm gives you the option of undoing a mistake, or deleting it completely, leaving the original track safely on tape.

Even recordings that are all digital (DDD), tube gear is still used extensively in studios that can afford it, but it's used on the input chain. Think of it like using a tube pre with solid state power. (sort of..)

The line that you underlined from Jesse's quote, is very promising. They are saying that "yes, we are using a limiter, but only lightly to bring the levels up a small amount,(probably to get them more even between all tracks) and not to the point of clipping." The original dynamics of the recording will be preserved.

[BigMac]

I can tell you from first hand listening experience that this box set will please many,many fans for sure. Does not sound gained up at all. I am not a big Beatles fan but I must admit this does sound pretty good. There have been leaks of this and I decided to check out what was available because of this thread. Only a few discs are available and of those discs, only a few tracks from each are 'leaked'......I'm sure there are plenty more but I just wanted an idea of what this box set would sound like. I also found a few .mov files that are on the discs and they are pretty cool to watch. All the music files I found were uncompressed so I got to hear them in all their glory. I probably wont be buying it but if you are a Beatles fan I can see this being added to your collection. Back to normal programming.

[danger boy]

I can tell you from first hand listening experience that this box set will please many,many fans for sure. Does not sound gained up at all. I am not a big Beatles fan but I must admit this does sound pretty good. There have been leaks of this and I decided to check out what was available because of this thread. Only a few discs are available and of those discs, only a few tracks from each are 'leaked'......I'm sure there are plenty more but I just wanted an idea of what this box set would sound like. I also found a few .mov files that are on the discs and they are pretty cool to watch. All the music files I found were uncompressed so I got to hear them in all their glory. I probably wont be buying it but if you are a Beatles fan I can see this being added to your collection. Back to normal programming.

Where did you hear these tracks first hand? :confused:

[BigMac]

Where did you hear these tracks first hand? :confused:

On my home system. If it's digital, it's out there somewhere. You just have to be creative to find it.:D

[heiney9]

Where did you hear these tracks first hand? :confused:

Stuff is leaked all the time. It's very easy to get stuff these days. Again, you have to know where to look and how to be creative when you search the 'net.

[xcapri79]

Just got this ad from elusivedisc in my mail. I'm hoping for SACD releases as well, but here's what's on the horizon.

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/c302d005e1.jpg (http://www.freeimagehosting.net/)

Hey Jude, you read the news today oh boy, and it is certainly getting better. When tomorrow comes it will be here there and everywhere. So let it be. The end.

[Keiko]

Hey Jude, you read the news today oh boy, and it is certainly getting better. When tomorrow comes it will be here there and everywhere. So let it be. The end.
Finished with your thread crapping troublemaker?

[xcapri79]

Finished with your thread crapping troublemaker?

Lighten up and be civil.

[Keiko]

Lighten up and be civil.
G f y