HW Knights of Space
Carl Edlund Anderson
cea at CARLAZ.COM
Fri Aug 8 12:40:49 EDT 2008
On 08 Aug 2008, at 11:08 , Steve Swann wrote:
> I think it would be crazy for anyone to deny that Levitation is one
> of the one of the most crisp and clean sounding albums ever. It
> was digital recording done right, and I think that remastering
> could only detract from what's now about as close to a perfect
> mastering job as I've ever heard.
Levitation does sound pretty good. Honestly, I've seldom heard re-
mastering do much for many "'80s and after releases" unless the
original mastering for CD was just stupidly messed up.
Like, the 2006 re-release of _Spine of God_ is rather more compressed
than the original CD release, but the original CD mastering was also
not very good. So, I like the 2006 version rather better.
> Especially given modern studio standard practice:
> (1) compress the shit out of it
> (2) increase volume past clipping level
> (3) repeat until totally ruined
This trend really is reaching ridiculous levels. I've got some
recent CDs where there will be this delicate little keyboard or
acoustic intro to a song, and then the band comes in with a
"whommmmm" power chord, except that the levels are so insanely
redlined that it sounds like someone farting through a bad phone line
rather than a massive explosion of gloriously amplified awesomeness.
Fizzes like a bottle of Coke dropped from orbit! Kinda of takes away
from the intended effect, I think ....
Someone needs to step in and put the brakes on this. You want to
stupidly compress the single going out to radios and as a videos or
whatever: OK, what the heck. No one buys singles any more
anyway. :) Burn the competition's ears out! But on a whole CD?
These insanely over-compressed to superloudness CDs start to get a
bit wearing after a few tracks (even if they don't fuzz out at
points) and who wants to listen to that?
Cheers,
Carl
--
Carl Edlund Anderson
http://www.carlaz.com/
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