Best "mastered" albums of the decade?

[kkl10]

Hey there LFF,
 
Nice to see you own the same Immerseel set and comparing the stock master to yours pretty clear what you mean by rolled-off treble.
 
I can clearly hear why you say that stock master makes it sound like it was recorded in a stuffy, blancket packed room... actually to much because I'm listening to these recordings with an headphone and the difference is pretty abismal, lol.
 
I usually only listen to music with headphones.
I believe that through speakers the differences should clearly favor your master.
Do you work your master with(and for) only speakers, or with(and for) headphones to?
 
It's just that the difference in treble volume (with my headphone) is so big that I can't say I prefer your master, despite being clear that the instruments in it sound much clearer and "unobstructed" than in stock mud... strings and horns so different... naturally your master has more perceptible noise than stock... I feel this extraneous noise irks the sound quality a bit...
 
Personally, I prefer the stock master but I can see how yours is the more faithfull one.
I guess it's just a matter of re-educate my ears...
But I have never heard these period instruments in live conditions so it's very difficult for me to judge how they should sound...
 
Comparing these two masters makes me feel that the mastering process of a recording is conditioned, in a big way, by the hardware setup of the recording sessions...
I mean, I feel that if the microphones used in the recording of these performances were of higher quality, your master could have lower noise floor and a cleanner treble and sound overall...
Guess it's a matter of intention and compromisse all around...
Oh, what do I know?!
Just talking out of my ass now...
 
You've picked up my interest, I think I'll PM you...

 

[LFF]

Quote:

Hey there LFF,
 
Nice to see you own the same Immerseel set and comparing the stock master to yours pretty clear what you mean by rolled-off treble.
 
I can clearly hear why you say that stock master makes it sound like it was recorded in a stuffy, blancket packed room... actually to much because I'm listening to these recordings with an headphone and the difference is pretty abismal, lol.
 
I usually only listen to music with headphones.
I believe that through speakers the differences should clearly favor your master.
Do you work your master with(and for) only speakers, or with(and for) headphones to?
 
It's just that the difference in treble volume (with my headphone) is so big that I can't say I prefer your master, despite being clear that the instruments in it sound much clearer and "unobstructed" than in stock mud... strings and horns so different... naturally your master has more perceptible noise than stock... I feel this extraneous noise irks the sound quality a bit...
 
Personally, I prefer the stock master but I can see how yours is the more faithfull one.
I guess it's just a matter of re-educate my ears...
But I have never heard these period instruments in live conditions so it's very difficult for me to judge how they should sound...
 
Comparing these two masters makes me feel that the mastering process of a recording is conditioned, in a big way, by the hardware setup of the recording sessions...
I mean, I feel that if the microphones used in the recording of these performances were of higher quality, your master could have lower noise floor and a cleanner treble and sound overall...
Guess it's a matter of intention and compromisse all around...
Oh, what do I know?!
Just talking out of my ass now...
 
You've picked up my interest, I think I'll PM you...

 
I usually do classical masters on headphones for various reasons.
 
The noise in most classical recordings is usually do to multiple mic's being used. Even with minimalist recording techniques, some noise will always be present due to the sensitivity of the microphones. Most of these recordings are actually made with high quality microphones. The noise you hear is always present and if you are ever in an anechoic chamber, you'll get to experience this. It's a strange experience and you'll actually start to hear your heart after awhile but I digress...
 
What it comes down to, in the end, is subjective preference. Many mastering engineers aim to eliminate this noise completely and as a result, the instruments and performance suffer. I rather have a little bit of noise and a lot more natural sounding music than a stuffy, mid-centric sounding performance that sounds like nothing in real life.

 

[blackthorne77]

Quote:

I haven't heard the first set but I did remaster the Immerseel set for someone last year.
 
In terms of dynamics, it's great. Very large dynamic range. In terms of actual mastering...it's meh.

 
Why? It's a typical classical mastering in the sense that the mid-range is overly emphasized and the treble has been reduced by at least 10db. It sounds like it was recorded in a stuffy, blanket packed room...not a concert hall..as there is absolutely no air surrounding the instruments. Some mastering engineers, particularly those who do classical, love reducing the treble as it eliminates hiss/noise and gives the instrumentation a warmer sound which audiophiles love. However, I feel it robs the performance of life and naturalness.
 
Compare the sound. First is stock retail...second is how I feel it should sound like (volume matched for fair comparison):
 
http://www.sendspace.com/file/mz1t4a
 
The difference in the horns and strings is not subtle (at least to me) and they sound much more lifelike with the restored treble.
 
That said, I did enjoy the performance of the Immerseel set, enough that I got it for myself.

LFF, I enjoyed the comparison PCM you remastered.  I have been a music lover since middle school and was in a symphony band for 7 years and agree with the sound of the horns on your remaster.  The original is way more polished than i have ever heard at a live performance.  In many ways beauty without imperfection isn't beautiful and this applies to many human senses.  Anyway I like to listen with a good pair of cans like the sennheiser hd 580's because the open type headphones really shine on the mid and high frequency range although the bass is diminished but for the right type of music the transparency is amazing.  Thanks.

 

[frix]

this thread actually questions my quest for better gear
when there is so much bad mastered modern music around.
 
Since I'm more into electronic music
here is my recommendation.
 
Monolake - Ghosts
Monolake - Silence
 
Stunning production (well actually best electronic music production, I have heard),
though be warned you have to be in the right mood for this kind of music
 
Tipper's music is also amazingly produced. 
 
Oh look what we have here, there is actually a new tipper album called "forward escape"
probably worth checking out.

 

[Mila Kunis]

RAM- Daft Punk

 

[Mila Kunis]

It is beautiful.

 

[Mila Kunis]

Listen to Touch, Contact, Instant Crush

 

[choC.]

Nobody mention of Shpongle - Nothing Lasts?
 
The 3D imagery and layering is superb.

 

[steelstring41]

Béla Fleck and the Flecktones self-titled album from 1990 is quite good. Excellent dynamic range all around and a joy to listen to.

http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/view/24500

 

[Rob97]

Beck - Sea Change
Beck - Morning Phase