[mdjenders]

How is it that people like Vlado Meller continue to have work after these hack job masterings? I popped in the CD yesterday to listen on my Senns (for the first time in a while), and I honestly thought my headphones were damaged. It took me 5 minutes to stop the disc and go over to my PC to order the Hoffman vinyl. It is sad that people who care about sound need to order expensive vinyls just to get decent sounding music. Why can't the labels just use competent mastering persons for the CD releases in the first place?

 

[GTRacer]

I'm not getting ANY of the rattling problems you guys have... Then again I got a 'preview' version. I'll try my CD if it is the case.

EDIT: Nope no rattling, every hit of the bass drum sounds pretty tight and deep.

 

[spectaculartimes]

In terms of the bass drum peaking and other sonic oddities on the record, it's hard for me to imagine that anything makes it through the recording and mastering process without Jack White's approval. It has to be intentional.

I've listened to the CD once and so far I'm disappointed. I'll keep listening, but it just seems like the songwriting is not on par with their other records.

 

[LawnGnome]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonick /img/forum/go_quote.gif You'll absolutely HATE the "audiophile's wet dream" of a master in the Steve Hoffman/Kevin Gray vinyl then, coz it has absolutely no distortion on the bass hits. Each hit of the bass drum is like a kick in the chest. Awesome. And I agree with the 'good vs bad' distortion. Good distortion is like that of Jack's overdriven amp or the 'noise' of analog tape recordings. Bad distortion is that of improper recording/editing/mastering as is the case with the bass drums on the CD master by Vlado Meller (the same guy who mastered Californication).

I never once said I didn't like smooth sounding recordings.

I said The White Stripes has a certain sound throughout all of their albums, and it is a gritty distorted sound.


And to the people who think its crappy mastering, try actually thinking about what you are saying. It is very obviously intentional.

If you think the white stripes should have a nice smooth sound, you don't know the white stripes at all.

 

[archosman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by craiglester /img/forum/go_quote.gif Icky Thump.. umm as in The Goodies? or was that Ecky Thump? hmmm

That episode was hilarious. Mom hates that kind of humor and she laughed her azz off

 

[Peteyglad]

Spent $1.40 this morning to download it to see if I liked it. I did so I went and bought the vinyl tonight for $25 and it included a 7" picture disc. Can't wait to give her a whirl and hear what it really sounds like!

 

[Pm@c]

ok LawnGnome, I understand you think the White Stripes have this gritty sound, but seriously, if you heard it on my headphones you would think they were busted. Its not a gritty sound at all, all it sounds like is that it was HORRIBLY mastered. Every drum kick should sound clear and smooth, and the song can still have a gritty feeling without making my headphones crackle every time the drum hits.

I have plenty of gritty albums that were actually mastered correctly and they still sound gritty without the distortion that makes me think I need to go buy new headphones.

 

[sonick]

Yes, I concur with Pm@c, the grittiness should come from the instruments and recording (e.g. overdriven guitar amp, analog tape noise, etc.) rather than from mastering itself.

If you were IN THE ROOM listening to them while they were recording the song, you'd hear distorted guitar coming from the amp, but it would be IMPOSSIBLE for there to be distortion coming from the bass drum. That's why nobody's complaining about the distortion in the guitars, rather they are complaining about the distortion in the bass drum hits.