Remastered CDs: Color me a sceptic

[zotjen]

Buying a remastered CD is pretty hit or miss this days. A lot depends on the intention of the release - i.e is the purpose of the remaster to produce a higher quality version of the recording or is it to make a quick buck? In the early days of CDs, many recordings were just transferred as is, and not necessarily from the master tapes. Still, some of these sound better than later remasters that came along.  

 

[Rossinator]

I'm surprised how different the Megadeth remasters are. They are remixes too, but still. I prefer the originals. They sound better to me and they seem to have more life and energy then the remasters. The remasters sound sterilized.

 

[non-entity]

To me it gets even more interesting when the music is rather old, e.g. Jazz from the forties. I can't stand it when such releases are completely sterile and polished; I think such records simply OUGHT TO BE "dirty" with a little noise and some crackling in it. How would Billie Holiday sound if the recording was perfect? Different, and not the way she sounded back then. It would be wrong to me... So far most of such Jazz records I've heard (I'm talking about remasters) were pleasing to me, so I think the genre is also a big factor. If it's something that was once in the mainstream charts, chances are that they make it louder.

 

[TheWuss]

yeah.  the genre is a big factor.
i could hardly imagine a brickwalled jazz remaster.
perhaps there's such a thing, particularly the cheap dollar-bin compilation stuff.  but, the actual artists' albums, i'd imagine those are treated with utmost respect and care when remastering.
that can't be said with rock and pop.

 

[Justin Uthadude]

Is it possible that the recording studios are unaware that we have replay gain?
=^p

 

[happyxix]

Ugh. I noticed this with my michael jackson remasters. I always thought a few years ago that remastered means better but after getting my first pair of decent headphones (A700) did I notice the distortions. I always thought it was my headphone or system but it was the song. Makes me angry >=[
 
Why do they even bother remastering? Make it a reissue and call it a day.

 

[KingStyles]

One thing to note if you are ripping to flac and replaying on a computer,dont use replay gain. I couldnt understand why all my supposedly good recordings of classical kept clipping. I kept asking myself why people had suggested these recordings when they had clipping in them. It then dawned on me to turn album replay gain off and all the clipping went away. My computer kept trying to raise all my classical up to where say californication is. Lesson learned. No more replay gain. Why I brought this up is with the new remasters being louder, replay gain could be boosting it causing clipping and distortion.

 

[necropimp]

decent replaygain implimentations include clipping prevention

 

[murrays]

Quote:

 
Why do they even bother remastering? Make it a reissue and call it a day.

It's become a marketing buzzword: leverage to sell more product.

 

[necropimp]

they could always re-issue it and just put the word "remastered" somewhere

 

[Chimera-se]

This is a really good thread. The Beatles remasters ought to be the standard to which these people should aim to achieve. Not only are they great sounding but the packaging, album art is all top quality. You really feel like you're holding something special. All the printing is on heavy stock photo paper, etc, etc... I just bought Santana's Supernatural remaster. Whoever said earlier about milking the consumer for more money, well add this to that list as well. When I heard they were remastering this album, my first thought was of confusion. The original is already a beautiful recording. The new remaster is just louder...that's about sums it up. I guess selling 20+ million copies the first time around just wasn't enough, huh? Has anyone here heard the new Led Zeppelin remasters? I would buy that box set in a heartbeat, but my hopes aren't real high

 

[mibutenma]

Quote:

I'm surprised how different the Megadeth remasters are. They are remixes too, but still. I prefer the originals. They sound better to me and they seem to have more life and energy then the remasters. The remasters sound sterilized.

Rerecorded as well especially with Peace Sells Buts Who's Buying and So Far So Good So What.
I could understand if someone liked the newer versions of those though. But old thrash metal was just raw none of them had expensive or slick production until the 90's except Metallica but they couldn't figure out the bass guitar part.
Rust In Peace has rerecorded vocals on some songs.Youthanasia Addicted To Chaos is completely different drums.
 
 

 

[grokit]

x2, that's a big part of the problem IMO.
 
Quote:

 
...the master tapes are degrading with time.

 

[ford2]

Quote:

 
There is also the dilemma that the master tapes are degrading with time. 

Along with my hearing.
 
Only thing worse than a remastered is a remastered in stereo.

 

[necropimp]

just like i said on some other forums regarding older films someone needs to figure out time travel so we can go back to get the master tapes while they are still new to make the digital transfers and then put them back in their proper time/place