Anybody has comments on Paul McCartney's New album's mastering?.

[nothingface7602]

Hi, i really like Paul's new album, the man is 65 and still writes fresh, melodic and at the same time heavy music, with substance.

But what the hell happened with the mastering!!


I Heard something was off when the soft songs sounded as loud as the hard ones. Then, i saw my Dorrouh meter and there it was, it sounds like Brian "big bass" gardner's masters, no dynamics, the rms is up to the roof, and totally overcompressed, what happened?.


anyway, i want to know if anyone has an opinion about it, or is it just me?.


Thanks!.


Julian SIlva

[Bob Yordan]

Originally Posted by nothingface7602

Hi, i really like Paul's new album, the man is 65 and still writes fresh, melodic and at the same time heavy music, with substance.

But what the hell happened with the mastering!!


I Heard something was off when the soft songs sounded as loud as the hard ones. Then, i saw my Dorrouh meter and there it was, it sounds like Brian "big bass" gardner's masters, no dynamics, the rms is up to the roof, and totally overcompressed, what happened?.


anyway, i want to know if anyone has an opinion about it, or is it just me?.


Thanks!.


Julian SIlva

Perhaps the ME's aim was to unite the songs using the same preset?

[nothingface7602]

yeah, which is the final aim when you master, but leave it so loud and lifeless?. maybe it's just me, but my dorrough meter and my ears tell me there's no place to breathe...


Julian

[elpillo]

I was at my friend's house last night (btw, he's an engineer at the soon-to-be-death Sony studios) and he was playing the album. I don't know his home system very well but it sounded good to me. I did notice a "flat" sound through out, though. The slower and more quit sections sounded as in-your-face as the punchy sections. I'm not a fan of that.
I'd like to get the album and listen to it at the studio to come up with an objective opinion.
The music and the production are great, btw.

[nothingface7602]

absolutely, i like slow, soft songs to be soft, and rock-hard ones to be loud!, that's music!. production is amazing, i really haven't been able to get it out of my head, first 3 songs are amazing. thanks for replying!.


J

[Brad Blackwood]

It's too bad that evil mastering engineer forced his will on Paul McCartney like that!

[Andy Krehm]

Originally Posted by Brad Blackwood

It's too bad that evil mastering engineer forced his will on Paul McCartney like that!

Ha! That's really funny. Thanks for the morning chuckle.

[camerondye]

I don't care who you are, that's funny

[finetuner]

This one has been discussed recently overhere:

What are they really hearing????

[nothingface7602]

thanks, i read the post and it's not me, now. i am glad somebody else finds this topic of interest, and willing to do something about it. to my clients, i always say: "if you want it the loudest, i am not your guy".


j

[patrox247]

Originally Posted by Brad Blackwood

It's too bad that evil mastering engineer forced his will on Paul McCartney like that!

LMAO!
Classic

[acorneau]

So, who is listed for the mastering?

[lucey]

Originally Posted by Brad Blackwood

It's too bad that evil mastering engineer forced his will on Paul McCartney like that!

The joke assumes McCartney was present, and approved the master. Who knows? He may have left it to someone else, or he may have been swayed by a trusted colleague at the last minute, or he too may fear being sonically outdated. You don't know exactly what happened, and we'll never know.

[Brad Blackwood]

Ehh, never mind...

[lucey]

Originally Posted by Brad Blackwood

No, it assumes that someone other than Bob Ludwig approved the master.

But hey, thanks for missing the point!

Seems to me your point was to defend the ME. Who was never attacked.

So hey, thanks for missing the point of this thread in a defensive haze of cynical quips!


The point here, and it's valid ... is about music appreciation and the hopes of listeners. The OP wasn't attacking, not Ludwig nor McCartney ... no one.

[Masterer]

....And then, all the air was sucked from the room.

[lucey]

Originally Posted by Masterer

....And then, all the air was sucked from the room.

True, true. What is there to say that hasn't been said?

Much of music is suffering and no one is to blame. When you have U2 and McCartney slamming meters the idea that "someone famous" will make a more dynamic record and reverse the trend is just not happening. It is what it is. So make your own record more dynamic if you have the courage, because that's all you can control.

[Masterer]

Originally Posted by lucey

So make your own record more dynamic if you have the courage, because that's all you can control.

Yep.

[hangman]

Originally Posted by lucey

The joke assumes McCartney was present, and approved the master. Who knows? He may have left it to someone else, or he may have been swayed by a trusted colleague at the last minute, or he too may fear being sonically outdated. You don't know exactly what happened, and we'll never know.

it was after all a joke... but since you're making a big deal out of it.
It doesn't matter if McCartney passed it off or didn't. Its HIS record, and he and the label are responsible for it. They obviously wanted it to sound that way, or don't care.


And your last comment assumes that we aren't already making our own records dynamic.

the original topic was McCartney's new album and the mastering job done.

I think the joke fit the bill pretty nice.

[lucey]

Originally Posted by hangman

iAnd your last comment assumes that we aren't already making our own records dynamic.

I wasn't assuming anything about your record making. I was simply stating a fact about what we can and can't control.

At the end of the analysis fear is driving this train, and no one has a remedy to give others for their fears. Not in a mastering room, or in any other form of relationship. It has to be a brave choice, and that kind of character is going to be rare.

As a music lover, this reality can really suck, but it is what it is.

[hangman]

Very true, and I'm with you, as long as you don't mind some more jokes.

[nothingface7602]

Ok, so we agree the record, and others, have followed this trend, anyone heard death Cab For Cutie's "we have the facts and we're voting yes"?. it is VERY dynamic, and i am a total Metalhead, but this record really touched something inside me, now don't make fun of this!.

[quantumpsych]

i work with a wonderful new york woman who says it "sounds like someone yelling at her" and this is at below 70db ambient! didn't mr. big bass master the killer's "hot fuss"?

[Sizam]

MAAAAAAAAAYBE............
He is following the volume wars and just wants to make the album sell on the charts, from the sound that is popular today.
who knows.
the master dosent take away from the artist for me.

[doorknocker]

I haven't heard the album yet but is it really that bad? And as far as 'over-compressing' is concerned, what about 'Paperback Writer', didn't the Beatles (and Joe Meek of course) pretty much start the 'creative compression' trend back in the day?

Is 'digital distortion' the problem or just the perceived lack of dynamics?

[patrox247]

Originally Posted by doorknocker

I haven't heard the album yet but is it really that bad? And as far as 'over-compressing' is concerned, what about 'Paperback Writer', didn't the Beatles (and Joe Meek of course) pretty much start the 'creative compression' trend back in the day?

Is 'digital distortion' the problem or just the perceived lack of dynamics?

good observation

[rob morsberger]

I agree about the sound of the record. Its sonically very aggressive. Interestingly,
that is how his band sounds live too. Great players, great band, the greatest songwriter,...but not much happening dynamically, a lot of hard hitting...esp in the drum dept (again...a great player)...not a lot of dynamic sensitivity. I guess that's what he wants.

[nothingface7602]

OK, that's a very good observation, if the band sounds like that, i agree with the album sounding like that.

[lucey]

Originally Posted by nothingface7602

OK, that's a very good observation, if the band sounds like that, i agree with the album sounding like that.

I have not heard the record ... but no songwriter oriented band sounds like slammed limiting and I can't imagine that Paul McCartney is doing wall of noise music.

We had a client in today who said (totally on her own) that she can't listen to the record because it, "irritated me to listen to it." She didn't know why but, "I can't listen to it".

Again, I have not heard it, but that was very interesting.

[DanDan]

This Paul McCartney CD has been getting good reviews, except for one which I noticed which slated it. I listened to this the other day. With apologies to those involved, I don't like it. It is a very good example of what has gone wrong with the sound of music. It has all the well documented problems which come with over-mastering. It felt like being force fed with a gruel containing square granules. I am curious if the M-E did this or were the mixes naff, and if pressure was applied by the client.

DanDan FitzGerald