Death Magnetic

[joerod]

Originally Posted by soundsundergroun

Here is a theory:

Metallica and crew purposely put this distorted garbage on the market to educate the non-technical audience of the loudness war.

The next Metallica CD will be full of dynamics, it will have sonic superiority over all of all their albums. Everyone will note and the industry will follow.

One can only hope.

And hopefully, it will be mastered at the same place by the same guy (it's only fair)...

[truthnlife13]

Originally Posted by ianshepherd

Fwiw there is a video on YouTube with a comparison of the CD and "Guitar Hero" versions, I've linked to it on my blog:

Metallica Death Magnetic video comparison - you decide

The differences are as plain as the nose on your face, even after YouTube has mangled it...

Ian

entire album and it is much better than the retail CD. Still squashed a bit but much more listenable and you can simply hear things you can't on the retail CD

[24-96 Mastering]

Where / how would one get the guitar hero version?

[kjg]

Originally Posted by 24-96 Mastering

Where / how would one get the guitar hero version?

I haven't looked for it yet, but I'm guessing it's all over the torrent sites.

[24-96 Mastering]

Originally Posted by kjg

I haven't looked for it yet, but I'm guessing it's all over the torrent sites.

Your comment makes Lars cry...

[lozion]

Originally Posted by kjg

I haven't looked for it yet, but I'm guessing it's all over the torrent sites.

careful...tutttutt

[truthnlife13]

Originally Posted by 24-96 Mastering

Where / how would one get the guitar hero version?

I heard it on Guitar Hero. They really should release the stems and let us play. Honestly I would pay 2-3 times the cost of a CD to get all the tracks to mix myself. I would do that for any CD I liked though

[kjg]

Originally Posted by lozion

careful...tutttutt

for what? any major release is "shared" within days. why wouldn't this one be?

[CDS]

Originally Posted by 24-96 Mastering

I just skipped through 3 random songs and the highest I saw on the meter was -4,3 dB RMS (-1,3 RMS in AES17 norm), looking at the realtime RMS meter with Wavelab's default time constants.

Not even God himself can prevent distortion below -8db RMS level..

The big M needs to leave Warner Music Group ASAP because the label should have never allowed that to leave the door... The mastering engineer should have refused the job.. for such a reputable facility, it is not good for them that clients now know that type of oversight can happen at their place.. what ever happened to pride of service?

[Masterer]

Originally Posted by CDS

Not even God himself can prevent distortion below -8bd RMS level..

The big M needs to leave Warner Music Group ASAP because the label should have never allowed that to leave the door... The mastering engineer should have refused the job.. for such a reputable facility, it is not good for them that clients now know that type of oversight can happen at their place.. what ever happened to pride of service?

Easy for you to say.

BTW, I just went to your homepage. Can I order some buffalo meat from you? Sounds awful tasty.

[CDS]

The theory of pushing the audio this hard to make copies (MP3s) crappy could be not too far off..

It is a fact that a standard mastered CD peaking at -0.1db will peak at +2db when converted to MP3..

Of course there is no excuse to release a flagrant product but I wouldn't be surprised if this was the silent motive.

[CDS]

Originally Posted by Masterer

Easy for you to say.

BTW, I just went to your homepage. Can I order some buffalo meat from you? Sounds awful tasty.

lol, soon enough we will have much more than buffalo meat, we will be the only gig in town with unicorn steaks.

[clearwave]

Here is my theory...
Keep in mind I'm a mix engineer on a mastering forum.

The mixes are fine. The fans are complaining the Playstation version sounds fine but the cd is awful...

Metallica "Death Magnetic" sounds better in Guitar Hero - Mastering Media Blog

Fans Complain After “Death Magnetic” Sounds Better On “Guitar Hero” Than CD : Rolling Stone : Rock and Roll Daily

The mastering engineer did as he was told. Make it louder, louder, louder. Jensen doesn't want to blame Rubin or the label because he doesn't want to lose a good gig (to late).

Theory #2. they made a "special version" to give to "the drummer guy" to shut him up. Then accidentally sent the wrong version to the plant.

The loudness wars are over and Rubin won. Unless they can figure out how to get rid of that annoying silence between the songs.

[Winey]

Isn't it considered okay for the mastering engineer to ask for a new mix printed at lower levels without the limiter? It seems like Ted could ask for that and no one would be offended. Maybe the mix recall was too complicated?
I'm wondering if they intentionally brutally clipped the converters when they printed the stereo mixes. That would explain why the stems are not distorting like the CD.

Then again, if your mixing a huge record like this, why not make a run of non-clipped safety stereo versions?
Makes you wonder what really happened here.

[kjg]

Originally Posted by 24-96 Mastering

Where / how would one get the guitar hero version?

Just to update on this: I just located a "guitar hero version" of the album on one of the torrent sites (yes, boohoo Lars), and although the production is still nothing too great, it does sound a lot healthier. The files come as 48kHz flacs, and are about 10 dB (yes, really) quieter than the retail album. I've only downloaded the first song so far and it peaks out at -2.5 dBFS. All the snares, kicks and riffs have actual transients instead of burst of noise. Pretty cool!

If they'd take the same stems as were used for the game to mister Ted Jensen, he should be able to take it to K10 without too much trouble and they would have their first decent release since the "black album". Concerning the songwriting - it seems that all the group therapy (and therapeutic armani shopping..) is finally paying off. Too bad they ****ed up the sound, these 800 pound conformist gorillas. Some character would've been nice. If anybody can do it, they can.

PS: I bought several Metallica albums in my younger, more rock oriented years, and it is nice to see they are slowly coming back to shape somewhat. I would therefore consider buying this release out of nostalgia if only if would be at least 4-6dB less crunched.
I quite like some of the songs, and heard that it can be sounding ok-ish once the brickwall limiter is bypassed. So, let's see the remaster! Give me a chance to buy a non-destroyed version, thank you very much.

[MASSIVE Master]

Originally Posted by Winey

Isn't it considered okay for the mastering engineer to ask for a new mix printed at lower levels without the limiter? It seems like Ted could ask for that and no one would be offended. Maybe the mix recall was too complicated?
I'm wondering if they intentionally brutally clipped the converters when they printed the stereo mixes. That would explain why the stems are not distorting like the CD.

Then again, if your mixing a huge record like this, why not make a run of non-clipped safety stereo versions?
Makes you wonder what really happened here.

It's most certainly okay to ask...

I ask plenty myself. Sometimes it's no problem - Other times "That's what the (band/producer) signed off on..."

[joerod]

Originally Posted by CDS

Not even God himself can prevent distortion below -8bd RMS level..

Obviously you meant -8dB RMS power. Careful, errors like these can summon "Captain Etiquette"...

Originally Posted by CDS

It is a fact that a standard mastered CD peaking at -0.1db will peak at +2db when converted to MP3..

What ripper does that? WMP? Winamp? In SoundForge, the program I make mp3 for the web, it gives me back the same...

[kjg]

Originally Posted by joerod

Obviously you meant -8dB RMS power. Careful, errors like these can summon "Captain Etiquette"...

Obviously, he meant -8 dB RMS level.
You still haven't checked up on your dBs, volts, watts and pascals?

[CDS]

Originally Posted by clearwave

The mastering engineer did as he was told. Make it louder, louder, louder. Jensen doesn't want to blame Rubin or the label because he doesn't want to lose a good gig (to late).

To Ted's defense about "distorted", I have this CD and listened to it again really really really low, like close to mute and it is not a "distorted" print per say.. but so freakin loud that playing it at a normal listening level the speaker drivers can no way handle it...

I agree this is the loudest record I have witnessed yet without just straight up dipping out audio and breaking speaker fuses due to digital clipping.

[CDS]

Originally Posted by joerod

Obviously you meant -8dB RMS power. Careful, errors like these can summon "Captain Etiquette"...

Yes.. your right lol.. forgive me for typing fast oh lords of etiquette lol.

[joerod]

Originally Posted by kjg

You still haven't checked up on your dBs, volts, watts and pascals?

Don't forget 0Hz...

[kjg]

Originally Posted by joerod

Don't forget 0Hz...

Isn't that the drummer of ACDC?

[chk027]

Originally Posted by octatonic

Saw this on TPDRI.com and had to post it.

Funny as hell.

James?? What a pussie!!!!

THe new songs sound as bad as his new look!

Don't forget when you cross the street to pick up a yogurt, dickhead!

[MASSIVE Master]

Originally Posted by (take a wild guess)

Obviously you meant -8dB RMS power. Careful, errors like these can summon "Captain Etiquette"...

This "ignore list" thing was working fine until you realize that quotes don't get ignored...

[MrBeasty]

Originally Posted by lozion

careful...tutttutt

Well ... I can't listen to the commercial CD. I've been trying for a week. I heard the Guitar Hero version tonight and while it didn't turn led into gold, I can now say that I will be able to enjoy this record.

I am not trying to be a snob but I get headaches from over-compressed CDs. Audioslave, Damage Plan and Velvet Revolver in particular ... they are great records but I can't do more than two or three songs at a time.

This silly Loudness war will be an excuse for the Labels to re-sell us the albums as alternate "quiet/de-Mastered" mixes in a couple of years.

Petition:
Re-Mix or Remaster Death Magnetic!*-*Online Petition

[+6/185]

Metallica and Rick Rubin know exactly what they are doing. They all have stereos in their cars and at home. They know their CD sounds like it does. Mixes and mastering reference CDs are checked and signed off by all of them before replication.

Personally, I think they are yanking your chain to create controversy and some badly needed attention and it seems to be working – a petition?

I say just ignore them and let them have a crappy sounding record – it won’t be the first time and likely not the last.

[MrBeasty]

Originally Posted by +6/185

Metallica and Rick Rubin know exactly what they are doing. They all have stereos in their cars and at home. They know their CD sounds like it does. Mixes and mastering reference CDs are checked and signed off by all of them before replication.

Personally, I think they are yanking your chain to create controversy and some badly needed attention and it seems to be working – a petition?

I say just ignore them and let them have a crappy sounding record – it won’t be the first time and likely not the last.

I am afraid you are right.

Maybe they view themselves as the new Kinks ... discovering distortion again?

Luckily a non-smashed version of the album made it out.

[JPeters86]

Originally Posted by +6/185

Metallica and Rick Rubin know exactly what they are doing. They all have stereos in their cars and at home. They know their CD sounds like it does. Mixes and mastering reference CDs are checked and signed off by all of them before replication.

Personally, I think they are yanking your chain to create controversy and some badly needed attention and it seems to be working – a petition?

I say just ignore them and let them have a crappy sounding record – it won’t be the first time and likely not the last.

If that's true they are really lame, what a way to create controversy.

[G-Spot]

Originally Posted by krid

Listen to this :

YouTube - Metallica - Making Of Death Magnetic - German Soup - Cyanide - Part 1

at 2:42 you can listen to the recorded drums, they sound great and powerful.

Then you listen to the cd and it's all distorded.

HAHAHA
Warner Music made the YouTube video be removed... I wonder why...

I think it's all a strategy...

1. first you buy the CD and say: "What the hell!? This is really crap!"
Then someone realizes that the game has a better sound than the CD and...

2. you also buy the game just to make sure it is true!

3. Then the DVDs are released and they sound amzing... so you buy the DVD because the CD is crap and you hate to play that stupid game anyway.

4. They finally release a new Mix and Master on CD that pleases the world... and you buy it once again!

[TheArchitect]

Originally Posted by G-Spot

HAHAHA
Warner Music made the YouTube video be removed... I wonder why...

I think it's all a strategy...

1. first you buy the CD and say: "What the hell!? This is really crap!"
Then someone realizes that the game has a better sound than the CD and...

2. you also buy the game just to make sure it is true!

3. Then the DVDs are released and they sound amzing... so you buy the DVD because the CD is crap and you hate to play that stupid game anyway.

4. They finally release a new Mix and Master on CD that pleases the world... and you buy it once again!

No one is buying a $200 game so see if the metallica album sounds better