Remastering albums for personal use.

nimblemongoose · 3 Weeks Ago

Have any of you imported or recorded music from analog sources any albums you own you think needed a better tonal balance and rendered them for your own use? I've been on a kick of re EQing some hollow sounding 80s/90s prog metal albums. Sometimes I listen to albums and wonder how they got approved by the bands and their labels. Coke?

Peaks · 3 Weeks Ago

Yes, I try to do this a lot. Keep in mind that I'm only an amateur though with poor equipment and not really much experience, so it's not like I can produce MASTERING level quality... but I that's irrelevant when it comes to remastering for personal use. EVERYTHING can be improved, even if it's just to correct for speakers/room and when the target is YO, you don't need to be hyper critical. If it sounds good in the current room/where you listen, that's all you need, saves time too.

Happy Musicfan · 3 Weeks Ago

While it is something the established pros might (rightfully) scoff at, I think it can be good practice for novices and amateurs trying to graduate to the intermediate skill level. Beware of certain endless tweak-traps though : 1) You (usually) cannot reduce the vocal sibilance without reducing the impact of other instruments occupying that frequency range. Proportionately, the sibilance still remains stubbornly prominent. 2) You can't (usually) reduce the 60hz kick thump without gutting some of the bass guitar oomph. ----- It seems that if the super-sibilance and relentlessly overbearing kick-thump aren't moderated in the tracking & mixing stages, they remain as permanent (sonic) stains during the (non-pro) remastering phase. ---------- I'd welcome any wisdom, skills, or experience to the contrary though.

wado1942 · 3 Weeks Ago

That reminds me of a thread I started on the subject.
Remastering CDs for personal use.
I've never done this with analogue sources, though.

Mertmo · 3 Weeks Ago

I've done it a bunch, it's good practice and good fun.

Older CD's.

I don't know what I would try to accomplish with something
modern that's already blown out with loud limiting...

A great thing to try is, get a hold of a CD box set that has more modern
remasters of *some* of the songs from an album you like.
Find the original CD release of the album.
Make the older masters match the new ones from the box set, and re-create
the original album in it's entirety.

You'll never get all the way there of course, but it's a cool way to practice and
mess around with this idea

strdsk · 3 Weeks Ago

I do it often as a sort of drill and have a blast...nothing wrong with it. Folks who scoff at it are likely the ones who want to go hunting, but never want to practice with a paper target on a range. I bet ALL mastering engineers have done it at some point...it can be great fun!

nimblemongoose · 3 Weeks Ago

I'm not doing it for practice. I'm doing it for when my 3 band car EQ just isn't good enough.

Jim Williams · 3 Weeks Ago

Just put out catalog stuff without that mass compression that's so in fashion. I really don't need old records to sound like 2012 modern rock.

This has now translated to TV viewing, mass compression and that Pro Tools sound is ruining that now. Forget about movie trailers, that's an assault.

Maybe some day folks will wake up and realize nearly everything recorded is sounding like s*it now.

Hope springs eternal.

tablo · 3 Weeks Ago

I tried declipping a digitally clipped album with iZotope RX and remastering it... And remastering a dynamic album loud just for practice

Adam Dempsey · 3 Weeks Ago

Quote:

Originally Posted by nimblemongoose

Sometimes I listen to albums and wonder how they got approved by the bands and their labels. Coke?

Sometimes it was the labels themselves responsible for having only second generation, EQ'd-for-vinyl, tape masters available for the first CD issues. Add some fairly average sounding converters at the time and you begin to see how the corner stone of the best in remastering is not in the processing but in obtaining the best transfers possible from the best source possible.

oweng · 3 Weeks Ago

Quote:

I don't know what I would try to accomplish with something
modern that's already blown out with loud limiting...

run it through a expander - takes the edge off - makes it more listenable ( for me )

3 Weeks Ago	#1
nimblemongoose Gear nut Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 87 Thread Starter	Remastering albums for personal use. Have any of you imported or recorded music from analog sources any albums you own you think needed a better tonal balance and rendered them for your own use? I've been on a kick of re EQing some hollow sounding 80s/90s prog metal albums. Sometimes I listen to albums and wonder how they got approved by the bands and their labels. Coke?

3 Weeks Ago	#4
wado1942 Lives for gear Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Boise, Idaho Posts: 1,964	That reminds me of a thread I started on the subject. Remastering CDs for personal use. I've never done this with analogue sources, though. __________________ Stephen Baldassarre www.gcmstudio.com

3 Weeks Ago	#9
tablo Gear nut Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 144 1 Review written	I tried declipping a digitally clipped album with iZotope RX and remastering it... And remastering a dynamic album loud just for practice __________________ Need free mixing or clean versions? Contact me.

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3 Weeks Ago	#2
Peaks Gear Head Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: US Posts: 56	Yes, I try to do this a lot. Keep in mind that I'm only an amateur though with poor equipment and not really much experience, so it's not like I can produce MASTERING level quality... but I that's irrelevant when it comes to remastering for personal use. EVERYTHING can be improved, even if it's just to correct for speakers/room and when the target is YO, you don't need to be hyper critical. If it sounds good in the current room/where you listen, that's all you need, saves time too.

3 Weeks Ago	#3
Happy Musicfan Lives for gear Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 2,114	While it is something the established pros might (rightfully) scoff at, I think it can be good practice for novices and amateurs trying to graduate to the intermediate skill level. Beware of certain endless tweak-traps though : 1) You (usually) cannot reduce the vocal sibilance without reducing the impact of other instruments occupying that frequency range. Proportionately, the sibilance still remains stubbornly prominent. 2) You can't (usually) reduce the 60hz kick thump without gutting some of the bass guitar oomph. ----- It seems that if the super-sibilance and relentlessly overbearing kick-thump aren't moderated in the tracking & mixing stages, they remain as permanent (sonic) stains during the (non-pro) remastering phase. ---------- I'd welcome any wisdom, skills, or experience to the contrary though.

3 Weeks Ago	#5
Mertmo Lives for gear Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 950	I've done it a bunch, it's good practice and good fun. Older CD's. I don't know what I would try to accomplish with something modern that's already blown out with loud limiting... A great thing to try is, get a hold of a CD box set that has more modern remasters of some of the songs from an album you like. Find the original CD release of the album. Make the older masters match the new ones from the box set, and re-create the original album in it's entirety. You'll never get all the way there of course, but it's a cool way to practice and mess around with this idea

3 Weeks Ago	#6
strdsk Gear maniac Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Chicago Posts: 187	I do it often as a sort of drill and have a blast...nothing wrong with it. Folks who scoff at it are likely the ones who want to go hunting, but never want to practice with a paper target on a range. I bet ALL mastering engineers have done it at some point...it can be great fun!

3 Weeks Ago	#8
Jim Williams Lives for gear Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: beautiful Carlsbad, CA Posts: 9,438	Just put out catalog stuff without that mass compression that's so in fashion. I really don't need old records to sound like 2012 modern rock. This has now translated to TV viewing, mass compression and that Pro Tools sound is ruining that now. Forget about movie trailers, that's an assault. Maybe some day folks will wake up and realize nearly everything recorded is sounding like s*it now. Hope springs eternal.