Remastered Beatles catalog to be released on 09/09/09

[doorknocker]

Finally.....

The Beatles

'The albums have been re-mastered by a dedicated team of engineers at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London over a four year period utilising state of the art recording technology alongside vintage studio equipment, carefully maintaining the authenticity and integrity of the original analogue recordings. The result of this painstaking process is the highest fidelity the catalogue has seen since its original release'

Let's hope and pray that we won't get any 'military haircut waveforms' with the re-masters!

Apparently, no combined mono/stereo version but there's gonna be a 'Beatles in Mono' boxset which I will order without even thinking twice:

'A second boxed set has been created with the collector in mind. 'The Beatles in Mono' gathers together, in one place, all of the Beatles recordings that were mixed for a mono release. It will contain 10 of the albums with their original mono mixes, plus two further discs of mono masters (covering similar ground to the stereo tracks on 'Past Masters'). As an added bonus, the mono "Help!" and "Rubber Soul" discs also include the original 1965 stereo mixes, which have not been previously released on CD. These albums will be packaged in mini-vinyl CD replicas of the original sleeves with all original inserts and label designs retained.

Discussions regarding the digital distribution of the catalogue will continue. There is no further information available at this time.'

[Revmen]

Feels greedy.

[deeper]

Yay! I've been waiting, what? Thirty years? Longer? For the Beatles catalog to be remastered properly -- and in Mono, the way it was meant to be heard!

This is awesome!

As for the quality of mastering, if the Beatles "Love" and latterday "Yellow Submarine" releases are a safe indication, we're in for a real treat.

[doorknocker]

Originally Posted by deeper

Yay! I've been waiting, what? Thirty years? Longer? For the Beatles catalog to be remastered properly -- and in Mono, the way it was meant to be heard!

This is awesome!

As for the quality of mastering, if the Beatles "Love" and latterday "Yellow Submarine" releases are a safe indication, we're in for a real treat.

I agree! I'm pretty jazzed about this as well.

[sniperschool]

I don't know where this text came from (email from a friend) or i would post up a link

The re-mastering process commenced with an extensive period conducting tests
before finally copying the analogue master tapes into the digital medium. When
this was completed, the transfer was achieved using a Pro Tools workstation
operating at 24 bit 192 kHz resolution via a Prism A-D converter. Transferring
was a lengthy procedure done a track at a time. Although EMI tape does not
suffer the oxide loss associated with some later analogue tapes, there was
nevertheless a slight build up of dust, which was removed from the tape machine
heads between each title.

From the onset, considerable thought was given to what audio restorative
processes were going to be allowed. It was agreed that electrical clicks,
microphone vocal pops, excessive sibilance and bad edits should be improved
where possible, so long as it didn’t impact on the original integrity of the
songs.

In addition, de-noising technology, which is often associated with re-mastering,
was to be used, but subtly and sparingly. Eventually, less than five of the 525
minutes of Beatles music was subjected to this process. Finally, as is common
with today’s music, overall limiting - to increase the volume level of the CD -
has been used, but on the stereo versions only. However, it was unanimously
agreed that because of the importance of The Beatles’ music, limiting would be
used moderately, so as to retain the original dynamics of the recordings.

When all of the albums had been transferred, each song was then listened to
several times to locate any of the agreed imperfections. These were then
addressed by Guy Massey, working with Audio Restoration engineer Simon Gibson.

Mastering could now take place, once the earliest vinyl pressings, along with
the existing CDs, were loaded into Pro Tools, thus allowing comparisons to be
made with the original master tapes during the equalization process. When an
album had been completed, it was auditioned the next day in studio three – a
room familiar to the engineers, as all of the recent Beatles mixing projects had
taken place in there – and any further alteration of EQ could be addressed back
in the mastering room.

Following the initial satisfaction of Guy and Steve, Allan Rouse and Mike Heatley
then checked each new re-master in yet another location and offered any
further suggestions. This continued until all 13 albums were completed to the
team’s satisfaction.

[sailor]

Originally Posted by sniperschool

Finally, as is common
with today’s music, overall limiting - to increase the volume level of the CD -
has been used, but on the stereo versions only. However, it was unanimously
agreed that because of the importance of The Beatles’ music, limiting would be
used moderately, so as to retain the original dynamics of the recordings.

Oh dear....

[bashville]

Originally Posted by sniperschool

When all of the albums had been transferred, each song was then listened to
several times to locate any of the agreed imperfections. These were then
addressed by Guy Massey, working with Audio Restoration engineer Simon Gibson.

Guy related to Steve?

[Colorblind]

09/09/09 seems fitting

[sniperschool]

nice mention for Prism (and for 192 KHz!)

[doorknocker]

Originally Posted by sniperschool

Finally, as is common with today’s music, overall limiting - to increase the volume level of the CD - has been used, but on the stereo versions only.

Can somebody confirm this please? Am I dreaming?

[TheTruffleKing]

Originally Posted by sniperschool

...limiting would be
used moderately, so as to retain the original dynamics of the recordings.

Let's hope so...still not sure if it's right at all, but I thought Yellow Submarine sounded great, so if it's done with the same care, well, ok by me. Very exciting all around!

[PhatStax Drums]

I feel good that they did this right. Great writeup about getting the dust off the original masters. SOME compression when remastering original recordings is okay, right? You have to have some, for rock like this. Yeah, of course there's already a lot on the master tape due to their recording process and the tape itself, I know. (I'm NOT claiming to be the world's expert here, I'm not.) I'm just happy about it. If it's anything like the more faithfully-remixed portions of LOVE, I'm all for it! Faithful extracting of every drop of sound from the original oxide using the right playback machines, etc.

Of course, would that EVERY good bit of music out there, be able to get the same treatment. BUT, The Beatles' recordings were special in a way, great writing, careful and creative EMI engineering, just everything coming together as it did, in those times.

Yay!!!!!

Again, re compression, I would think almost to certainty that the guys that did it, are more than aware of what constitutes the right amount of compression. I know many of you here would know that much better than me!

I just can't wait to hear it!!!

And YES, I'll STILL love and listen to other music, imagine that!!

[PhatStax Drums]

And I wonder what plans are for a DVD edition in 96/24 or whatever? I think I read something about that somewhere.

Maybe they'll wait a year after we've all spent our money on the CD releases. I'd almost not blame them for that, I guess. But it would be nice for all the aging hippies to be able to hear that sooner, rather than later.

[Philo]

Of course, aging hippies have probably lost significant amounts of their high-frequency hearing in the decade long wait for these remasters....

I was in college twenty-plus years ago when the original CDs came out...

Philo

[BIGT-1]

Originally Posted by Colorblind

09/09/09 seems fitting

9/10 would have been even better.

[analogtodd]

After all these years, I never realized they were singing "one after nine eight nine"

[paterno]

There are more details here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/ar...html?ref=music

[Eric Greedy]

Originally Posted by Revmen

Feels greedy.

Sir! that would be me ...

[T_R_S]

Originally Posted by sailor

Oh dear....

If you have any seen what was done to vinyl when it's mastered that is even more scary. I don't know too many modern pop recordings that have not used some form of limiting. I have had projects mastered at Abbey Road they did an excellent job.

[Stevil]

Originally Posted by Revmen

Feels greedy.

MJ hasn't had a hit in a while.

[PRobb]

Originally Posted by BIGT-1

9/10 would have been even better.

That was the first thing I thought of. The one after 9/09, right?

Finally, as is common with today’s music, overall limiting - to increase the volume level of the CD - has been used, but on the stereo versions only

That is very encouraging. Having the mono mixes as they made them is the thing I'm most interested in.
By far.

[Mark Kaufman]

I came here with the specific intention of doing the one after 9/09 joke.

What great news. I want more names...who was involved with this? I always understood Neil Aspinall was spearheading this, but then no word after his death. It would be fitting if Emerick had a little something to do with this effort, but I doubt he has.

[MarsBot]

Originally Posted by Colorblind

09/09/09 seems fitting

Actually, shouldn't it be 09/10/09 or 10/09? (the one after 909 :D)

[JP11]

I was thinking the joke had to do with John Lennon's birthday...Oct 9...

or Revolution No 9....Number 9....Number 9....Number 9....Number 9...Number 9...

[sniperschool]

i knew when the 'one after 909' jokes stared to come in there would be some confusion
don't forget in the UK we put the day of the month first
so today is 08/04/09 whereas are US brethren would think it is 04/08/09
so the 09/09/09 release date is double cool as it is universal
thumbsup

[SeanBlack]

09/09/09

OMG thats 666 upside down. The Beatles are the devil!!! jk

Im totally excited about the mono releases, woot woot!!!

[Lownotes]

Originally Posted by doorknocker

Can somebody confirm this please? Am I dreaming?

Try this:

The Beatles

(I missed your link in the first post)

[sniperschool]

09/09/09 is 60/60/60 upside down where ever you are !

[doorknocker]

Originally Posted by SeanBlack

Im totally excited about the mono releases, woot woot!!!

Friggin' YES!

I really DO welcome the fact that the CDs won't have any bonus tracks. It's great that the albums remain of a piece.

o.k, it would be great to get double CDs with both the mono and stereo versions where appliable but I'm not complaining. I'll get the Mono box set and the individual stereo versions from 'Revolver' on.....

Unlike say the Hendrix catalogue that has seen numerous re-masters over the years without amy real improvements (mere greed seems to rule this) it's nice to know that they seem to do it right with the Fab Four. And honestly, some of the original CDs were pretty good sounding, 'Sgt. Pepper' especially!

[Tube World]

1. Let it Be - Naked is already out and sounds a lot better than the original. You can actually hear Ringo's playing much better...toms are nice and clear. He is a better drummer than many think. Plus they got rid of the horrible strings that were added on the original record.

2. Yellow Submarine was also updated and it sounds clearer and much improved as well.

I would be more in interested in Abbey Road, White, Sgt. Pepper, and Revolver. Anything done in 1964 and 65, not interested in hearing remastered. Things were done in Mono back then because many had a single speaker on their turntable. I also have a mono button on my Adcom pre amp on my stereo if for some reason I would want to hear it in mono. Now that we all have stereo's, I have very little interest in hearing things in mono. Separation of the instruments gives a larger sound that fills things better. On another note, I never liked the Beatle records where music was on one side and voices on the other. They don't sound harmoginized.