The best sounding (produced/mastered) tracks/albums
Discussion
MC Bodge said:
What is the supposed point of the re-mastered versions?
And what is done to add "loudness"?
It's the intention of applying a more modern / familiar sonic quality to the original tracks.And what is done to add "loudness"?
For example 80s music tends to be very dynamic and bright - re-mastering can iron out these characteristics to match something people tend to expect nowadays.
Personally I think it dilutes the whole point of enjoying music from a different era, but I understand why it's done, at least from a business point of view.
Digital limiting adds loudness - an algorithm which basically squares off the waveform in a particular way to allow the whole thing to be increased in level. It also changes the sound in a way which defines the previous ~20 years of contemporary music.
Prior to that, it was just a case of forcing the audio through analogue compressor(s) which had their own kind of sonic character - think 70s rock music - and then just maxing out the master tape (which also created it's own kind compression/distortion).
Things are likely to change as this kind of level processing shifts more to the playback end of the chain.
Edited by dan98 on Saturday 4th March 19:46
dan98 said:
It's the intention of applying a more modern / familiar sonic quality to the original tracks.
For example 80s music tends to be very dynamic and bright - re-mastering can iron out these characteristics to match something people tend to expect nowadays.
Personally I think it dilutes the whole point of enjoying music from a different era, but I understand why it's done, at least from a business point of view.
Digital limiting adds loudness - an algorithm which basically squares off the waveform in a particular way to allow the whole thing to be increased in level. It also changes the sound in a way which defines the previous ~20 years of contemporary music.
Prior to that, it was just a case of forcing the audio through analogue compressor(s) which had their own kind of sonic character - think 70s rock music - and then just maxing out the master tape (which also created it's own kind compression/distortion).
Things are likely to change as this kind of level processing shifts more to the playback end of the chain
Cheers. It makes sense and the good 80s music does often sound particularly good.For example 80s music tends to be very dynamic and bright - re-mastering can iron out these characteristics to match something people tend to expect nowadays.
Personally I think it dilutes the whole point of enjoying music from a different era, but I understand why it's done, at least from a business point of view.
Digital limiting adds loudness - an algorithm which basically squares off the waveform in a particular way to allow the whole thing to be increased in level. It also changes the sound in a way which defines the previous ~20 years of contemporary music.
Prior to that, it was just a case of forcing the audio through analogue compressor(s) which had their own kind of sonic character - think 70s rock music - and then just maxing out the master tape (which also created it's own kind compression/distortion).
Things are likely to change as this kind of level processing shifts more to the playback end of the chain
The point about Oasis not sounding good is interesting.
When I first listened to "What's the Story..." again after a few years I thought it sounded bad, but I couldn't put my finger on it.
A really unexpected gem is "Sk8r boi" by Avril Lavigne.
When you think it's a bubblegum punky pop song, most played by teenage girls sharing a pair of ear buds on the school bus, it's really well produced!
The levels of the different instruments are very well chosen, for instance the melody on guitar during the "too bad that you didn't see" comes to the front without distracting from the lyrics. There are also some surprising sub bass excursions.
I can see it was produced by a team calling themselves "The Matrix" who have done a lot of different genres, so I don't know if that is what makes the difference but they were certainly doing good work with that song.
When you think it's a bubblegum punky pop song, most played by teenage girls sharing a pair of ear buds on the school bus, it's really well produced!
The levels of the different instruments are very well chosen, for instance the melody on guitar during the "too bad that you didn't see" comes to the front without distracting from the lyrics. There are also some surprising sub bass excursions.
I can see it was produced by a team calling themselves "The Matrix" who have done a lot of different genres, so I don't know if that is what makes the difference but they were certainly doing good work with that song.
dan98 said:
It's the intention of applying a more modern / familiar sonic quality to the original tracks.
For example 80s music tends to be very dynamic and bright - re-mastering can iron out these characteristics to match something people tend to expect nowadays.
Personally I think it dilutes the whole point of enjoying music from a different era, but I understand why it's done, at least from a business point of view.
I own "Secrets", the 2001 album by Human League and it maintains that 80s brightness - "All I Ever Wanted" is a good example. No surprises given that people aren't going to buy a Human League album because they want something more modern For example 80s music tends to be very dynamic and bright - re-mastering can iron out these characteristics to match something people tend to expect nowadays.
Personally I think it dilutes the whole point of enjoying music from a different era, but I understand why it's done, at least from a business point of view.
However, compared with their earlier stuff it does add levels of complexity below the sharp baritone vocals that I found pleasing. It was one of those cases of hearing one track on a compilation of various artists then buying the whole album that track appears on... Old school!
donkmeister said:
A really unexpected gem is "Sk8r boi" by Avril Lavigne.
When you think it's a bubblegum punky pop song, most played by teenage girls sharing a pair of ear buds on the school bus, it's really well produced!
The levels of the different instruments are very well chosen, for instance the melody on guitar during the "too bad that you didn't see" comes to the front without distracting from the lyrics. There are also some surprising sub bass excursions.
I can see it was produced by a team calling themselves "The Matrix" who have done a lot of different genres, so I don't know if that is what makes the difference but they were certainly doing good work with that song.
skater boy sounds really flat to me.When you think it's a bubblegum punky pop song, most played by teenage girls sharing a pair of ear buds on the school bus, it's really well produced!
The levels of the different instruments are very well chosen, for instance the melody on guitar during the "too bad that you didn't see" comes to the front without distracting from the lyrics. There are also some surprising sub bass excursions.
I can see it was produced by a team calling themselves "The Matrix" who have done a lot of different genres, so I don't know if that is what makes the difference but they were certainly doing good work with that song.
Blink 182 I Miss You came on after and it sounded like my hifi got massively upgraded between songs.
Byronwww said:
donkmeister said:
A really unexpected gem is "Sk8r boi" by Avril Lavigne.
When you think it's a bubblegum punky pop song, most played by teenage girls sharing a pair of ear buds on the school bus, it's really well produced!
The levels of the different instruments are very well chosen, for instance the melody on guitar during the "too bad that you didn't see" comes to the front without distracting from the lyrics. There are also some surprising sub bass excursions.
I can see it was produced by a team calling themselves "The Matrix" who have done a lot of different genres, so I don't know if that is what makes the difference but they were certainly doing good work with that song.
skater boy sounds really flat to me.When you think it's a bubblegum punky pop song, most played by teenage girls sharing a pair of ear buds on the school bus, it's really well produced!
The levels of the different instruments are very well chosen, for instance the melody on guitar during the "too bad that you didn't see" comes to the front without distracting from the lyrics. There are also some surprising sub bass excursions.
I can see it was produced by a team calling themselves "The Matrix" who have done a lot of different genres, so I don't know if that is what makes the difference but they were certainly doing good work with that song.
Blink 182 I Miss You came on after and it sounded like my hifi got massively upgraded between songs.
There is a lot of "space" in the arrangement so the instruments and vocals don't conflict with one another which is surprisingly good for this type of song but the overall sound doesn't take advantage of this and seems rather lifeless.
donkmeister said:
A really unexpected gem is "Sk8r boi" by Avril Lavigne.
When you think it's a bubblegum punky pop song, most played by teenage girls sharing a pair of ear buds on the school bus, it's really well produced!
The levels of the different instruments are very well chosen, for instance the melody on guitar during the "too bad that you didn't see" comes to the front without distracting from the lyrics. There are also some surprising sub bass excursions.
I can see it was produced by a team calling themselves "The Matrix" who have done a lot of different genres, so I don't know if that is what makes the difference but they were certainly doing good work with that song.
Usually what makes the difference rather than much to do with any fancy technology involved, is good old fashioned time, effort, experience, care and attention, along with the particular brief and goals of the production team in the first place (if they even exist). When you think it's a bubblegum punky pop song, most played by teenage girls sharing a pair of ear buds on the school bus, it's really well produced!
The levels of the different instruments are very well chosen, for instance the melody on guitar during the "too bad that you didn't see" comes to the front without distracting from the lyrics. There are also some surprising sub bass excursions.
I can see it was produced by a team calling themselves "The Matrix" who have done a lot of different genres, so I don't know if that is what makes the difference but they were certainly doing good work with that song.
This stuff is much more expensive than having all the latest studio gear. I'm not sure The Matrix still exsists but it sounds like they were doing something right, back in the day.
It's still just as possible today to make wonderful sounding music full of dynamics and clarity (more than ever infact). But invariably time/money constrainsts or simply current fashion/trend wins the day.
Edited by dan98 on Monday 6th March 12:15
Byronwww said:
Blink 182 I Miss You came on after and it sounded like my hifi got massively upgraded between songs.
Not my kind of music, but that's very well produced.... very wide panning on the instruments - good microphones too! The treble range sounds buttery smooth on that drum kit. It's good.
NDA said:
Byronwww said:
Blink 182 I Miss You came on after and it sounded like my hifi got massively upgraded between songs.
Not my kind of music, but that's very well produced.... very wide panning on the instruments - good microphones too! The treble range sounds buttery smooth on that drum kit. It's good.
The “recording and production” section makes interesting reading :-)
A few albums already mentioned:
Suzanne Vega - Solitude Standing
The Police - Ghost in the Machine
Crowded House - Temple of low men
also:
Peter Gabriel - So
Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
Fairground Attraction - The first of a million kisses
and some single tracks:
Phil Collins - Easy Lover
Blind Melon - No rain
Suzanne Vega - Solitude Standing
The Police - Ghost in the Machine
Crowded House - Temple of low men
also:
Peter Gabriel - So
Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
Fairground Attraction - The first of a million kisses
and some single tracks:
Phil Collins - Easy Lover
Blind Melon - No rain
MC Bodge said:
MC Bodge said:
Funk said:
On Her Majesty's Secret Service -Propellerheads
Fantastic
I'd forgotten how good some of their stuff is.
Also, the entire David Arnold album (Shaken and Stirred?) was magnificent.
I also found that Jonathan Jeremiah's albums seemed well produced (seem to remember he did a lot of the work himself)
And as mentioned before, quite a few of the Dire Straits albums are pieces art, Private Investigations literally sent shivers down my spine the first time I heard it 25-plus years ago...
Edited by Church of Noise on Monday 6th March 20:04
Lots of good suggestions in this thread. 
A few random selections, streamed from Qobuz, some 24 bit, others 16 bit.
Derrin Nauendorf - Live at the boardwalk. One voice, a guitar and a drummer.
Nils Lofgren - Acoustic Live. The solo on Keith Don’t Go is rather good.
Mark Knopfler - Privateering. 24 bit
Camel Phat - Dark Matter. 24 bit.
Hannah Peel - Particles in Space. 24 bit.
Hanne Boel - Outtakes. 16 bit.
Jon Hopkins - Singularity. 24 bit.
Paul Simon - Live in New York. 16 bit.
Sara K - Turned my upside down live 16 bit.
Christine and the Queens - La Vita Nuova EP. 24 bit. Meaty bass on a few tracks.
Nils Fraham - Says live. 16 bit.
Deadmau5 - Imaginary friends and 4ware. 24 bit.
Hans Zimmer - BR 2049 soundtrack - Mesa. 16 bit.
Porcupine Tree - most of their albums are well produced but I recommend In Absentia and Fear of a blank planet. 24 bit.
Trentemoller - Miss You
Eva Cassidy - live at Blues Alley. 24 bit.
Nirvana - MTV Unplugged. 16 bit.
Ludovico Einaudi (my favourite contemporary composer/ producer) - The Water Diviner. 24 bit
Yello - most of their stuff is top-notch but the single Stay is good. 24 bit
GoGo Penguin - Humdrum Star 24 bit
Jon Bonamassa - live at royal Albert hall - sloe gin. 16 bit.
Max Richter - Dona Nobis Pacem 2. 16 bit. Peaky Blinders fans will recognise this from the ‘swan lake’ scene or The Leftovers TV soundtrack. Careful with the volume - slow quiet start building up nicely.
A few random selections, streamed from Qobuz, some 24 bit, others 16 bit.
Derrin Nauendorf - Live at the boardwalk. One voice, a guitar and a drummer.
Nils Lofgren - Acoustic Live. The solo on Keith Don’t Go is rather good.
Mark Knopfler - Privateering. 24 bit
Camel Phat - Dark Matter. 24 bit.
Hannah Peel - Particles in Space. 24 bit.
Hanne Boel - Outtakes. 16 bit.
Jon Hopkins - Singularity. 24 bit.
Paul Simon - Live in New York. 16 bit.
Sara K - Turned my upside down live 16 bit.
Christine and the Queens - La Vita Nuova EP. 24 bit. Meaty bass on a few tracks.
Nils Fraham - Says live. 16 bit.
Deadmau5 - Imaginary friends and 4ware. 24 bit.
Hans Zimmer - BR 2049 soundtrack - Mesa. 16 bit.
Porcupine Tree - most of their albums are well produced but I recommend In Absentia and Fear of a blank planet. 24 bit.
Trentemoller - Miss You
Eva Cassidy - live at Blues Alley. 24 bit.
Nirvana - MTV Unplugged. 16 bit.
Ludovico Einaudi (my favourite contemporary composer/ producer) - The Water Diviner. 24 bit
Yello - most of their stuff is top-notch but the single Stay is good. 24 bit
GoGo Penguin - Humdrum Star 24 bit
Jon Bonamassa - live at royal Albert hall - sloe gin. 16 bit.
Max Richter - Dona Nobis Pacem 2. 16 bit. Peaky Blinders fans will recognise this from the ‘swan lake’ scene or The Leftovers TV soundtrack. Careful with the volume - slow quiet start building up nicely.
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