fezident
01-09-2008, 02:31 PM
Here is a link to an excellent article that appeared in ROLLING STONE magazine. Truly excellent.
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/17777619/the_death_of_high_fidelity
It's about how the music industry is doing more harm than good when it comes to mastering & remastering recorded music.
FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW:
When a song is recorded, it's done in layers. Not every recording situation is the same but, for the most part, each instrument is recorded seperately (or at the very least... isolated), then vocals are added, harmonies, sound effects, etc. Each ingredient gets its own track.
Then the record is MIXED.
This is when all the individual tracks are tweaked, effected, fixed, and assigned a volume and a value. (also called a "place" or a "seat" in the overall mix.)
With artists like Linkin Park or Def Leppard... the number of individual tracks can be well over 100. For a more organic band like Pearl Jam, maybe there are only 20+ tracks. The song "Welcome To The Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance has the most tracks ever mixed. 167 to be exact.
All these tracks are mixed down to only two tracks. Stereo.
These two-track mixdowns are sent to a mastering house where they are "prepared for mass consumption" IE: radio & retail.
This is where the problems start.
When the mixdowns are mastered, they are given a blanket of EQ, compression, limiting, and "sonic maximizing". This process gives them a sheen. It CAN make the records sound very professional.
It also can suck the life right outta the original recordings.
The artist, very often, has NO INPUT during the mastering part of the process.
Quiet parts are boosted. Loud parts are clipped. Artificial bass boost is applied. Dynamics are changed. Etc etc.
When all is said and done... the recording has been homogenized.
BUT NOT ALWAYS!
Some albums are mastered with great care, and it shows. (Donald Fagen, I'm looking in your direction)
Some records are just pumped to the max and released with a big sticker that says DIGITALLY REMASTERED.
Aaanyway.... it's an interesting article. Thought I'd share it.
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/17777619/the_death_of_high_fidelity
It's about how the music industry is doing more harm than good when it comes to mastering & remastering recorded music.
FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW:
When a song is recorded, it's done in layers. Not every recording situation is the same but, for the most part, each instrument is recorded seperately (or at the very least... isolated), then vocals are added, harmonies, sound effects, etc. Each ingredient gets its own track.
Then the record is MIXED.
This is when all the individual tracks are tweaked, effected, fixed, and assigned a volume and a value. (also called a "place" or a "seat" in the overall mix.)
With artists like Linkin Park or Def Leppard... the number of individual tracks can be well over 100. For a more organic band like Pearl Jam, maybe there are only 20+ tracks. The song "Welcome To The Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance has the most tracks ever mixed. 167 to be exact.
All these tracks are mixed down to only two tracks. Stereo.
These two-track mixdowns are sent to a mastering house where they are "prepared for mass consumption" IE: radio & retail.
This is where the problems start.
When the mixdowns are mastered, they are given a blanket of EQ, compression, limiting, and "sonic maximizing". This process gives them a sheen. It CAN make the records sound very professional.
It also can suck the life right outta the original recordings.
The artist, very often, has NO INPUT during the mastering part of the process.
Quiet parts are boosted. Loud parts are clipped. Artificial bass boost is applied. Dynamics are changed. Etc etc.
When all is said and done... the recording has been homogenized.
BUT NOT ALWAYS!
Some albums are mastered with great care, and it shows. (Donald Fagen, I'm looking in your direction)
Some records are just pumped to the max and released with a big sticker that says DIGITALLY REMASTERED.
Aaanyway.... it's an interesting article. Thought I'd share it.