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'The Beatles' - The White Album Listening Thread - Your thoughts
- Thread starter JonUrban
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That's not my point... I'm saying there are more expanded INXS albums on the way... and maybe they will be in surround.
Sorry. Back to The Beatles
jimfisheye
2K Club - QQ Super Nova
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First listen.
I must admit to listening to this with a DAW so I could look at the waveforms like I like to do. So there's the brick wall limiting staring me in the face right off.
The same shrill hype as the Sgt Peppers remix. I made it half way into Dear Prudence on first listen before the fatiguing hype wore me out. So far the surround mix sounded like it was just trying to imitate the stereo mix. There's room for improvement in these mixes if done right I would think. I might have to try to do some restoration mastering on these to try to offset the hype distortion and actually be able to give this a proper listen. The lower fidelity of these releases is insulting. Thin, shrill, and loud.
I must admit to listening to this with a DAW so I could look at the waveforms like I like to do. So there's the brick wall limiting staring me in the face right off.
The same shrill hype as the Sgt Peppers remix. I made it half way into Dear Prudence on first listen before the fatiguing hype wore me out. So far the surround mix sounded like it was just trying to imitate the stereo mix. There's room for improvement in these mixes if done right I would think. I might have to try to do some restoration mastering on these to try to offset the hype distortion and actually be able to give this a proper listen. The lower fidelity of these releases is insulting. Thin, shrill, and loud.
You have said everything that I wanted to say. But I kept quiet because I am a whingeing old grump.
I think many of the mixes are good, indeed very good.
But the volume! I couldn't find the right level at which to listen to it. On turning the level down it goes straight from oppressive to anaemic. There just isn't a level at which it is vibrant and exciting.
I too find it shrill and get fatigue very quickly. Just as I found with Sgt Pepper.
I wonder why they numbered this set but not Sgt. Peppers?
The first release of the original White Album were numbered, so I'm guessing that's where the idea came from, I don't think Sgt Peppers was numbered.
I agree about volume. There are some things that are way too low (IMHO). For instance, the intro guitar to "Bungalow Bill". I boosted the volume on that for sure, and it still doesn't sound quite right. In "I'm So Tired", I don't hear John take the deep breath before singing "Gun" towards the end of the song where it breaks, then he yells "Gun". In my head I hear him, but it's so low in the mix that I thought they took it out.
There are other spots as well.
However, I don't see or hear the brickwalling.
You guys are correct, there are some strange things going on with this in spots. It's not perfection but it's still pretty good for 50 year old tunes.
There are other spots as well.
However, I don't see or hear the brickwalling.
You guys are correct, there are some strange things going on with this in spots. It's not perfection but it's still pretty good for 50 year old tunes.
The honeymoon is over!
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lennon fan
Senior Member
some balance differences for sure, the intro guitar to Bungalow you mentioned is the low note of a mellotron, and Giles went to Paul's house where the orig Mellotron is and retaped that bit! so, Paul's Mellotron is the original master
lennon fan
Senior Member
so many of these outtakes are just superb!
I found that reducing treble by -2dB throughout TWA removes some of the shrillness/edge/glare. You have to wonder why Love has none of those issues. Love remains the gold standard for Beatles fidelity. Why anyone would inject that "remastered CD hot high end" into an audiophile recording such as this surround mix on TWA is beyond me. (Jimfisheye, if you have some idea as how to correct this in Audacity please send me a PM.) Regarding volume levels, I took a bit of sherbeck's advice on a number of tracks and messed with the surrounds on others to try to get a more consistent sounding album:
Glass Onion: Boosted surrounds +1dB
Bungalow Bill: Boosted surrounds +1dB
While My Guitar Gently Weeps: Boosted surrounds +4dB (Sean boosted overall volume level instead.)
Happiness is a Warm Gun: Boosted surrounds +2dB
Martha My Dear: Reduced volume -2dB
I'm So Tired: Boosted surrounds +1dB
Blackbird: Reduced volume -2dB
Don't Pass Me By: Boosted surrounds +2dB
I Will: Boosted surrounds +1dB; Reduced volume -2dB
Julia: Boosted surrounds +3dB; Reduced volume -5dB
Mother Nature's Son: Boosted surrounds +2dB
Sexy Sadie: Boosted surrounds +1dB
Helter Skelter: Increased volume +2dB
Honey Pie: Boosted surrounds +1dB; Reduced volume -2dB
Cry Baby Cry: Reduced volume -1dB
Good Night: Reduced volume -2dB
I'll have to give it another listen to see if I still prefer these adjustments. It's nice having Audacity and being able to adjust recordings to one's personal taste.
PaulMichael
Member
erm..........
Critiquing certain discs on here can be met with anger by certain members. I will leave it. Such a shame this attitude is present.
Critiquing certain discs on here can be met with anger by certain members. I will leave it. Such a shame this attitude is present.
What effect did that have?
Julia fascinated me. One of my favourite songs on the album. Originally a bit of an intimate love song. I was expecting it to be virtually mono with fake ambiance.
Instead it's been turned into something large and room filling. I'm not criticising it, just a bit surprised.
lennon fan
Senior Member
I'm gonna go bold and say this is going to hit Billboard No. 1. I know I could be wrong, but I feel it...and it would be more than appropriate.
50 years later and it is still blowing minds out. amazing really...
50 years later and it is still blowing minds out. amazing really...
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It's a difficult problem. One always has to be mindful that the thing that drives one to distraction might well be someone else's all time favourite. It can be tricky getting the phraseology such that it conveys one's point of view without upsetting the other.
lennon fan
Senior Member
In an age when I could certainly do with a lot less clutter I welcome this huge box set with loving open arms.
It helps restore my belief that there's a future for surround, I still predict this will gain new fans of the medium.
Of course it could all tank but I'm optimistic for once, this one's a beauty that will get lots of spins round these parts.
Honestly, I have every white album imaginable, reel, 8-track, cassette, white vinyl, red vinyl japan, uk, us, au, it, germany etc. pressings, orig mono and stereo and all of them are still in near mint condition, because obviously I care about this record...
This blu ray will keep them all near mint...no need to pull them out, or any cd issue either....
It helps restore my belief that there's a future for surround, I still predict this will gain new fans of the medium.
Of course it could all tank but I'm optimistic for once, this one's a beauty that will get lots of spins round these parts.
Honestly, I have every white album imaginable, reel, 8-track, cassette, white vinyl, red vinyl japan, uk, us, au, it, germany etc. pressings, orig mono and stereo and all of them are still in near mint condition, because obviously I care about this record...
This blu ray will keep them all near mint...no need to pull them out, or any cd issue either....
Keenly....what you do isn't critiquing...it's just making random statements that usually are inflammatory...and coming back to the forum as PaulMichael hasn't changed that...you can mask your I.P. address but your posting DNA never changes..
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