digitally remastered vinyl

[Blueguitar]

It happens from times to time - I buy a vintage album on Ebay or quickly pick one up at a used record store without doing my due diligence and find the small type later that night - "digitally remastered from the analogue source". My most recent offender is a 1985 reissue of "After Midnight" by Nat King Cole - the one before was "At the Pershing" by Ahmad Jamal.

what are people's experience with these? Without having something to compare it to it's hard to know if I'm really losing out or not.

Thanks,

Carl

[majerjack]

Several months ago I thought I had scored big when I found online a sealed copy of Jacqueline DuPre performing the Saint-Saens Cello Concerto #1 in A minor. I was expecting it to be the original 1968 analog version, but I expelled some choice expletives when I discovered that it was a 1986 digital remaster (the seller did not specify analog/digital in the description, and in my innocence I assumed it was the original).

I have a high mistrust of digital remastering for vinyl, especially anything done in the 1980's, which to my ears produced many bad-sounding digital recordings. Modern AD/DA converters and software may produce much better results, but my skepticism remains (once bitten, twice shy). These days I buy only original analog recordings on vinyl. The only new vinyl records I consider for purchase are those I know to have been produced from the original analog master tapes.

I have not yet listened to the Du Pre Saint-Saens record. I have the same recording on CD, and I have considered doing an A/B comparison of the two and posting my impressions on vinylengine, but I am not sure of the usefulness of such information, since the remastering for the record was done with 1986 technology which would not apply today. The record was produced with the Direct Metal Mastering process, and I am interested to hear it for that reason, to see if I can detect any benefits from that process.

For those who are interested I quote from the record jacket:

"This memorable performance was originally recorded using conventional analog techniques. Now, through revolutionary advancements in computer technology, the original analog recording has been remastered in digital form. Today's digital techniques provide dramatic reductions in tape hiss and other extraneous noises. More importantly, the music captured on the original master tape is now more directly audible, enabling the listener to enjoy the artists' performances with less intrusion from the playback medium itself."

Of course, this was back in the days when digital was going to cure cancer and end war also!

[Blueguitar]

Thanks for your reply - I'm curious if anyone has a record that they think sounds better digitally remastered....

[jake]

The only records that have sound improved upon when transferring to cd are the ones that were mastered wrong to begin with. Best examples are recordings from the 40's that came out in the 50's, the examples I'm thinking of (like Mengelberg recordings)are classical 78 performances that were rolled off something fierce in transfer to 33, and the result was not worth anyone's effort to correct until cd money came along. So if you start out with bad sound, the cd transfer is cool.

[gvasale]

I don't care about popular music (R&R, R&B, Country etc) but remastered classical drives me up a wall. Because I know there have been vast improvements in signal processing & technique. I think its because the classical repetoire isn't as likely to have a quick payback on a new production.

[flavio81]

Digital audio is great when done right. So have an open ear, some of the digitally remastered vinyl records can sound good.

[kjq45]

Digitally remastered music tends to have a different mix than the original. While some instruments are brought forward, some are completely removed. If it's not completely original, it's not for me. I like to hear it the way it was.

[thespirit3]

Digitally remastered music tends to have a different mix than the original. While some instruments are brought forward, some are completely removed. If it's not completely original, it's not for me. I like to hear it the way it was.

I'm guessing this may be more the problem. Something digitised 24/96 from the original masters should be identical to the masters. However, it's human nature to want to personalise (sorry, 'improve') something, so the exact mix/levels/EQ may differ to the original recording. However, even with the original recording you're relying on the ears of the original sound engineer; the original recording may not be that accurate compared to the original sound source. So, a recent 'remaster' may even be *more* true to the original but less familiar to your ears.

Maybe. I know what I'm trying to say even if you guys don't

[fscl]

Digitally remastered music tends to have a different mix than the original. While some instruments are brought forward, some are completely removed. If it's not completely original, it's not for me. I like to hear it the way it was.

When CDs were done for Frank Zappa's LPs I found this to be the case... Same for the Grateful Dead Live / Dead. The deluxe box set of Kind of Blue sounds OK but seems to play into the louder wars... on less vinyl real estate... How did they do that....

Digital audio is great when done right. So have an open ear, some of the digitally remastered vinyl records can sound good.

+1, love the Chesky CD series, and a handful of studios and mastering engineers.....

Since there's a lot more room on an LP jacket why don't they label vinyl DAA

Fred

[johnnywalker]

I agree that although caution is required, there are some occasions when digital remastering can produce better-sounding recordings than the original. For instance, Joe Tarantino's remastering of some of the Stax catalogue is exemplary - the new remasterings sound less muddy, more like live music, than the original releases. To my ear, most of Booker T. & The MGs' McLemore Avenue sounds incredible. There are a few - very few - recordings in my collection that sound better (less muddy, better high end, better detail) on the CD transfer; examples: Cream, the Bee Gees pre-disco stuff.

[Ras-pa]

It happens from times to time - I buy a vintage album on Ebay or quickly pick one up at a used record store without doing my due diligence and find the small type later that night - "digitally remastered from the analogue source". My most recent offender is a 1985 reissue of "After Midnight" by Nat King Cole - the one before was "At the Pershing" by Ahmad Jamal.
...........................

on which edition 'at the pershing' you think?
is it listed on discogs?

http://www.discogs.com/Ahmad-Jamal-Trio ... ster/59857