Master discs were cut from cutting masters that included compensation for the losses that are inherent in the process of producing and playing LPs.
Cutting masters were always tapes, either digital or analog.
Remember that digital recording was applied to the production of LPs up to nearly a decade before the release of the first CDs. This was done so that when the CD format was finalized, it would be possible to exploit its sonic and practical advantages from the start.
Genesis: The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
So bad you can hear the tape hiss.
Genesis had many "remasters" on their disc library and the problem is that they used OTHER masters, so what got put on the "Remastered discs" were really re-mixed.
They suck too, because the original cuts are what we want, not some lame f*ck's choice of what to put down out of the pile of tape he has in front of him.
That's not true. In classical music, SACDs are selling fairly well. Not as much as the manufacturers and patent holders would like, but they're still holding on.
Kirk
-- Kirkville -- http://www.mcelhearn.com Writings about more than just Macs Take Control of iTunes 10: The FAQ: http://www.mcelhearn.com/itunes
The last sales fibures I can find date back to 2008 when SACD & DVD were still on local shelves. They're not on local shelves here any more.
In 2008 DVD+SACD sales were $6.4 million which is 426,000 units presuming $15 each.
Physical media sales which are overwhelmingly CDs were $8 Billion in 2008. No matter how you look at it, that's over 1,000 times more units putting SACD+DVD at less than 0.1% of sales of physical media.
A 0.1% or less market share isn't even a good sized niche. 1% would be a niche.
In 2008 SACD+DVD sales were less than 25% of LP sales. LP's are holding on, but just barely. 25% of just barely is not "even a good sized niche". That was 3 years ago and things have only gotten worse for the SACD and DVD-A. Lots worse.
It's because almost all SACDs are hybrids, so you may not even notice any in stores unless you look on the back to check.
But I have no idea of sales. It is a micro-niche, and personally, I don't have an SACD player, because they're expensive. But it's certainly a larger niche than 24-bit files.
Kirk
-- Kirkville -- http://www.mcelhearn.com Writings about more than just Macs Take Control of iTunes 10: The FAQ: http://www.mcelhearn.com/itunes
colin snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com expounded in news: snipped-for-privacy@k16g2000vbq.googlegr oups.com:
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I dunno about that.
The superbowl HD was just as good with the mute button on as it was when it was off.
The only detraction was the word "Mute" at the top of the screen. ;-)
Warren
One of the few good DVD-A releases was the Beatles' "Love" project.
Only because you "muted" the wrong device. You should have muted your Audio Receiver.
Not always these days. And even the term "original tapes" can have a vast number of meanings. You could even include early digital recordings made to video tape I guess. Certainly most CD's fail to mention the exact source of the material used for "remastering". And some albums have been "remastered" so many times even the fans can't keep track. Pink Floyd's "DSotM" being one example.
Trevor.
With the Gold Master release (CBS?) of that being the best I have. Haven't been out looking though either. Haven't seen it in a while either...
Right, you don't want to use a master tape equalised for vinyl to cut a CD anyway, and certainly not a disc copy, unless nothing else remains!
Depends what you call the "final" mixdown, and the best remasters go back to the original multi-track and remix anyway.
Trevor.
Better surely? :-)
So just reduce the volume to zero instead, and there is no "Mute" overlay to annoy you.
Trevor.
True, BUT the terms ARE unfortunately used interchangebly by those who write the cover details for CD's. Such people are RARELY technical personel, they are marketing types wishing to promote the CD in the best light within the scope of their limited knowlege. Even if it's the crappiest transfer possible from a worn out vinyl record, it can still legitamately be called "remastered", and usually is :-( Old worn out vinyl can now be transferred to 24 bit digital files, and that is happening too! :-( :-(
Trevor.
Yep, but music video DVD's and Blu-ray accounts for a good size market now. Most people simply see no point in paying more for a DVD without video. And the better Music video DVD's have a PCM soundtrack as well as surround sound and video. All for less than the cost of the equivalent CD in some cases. Less than the cost of SACD and DVDA in nearly all cases, here at least.
Trevor.
Actually it was mostly done as a pont of difference from other techniques being used at the time to try to improve the sound quality of vinyl. Half speed mastering, Direct metal mastering, and Direct to disc recording were all being tried to improve sound quality, as were those early digital recorders (and video interfaces). That the digital recordings could be more easily transferred to CD when it was released was only a minor benefit IMO, since ANY transfer was still relatively easy compared with the problem of actually making a CD master disc and pressing consumer discs in the very early days.
Trevor.
Yes, it's making a new master tape, hence it generally always involves a remix, right?
Kirk
-- Kirkville -- http://www.mcelhearn.com Writings about more than just Macs Take Control of iTunes 10: The FAQ: http://www.mcelhearn.com/itunes
Nope, it *sometimes* involves a remix from multi-track tapes. But *FAR* from "generally always". More often it's simply A-D, EQ'd and compressed (and usually some noise reduction) from one of the existing two track masters. And it NEVER involves "making a new master tape" these days, since it stays digital after the initial A-D (if the original is analog), and nobody I know uses digtal tape as a backup any more.
Trevor.
No, that's not right. Mastering is usually done from stereo masters, post-mixdown. The Wikipedia page at
Andrew.
Even if the source material was marginal, you'd still have sonic advantages with a CD. For example, the elimination of ticks and pops, wow-and-flutter, and rumble. But I miss my anti-static gun, dirt brush, and Yamaha direct-drive turntable nonetheless... :)
-- Randy Yates Digital Signal Labs 919-577-9882 http://www.digitalsignallabs.comyates@digitalsignallabs.com
Hear, hear!
Today people get recording contracts based on how photogenic they are. Machines sing them into tune. AND THEN
And they wonder why we don't buy records!
-- Malcolm "They should know they're the Grateful Dead now." -- Phil
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