Beatles remasters are here!

[Synthesizer Patel]

That's right. You are an old dude. I hope the master tapes did not get trashed back in the 1990s. It could be that they are simply to far gone to do a new digital transfer. That is probably talked about somewhere, but there is so much stuff out there about these releases, I may have missed it.

 

they have been digitally transfered again. that's partly why they will sound so much better (because the transfer process is so much better than in the 80s). the beatles master tapes are guarded like the crown jewels, if reports are to be believed - they are therefore as good as the day they were made.

[Analogman]

they have been digitally transfered again. that's partly why they will sound so much better (because the transfer process is so much better than in the 80s). the beatles master tapes are guarded like the crown jewels, if reports are to be believed - they are therefore as good as the day they were made.

 

So we are getting a new transfer of the mix the George Martin did.

[Synthesizer Patel]

So we are getting a new transfer of the mix the George Martin did.

 

I think so anyway. I've definately read that they've re-tranfered it all again to digital. Well the mono mix is the one that George Martin did, I don't think he actually did the stereo one - that was Geoff Emerick and the other engineers, so I've read.

[Synthesizer Patel]

just to go on about mono one last time, this is interesting:

 

Geoff Emerick talking about mixing:

Question: In your new book with Howard Massey, Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles (Gotham), you write that "true Beatles fans" should get the mono versions of Revolver and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band "because far more time and effort went into those mixes than into the stereo mixes."

 

Answer: We mixed Sgt. Pepper in three weeks — of that, only three days were spent on the stereo version.

 

So, out of 21 days (if they worked every day) it took 18 days to mix the album in mono, and 3 for stereo.

 

Question: That might explain something that has always bothered me. In the transition from "Good Morning Good Morning" to the reprise of thetitle track, the famous segue from chicken to guitar is missing a noteon the stereo version.

I never noticed that!

 

Question: Here, let's listen. [KR does an A/B comparison of the mono and stereo versions.] That one extra note in the mono version makes a big difference. The segue is much smoother.

Yeah, exactly. That's something that [Paul] McCartney would have immediately picked up on if he'd been at the stereo mixing session.There's a reason for that note being there. And it's great that you brought this in; I'm glad you pointed that out, because it's a very good example of going from the mono to the stereo. It's such a small thing, but it's an extremely valid point: that was the way they wanted it.

 

The mono version of Pepper is indeed the only one — it's the mix the Beatles were present at. And we might have gone back for another day to redo the stereo version if it had been for an error like that. Because all those little touches are so important on that album.That's why it's such a perfect album — and it's why I wouldn't even allow the mastering engineer [to alter it]. I wrote on the tape box:"Please transfer flat."

 

We had fun mixing those mono tracks. And the thing is, if someone screwed up on the last bar of any mix, we'd go back to the beginningand redo it right from the top. We'd never do an edit piece and spliceit in. I know we did for "Strawberry Fields Forever," but that was the exception... A mix was a performance by the people on the mixing console. For instance, with 4-track, on the last overdub track, you may have a guitar, a keyboard, a couple of harmony voices, and something else, and there's a question of moving the pan pot because the voices are in the middle, and there's a drop-in for the guitar over to one side to make room for the next drop-in because that relates to that, and you have to change the echo and switch it back — and I've got only one pair of hands. We did the best we could. And it was a performance. Which was great. I mean, the feeling after doing a mix was just brilliant.

 

I used to ride all the guitar bits and lift up all the drum breaks.Always, after the last note of any guitar solo, when George [Harrison]was taking his finger off the note, I used to boost that 20 dB so you could actually feel that presence. It's like Paul counting off the reprise of "Sgt. Pepper" — you can hear that energy. It's all little stuff like that.

 

 

 

And an interesting point about the American Capitol Versions, with echo - which also "echoes" what some of you said about the stereo versions being how you've grown up with the beatles:

 

Question: I agree. But when I made that point in a review of Vol. 1, wegot letters saying things like "The Capitol releases are how Americansremember the Beatles" and "These are the albums I grew up with." In aresponse to those letters, I said, "I have no problem with nostalgia.But I do have a problem with tapes being given more echo by a recordcompany without permission. Doesn't it just make more sense to hear therecordings the way the artists wanted them to be heard?" And someonereplied, "No, it does not. The tapes were given more echo over 40 yearsago, and the listeners in the U.S.A. liked it. They like it still." Howdo you respond to that?

 

Answer: The personality of the vocal is gone because it's swamped in echo. Itcould be anyone singing that song. It destroys the song artistically...As I said, until now, I'd never heard those American CDs. And now I'mglad I didn't.

 

Read the whole article here

[Analogman]

Of course, the track listing is also different on the Capitol releases. I noticed that the price of those Capitol CD boxes is dropping for the first time.

[Sparky speaks]

If any one here has the reissue of the Yellow Submarine soundtrack CD you will know how much better these albums are going to sound. That album is crisp, clear and loud. When I play the older CD versions of the songs that they added to the reissue of that album they sound flat and muffled compared with the remastered versions. Give it a try. Play Sgt. Pepper and A Little Help From My Friends from the YS album and then put on your old Sgt. Pepper CD. It will blow you away.

[Synthesizer Patel]

If any one here has the reissue of the Yellow Submarine soundtrack CD you will know how much better these albums are going to sound. That album is crisp, clear and loud. When I play the older CD versions of the songs that they added to the reissue of that album they sound flat and muffled compared with the remastered versions. Give it a try. Play Sgt. Pepper and A Little Help From My Friends from the YS album and then put on your old Sgt. Pepper CD. It will blow you away.

 

they were remixed; and i personally think they were remixed badly. the backing singing is almost louder than the lead on the tracks.

[Analogman]

One thing I never messed with much - Beatles releases on tape. I have Beatles VI, and Let It Be. I think those are the only two I ever bought. As I recall, the Beatles VI tape sounds absolutely terrible.

[Sparky speaks]

they were remixed; and i personally think they were remixed badly. the backing singing is almost louder than the lead on the tracks.

 

I love that album.....The remixing might not be to your liking but it is definitely a more punchier sounding collection of Beatles tunes. Think For Yourself IMO is one of the best songs on that album due to the remastering. It's All Too Much rocks as well. Hell, they all do. I'll probably end up buying the remastered CD's in stereo from Rubber Soul on leaving out Let It Be since I recently purchased the "naked" version and the Yellow Submarine soundtrack for the above stated reasons. Can't wait to hear The White Album my favorite of all time. To each their own I guess.

[tongue-tied]

I ordered the Mono Box today, I just couldn't stand letting it pass me by. I figure I'll be able to get the stereo remasters at my leisure. Tower said it couldn't process my order, and I tried more times than I'd like to admit though it was sketchy sketchy. Successfully ordered through Barnes&Noble, though I dislike that particular company and they "projected tax"ed the hell out of me. It's a little unreasonable for me to be spending this amount of money at this time, so...it better be good, Beatles.

[imsjry]

I am still so torn over which box I want to get. After all this talk about how the mono's are better, I am almost willing to make the plunge. But I know I want Yellow Sub, Abbey Rd, and Let it Be too. And the cost of the mono box it a bit nuts. And I also want the damn Rock Band game!

 

Boy, The Beatles have me this year. I guess they really haven't gotten any cash out of me since the Anthology stuff so it's been a while....

 

A crazy question.....if I have a Mono switch on my receiver and I use it while listening to the stereo CD's, is it the same as listening to the mono discs? I'd guess not since the mixes should be different but thought I throw that out there.

[Analogman]

I've never heard of that. I have quad sound on my receiver. You are making me think of the trick we use to do with headphone jacks back in the day. Actually, I think I have seen some tracks out there where someone has manipulated Beatle songs using that very trick.

[imsjry]

A crazy question.....if I have a Mono switch on my receiver and I use it while listening to the stereo CD's, is it the same as listening to the mono discs? I'd guess not since the mixes should be different but thought I throw that out there.

 

I think I found the answer to my question over on Amazon:

 

"You might be able to get 'mono' from stereo, but it won't be authentic. Each channel of stereo was mixed based on the notion that there's another channel (some individual instruments or voices in a stereo-optimized mix might be too quiet or too loud in a mono context), plus many of the most obscure subtleties of the overall recording were supposedly lost in the channel-splitting process. Even if much of the 'stereo' was recycled from mono, that doesn't necessarily mean the music is going to sound very much like the original mono after you fuse both channels back together. If it's not going to sound like the mono that John Lennon thought I should be hearing, then it's hardly worthwhile."

[Synthesizer Patel]

I think I found the answer to my question over on Amazon:

 

"You might be able to get 'mono' from stereo, but it won't be authentic. Each channel of stereo was mixed based on the notion that there's another channel (some individual instruments or voices in a stereo-optimized mix might be too quiet or too loud in a mono context), plus many of the most obscure subtleties of the overall recording were supposedly lost in the channel-splitting process. Even if much of the 'stereo' was recycled from mono, that doesn't necessarily mean the music is going to sound very much like the original mono after you fuse both channels back together. If it's not going to sound like the mono that John Lennon thought I should be hearing, then it's hardly worthwhile."

 

this was discussed way back near the start of this whole thread. if you switched it to mono from stereo it would sound terrible - it would also be really distorted, and it wouldn't even be the mono mix anyway - as the two mixes are entirely different. read the article i linked to a few posts back (from geoff emerick - the person that mixed both). the mono mixes were done with george martin and the beatles present, and they do these mixes "live" - so they'd fade instruments in, remove foot tappings etc... live to make the mix. they'd spend ages doing this to get everything right. then they'd do a quick stereo mix for the american market - the fact that they did it quickly and it's "live" (because this was obviously before computers) is why the stereo mixes have so many errors on them, there is a webpage called Beatles anomalies here which picks out all the errors in the beatles recordings, 98% are on the stereo mixes.

[Sir Stewart]

there is a webpage called Beatles anomalies here which picks out all the errors in the beatles recordings, 98% are on the stereo mixes.

 

Where did you get that figure?

I've always noticed (on tape and CD anyway) this:

 

 

Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds 1:32

John sings "grows so incredibly high", and a much delayed "igh" isheard. Was this from a previous vocal take? Fixed in Yellow Submarineremastered.

 

 

But the site doesn't say that was a result of the stereo mix, or if it was on the original release.

[Synthesizer Patel]

Where did you get that figure?

I've always noticed (on tape and CD anyway) this:

 

 

 

 

But the site doesn't say that was a result of the stereo mix, or if it was on the original release.

 

98% is the exact figure. I made it up myself!

If you look at the errors - they tend to say, "noise is left channel", or "guitar pans across channels" etc... that can only happen in stereo, so when it talks like that it is talking about the stereo mixes.

 

example:

 

Drive My Car

 

0:16

Click (right channel), not audible on mono version.

 

0:20

Harsh edit, right channel, as piano comes in.

 

0:44

Guitar fret-squeak sound, right channel.

 

0:52

Strange 'peep' (on the right channel) as the piano comes back in. Not on mono version. Probably from George's guitar.

 

Also George Martin hits one note too many, making a duff chord onthe second chord of this chorus fill (the chord that comes on thedownbeat). Quickly corrects it, though.

 

1:20-1:22

Paul? sings "You ... can ... drive my ... car" along to the last fewnotes of guitar solo. Listen carefully, the last 3 notes of the soloare on top of the words "Drive My Car". Very hard to hear on CDversion, this needs the vinyl version.

 

1:42-1:53

Centre of stereo field, right after "start right away" and eachsubsequent vocal line there are a number of stray guitar notes, as ifthe guitarist is idling, unaware they are being heard!

 

1:46

Paul fluffs the bass riff and plays a "safe" note instead.

 

Most of those errors are from the stereo version. Where it doesn't say "left", or "right" etc... still doesn't mean it's not just the stereo version that has the error on it. Hence 98%

 

 

 

[Sir Stewart]

Ahh. Thanks for that link. I've always assumed any funky shit I heard was on purpose. Apparently not.

[imsjry]

I've always assumed any funky shit I heard was on purpose. Apparently not.

 

Why not on purpose? Where does it say these were screw ups? If we can hear them, I'm sure the band and engineer's did too and didn't fix them. Why wouldn't they have been fixed in the '87 cd releases?

[Sir Stewart]

Why not on purpose? Where does it say these were screw ups? If we can hear them, I'm sure the band and engineer's did too and didn't fix them. Why wouldn't they have been fixed in the '87 cd releases?

 

I thought the idea was that the stereo mixes added most of those - and the stereo mixes came long after the original releases, right?

[cryptique]

I thought the idea was that the stereo mixes added most of those - and the stereo mixes came long after the original releases, right?

Depends on which stereo mixes we're talking about: the ones made immediately after the original mono mixes, or ones that were made later ('87) by George Martin.

 

The list of anomalies posted earlier was referring to the original stereo mixes from the '60s. Many of these anomalies were cleaned up (or became less audible) in the 1987 digital masters. So, the original 1960s stereo mixes added most (all?) of the anomalies.

[Synthesizer Patel]

Why not on purpose? Where does it say these were screw ups? If we can hear them, I'm sure the band and engineer's did too and didn't fix them. Why wouldn't they have been fixed in the '87 cd releases?

 

they are definately not on purpose. why would they purposely have drop offs in sound, harsh edits, background noise etc? and, not only that, why would they only put them on the stereo mixes and not on the mono mixes? read the last few links i've added with geoff emerick talking, and the anomolies website - and you'll understand that they are definately, without doubt, not done on purpose - they are mistakes, and they are mainly on the stereo mixes. because they mixed the stereo versions very quickly - without the band or george martin around to correct them, and also it wasn't regarded as a big deal like the mono versions (obviously they had deadlines to keep and if you've spent 2 weeks mixing the mono album, and you only have a few days left on the schedule to get the stereo versions done there are bound to be oversites). what will be interesting is to see if they've removed them on these new versions.

[bigideas]

I want to get the new ones, but the price keeps me away. I wonder if The White Album poster will be censored this time around.

 

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I wouldn't think it would be. The Two Virgins cover was on full display in the Beatle book put out a few years ago.

[bigideas]

if you flip a Mono switch while listening to something in Stereo i think sometimes you can cancel things out.

[imsjry]

I can't tell if this whole box set thing if fun or a major pain in the ass, but what is the sence that the Mono Box is truly "out of stock" as it seems at this point. The have to make more, right?

[cryptique]

I don't expect them to make more. But they may release the discs individually at some point (no guarantees on that either).

 

Check around. It's sold out on Amazon, but other places still list it as available for pre-ordering.