Interview: Bob Ludwig: Mastering Engineer of The Whole Love

[choo-choo-charlie]

"The Whole Love definitely ranks as my personal favorite Wilco record. For me, I had the same thrill as exploring a new Beatles record for the first time, SO much to discover here!"

 

Full interview here: http://wilcoworld.net/#!/interview-bob-ludwig-mastering-engineer-of-the-whole-love/.

[Plumplechook]

Wow. Great interview. The list of the favorite albums he's worked on at the end of the interview is unreal.

[Muzzle of Dan]

Very cool interview! Agreed on the impressive list of albums - unreal.

[Vacant Horizon]

Bob Ludwig says:

'When the record is going to be competing with all other commercial recordings on a server like iTunes it is important that the new recoding sound competitive in quality and level. '

 

 

this makes me nervous about the 'loudness' of this record. i thought wilco(the album) was mastered way too loud and didn't have half the dynamic range of SBS. why does this record have to compete? with what? it's not like people are saying...'oh this record is my loudest record, so it's my favorite.' if anything, people are saying the opposite.

[Cam Jones]

I've met Bob briefly a couple of times. Saw him at Panera one day. He's a really nice dude! Everyone at Gateway is, actually.

[Central Scrutinizer]

this makes me nervous about the 'loudness' of this record. i thought wilco(the album) was mastered way too loud and didn't have half the dynamic range of SBS. why does this record have to compete? with what? it's not like people are saying...'oh this record is my loudest record, so it's my favorite.' if anything, people are saying the opposite.

 

"You don't do Wilco in Dubly, you know."

[bleedorange]

Bob Ludwig says:

'When the record is going to be competing with all other commercial recordings on a server like iTunes it is important that the new recoding sound competitive in quality and level. '

 

 

this makes me nervous about the 'loudness' of this record. i thought wilco(the album) was mastered way too loud and didn't have half the dynamic range of SBS. why does this record have to compete? with what? it's not like people are saying...'oh this record is my loudest record, so it's my favorite.' if anything, people are saying the opposite.

 

I agree. Especially when you consider the fact that their quietest record (A Ghost is Born) is their best-sounding.

[Vacant Horizon]

 

I agree. Especially when you consider the fact that their quietest record (A Ghost is Born) is their best-sounding.

 

right, AGIB is so damn warm and immediate. YHF is pretty good as well. we'll see. i just prefer that 'in studio feel' of records.

[a-me-with-a-you]

The master mixes of WTA must've been really horrid then, if if was mixed by the same guy who did the great sounding Summerteeth and SBS. I guess he still loses out to the two best mastered records, YHF (2) and AGIB (1), but now I'm being hard on the geezer. Even the vinyl quality WTA hurts my ears.

[lamradio]

Yeah, I've never understood why albums have to be mastered to be so freaking loud. If it's not loud enough, just turn it up on your stereo! A little EQ, maybe a little compression and you're good to go.

[Cam Jones]

Yeah, I've never understood why albums have to be mastered to be so freaking loud. If it's not loud enough, just turn it up on your stereo! A little EQ, maybe a little compression and you're good to go.

a lot of times thats the band. I think The Whole Love is a good record to be mastered as loud as it is... Wilco The Album... not so much.

But there is a story that goes around about Ludwig mastering GnR's Chinese Democracy. He did three masters, one for Axl, one that got put out and a third one that was his "own master" or something.