Re: Much noise about NoNoise

["Mark R. Leaman" <mleaman@sccoast.net>]

> There's been lots of discussion about this on O&S.  I generally dislike
cds
> that have had too much noise reduction.  I guess the digital medium makes
> noise unacceptable that was perfectly fine from analog media

Keets:

It depends on which analog medium you mean. Albums have their own surface
noise (who knows better than I, who have put so many LPs on CD?) which tends
to cover a lot of hiss and things like that. Didn't you notice sounds on CDs
you never heard on LP? I know I did!
Also the music was compressed to fit within the frequency range of an LP (45
dbs I believe), then the treble and bass boosted to be heard over the sound
of the needle on vinyl. This is why many complained (in the early days) that
CDs sounded flat and LPs "warm." These people were missing their compression
and boosts.
Of course, it's true enough that a lot of the early CDs were made from the
same compressed and boosted copies of the master tapes used for albums,
sometimes used for years (and tape tends to lose quality with repeated use).
Cassette tapes have their own built in hiss as well, unless one has a DBX
cassette deck (or an add-on unit, as I did). But then they sounded only as
good as the source, and as far as I know there were no professionally made
ones (although I heard rumors and am in an area where they were unlikely to
show up).
Reel-To-Reel was the best option, but limited in the price and availability.
Then again, a lot of those were mixed differently in case you run across any
tapes...it might be worth checking them out. I have been told of, but never
found any conformation of, a Quadrophonic R-T-R of Quadrophenia. LP too, but
again if these things existed they've never turned up.

> cold, dead sounding recordings where they've even taken out the singer's
> breath.  Things like that are what make a particular performance live.

My goal in remastering is always the best possible sound. At times that
means leaving in a little hiss, but it takes only a listen and these things
are adjustable. I have so far successfully created a better sounding stereo
version of A Quick One and Fillmore East 1968...Jeff, Jon and Kevin (as well
as others) can attest to the sound quality on at least three FE `68 tracks.
And that working with the best source I could find (the Shaking All Over
bootleg).

In other words, IT CAN BE DONE if the people involved care enough.


    "Ann and I will carry out this equivocal message
      to the world: Markets must be open."
       George "Everything's news to me" Bush

               Cheers                 ML