Master Tapes

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

> I wonder if anyone
> could explain  exactly what "master tapes" are and why they are so crucial
> when re-mixing for a CD

Jeff:

A perhaps not-too-technical answer (I'll leave that to someone else):
the masters are the original, first mix of the songs. To remix, I would
think you'd have to go another step back to the three tracks (in the
case of MG), which would feature the instruments and vocals seperate
from each other.
When making copies of albums for distribution, the standard practice was
for the label to make copies for the manufacturing plants from the
master. These were then used over and over...in the case of MG, for some
30 years. As you know, tape loses a bit of sound quality each time it's
played...so you can imagine what 30 years of use has done!
When CDs first came out, most of the labels used the same tapes they had
been using for the LPs (this was the case for The Who). Usually, CDs
made from the masters sound better (but not always...The Stones, for
example). Remastering is another step...I don't know exactly how it's
done, but in essence it cleans up the sound.

> of the recent Who re-mixed ("re-mastered") CD's

AQO was remastered, the rest were remixed. MG needs a remix badly,
although I fear that if it's cleaned up too much it won't sound as good.
Take the BBC version of My Generation, for instance...it doesn't have
nearly the impact of the old, crappy-sounding album/single version. I
may be alone in this, but I want it to sound rough.

- -- 

            Cheers                ML

 "There's a million ways to laugh/And every one's a path..."

            Pete Townshend