So then, would you say to the engineer... "I dub thee unforgiven!!!!!"

I've never cared about metal or most rock music so I've never listened to this album but I'm guessing it's all about poeple listening to music on tiny earbuds so the record companies want the songs to be as loud as possible. with pop music it's just to make it stand out while the average office worker hears it on the radio every afternoon. It's got to stand out on a little radio with the volume turned down.

One album that stands out as the exact opposite is Esthero - Wikked Lil' Grrrls
Every time I hear it I love the way it sounds.

When Múm decides to put out an album that's noting but LOUD then we'll be in trouble :)

Dave, it was funny the comparision on the 2 , guitar hero? as in the game?

I think it would have more impact if it wasn't partly mp3 sales.. e.g. would cost them a shed load more money to re-press the cd.

I guess you could return it as it's "not fit for purpose" they aren't the first to have done such things.. where I used to do a website for a label many years ago, one of the mix cd's was distorted badly and people returned the cd's.

they are all fighting for presence with the music.. just alas using the volume at the sake of the quality of it. remember THEY are supposed to be the professionals..hehe

Here's some commentary by a mastering engineer: Mastering Media Blog

And a thread is going on over at Gearslutz.

Interesting that the mastering engineer for the album claims it wasn't his company that ruined the record, it was the mix. But others claim the Guitar Hero version was mixed from stems, presumably provided by the same mixer. Sounds like everyone's trying to distance themselves from the project.

Sorry I couldn't resist! : )

It's a SAD situation for sure. & Today at my day job we just got the elements to create a 5.1 mix for one of the biggest if not the biggest nu metal bands today. We received the original stereo protools session. WOW. horrible mixing habits. The mix hitting the master peaked @ -12 then was boosted by a asinine master chain. I'll just list the master 2 bus plugin chain.

1. Compressor
2. a classic console EQ emulation
3. multiband comp
4. parametric EQ
5. widely used brickwall limiter.

These were slammed in the usual lifeless method. Remember this is pre mastering, this is how it came to us. It's just pathetically funny at this point.

Yeah?.....Whats the big deal.................... ?

Does this sound or look familiar...............?

Post/OP.............My mixes sound weak and thin...........How can I fix that?

20 Replies..........Just throw a multiband ,some EQ, and tube simulation in your master bus,it works great for me.......sometimes I even top it off with some Boost11. Blah, Blah, Blah................

THIS ADVICE GET PASSED AROUND HERE LIKE A HERPIES.......

The answer should've read...........Study up on your overall recording and mixing technique......particularly......tracking , and instrument frequency spacing.....basically using a parametric EQ..........and learn the hows and why's of track compression, and why real engineers track with outboard compression.

ORIGINAL: buckybeen

The reissue of Liz Phair's "Exile In Guyville" comes to mind.

Oh I didn't know they reissued that. One of my faves. What a great collection of songs and performances. I see on Amazon that they added a few bonus tracks. Are they any good? Anything else different from the orig? (I think I'll listen to that later... it's been a while....)

ORIGINAL: ohhey

There is a rumor floating around that the loudness wars are really a record company marketing ploy to be able to sell the album again in the future (at least one more time) as "remastered" for those who want the actual HiFi mix. They can't count on a format change again from CD to something else like they did with cassette and LP to be able to get additional revenue from each album so they are making the first edition as bad as possible so they have the option of coming out with an "improved" version (the real mix) later so they can sell it again.

And if there is a new format they can claim that the CD sounded bad because of "limitations" in the CD format and that you should buy the new format because it allows them to finally deliver the full dynamic range of the master.

Oh come on. Metallica are way too Rock-n-Roll to go for a tactic like that! I mean come on. These guys?





EDIT: Aaah Gamma Goblin beat me to it. (Posford fan?)

UnderTow

IMO, the album mixing/engineering is the least of their concerns. Man, when will they stop producing that mass-produced commercial bulls***. :)

ORIGINAL: UnderTow

ORIGINAL: ohhey

This is clear payback for the old Napster days. In fact, these new masters are great copy protection. If you try to MP3 those CDs you get total trash. The MP3 encoder works by removing stuff that you would not hear based on masking from louder stuff. When all elements of the mix are loud and in the forground the process breaks down.

Well if this is payback they failed miserably. Apparently a lot of people are downloading the rips from the game Guitar Hero III. They just went too far this time. Regular consumers are complaining that the CD sounds like crap. And this time, they have something to compare to. (GH3 rips). It seems everyone that has heard them prefers these unclipped mixes.

UnderTow

One way to get folks to stop stealing your stuff is to make it so bad they don't want it.

Sounds like drum bus distortion like full-on Vintage Warmer to me. Which I don't even mind - when the music's cranked up.

The cd freaking rocks if you ask me, no matter how it was mastered. I've listened to it at least 25 times already - very loud - and I have no ear fatigue. Not the case with, say, Collective Soul's Greatest Hits. What matters is - the songs kick ass and Metallica freakin throw down on this cd.

And I don't know what people who can't hear the bass are listening on, because it is loud and clear on every system I've heard it on.

(flame suit on)

ORIGINAL: zentatonic

Sounds like drum bus distortion like full-on Vintage Warmer to me. Which I don't even mind - when the music's cranked up.

The cd freaking rocks if you ask me, no matter how it was mastered. I've listened to it at least 25 times already - very loud - and I have no ear fatigue.

I can't listen for more than a minute.

And I don't know what people who can't hear the bass are listening on, because it is loud and clear on every system I've heard it on.

You need to compare to the "alternate" version to really judge. The CD versions are really anaemic and very distorted.

UnderTow

i kind of liked death magnetic sound. Rick Ruben clearly strived for a 'and justice for all' sound, it sounds quite a bit to me like the justice album.
The only thing i though was a little off was the drums sounded too 'indy' or out of place with the room sound.

i though the vocals and guitars fit great in the mix.

quote:

ORIGINAL: EgM

IMO, the album mixing/engineering is the least of their concerns. Man, when will they stop producing that mass-produced commercial bulls***. :)

When people stop buying it..

Exactly.....................


Why the F*^%$ would a band with 9 albums and over 52,000,000 sold.....in the U.S. alone......

.......... change S*^%$


Stupidest thing I've ever heard.(not your comment papa..the previous quote)


Did it get mentioned they are a metal band..........that still kicks the crap out of other genre's sales.

Did it get mentioned that for over a decade Metallica crushed most all pop,rap,country artists on tour revenue.

Did it get mentioned they are a metal band?

What you see are players who are competent at their instruments and comfortable with the genre, but in every other aspect of songwriting and record-making are really talentless hacks.

Second stupidest thing I've heard.............Bordering............ ****ED.


Yeah............a band that writes its own material................plays real instruments............sells millions of copies...................stays on top for decades.....................doesn't sample or use Nashville writers..........................possibly one of the all time great performing acts, making alot of the previous rock icons look like a joke, live in concert........Led who?

Just some hacks..................

I'm not even a big Metallica fan, but some of these comments unrelated to the mastering of the new album.....................are about as lame as it gets.....maybe envy.............stomach cramps............?

at times the production does kill this cd
but I still love it anyway

would you rather have another St. Anger - that was awful - no leads - snare sounded like crap - and production?.. don't get me started

yes it does remind me of the "Justice" mixes - fans wanted old school and they got it
I just could have done without the clipping

seems to be a trend - I've heard it in other cd's as well