Topic: Remastering etiquette question

[Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)]

The other day I downloaded the entire Story of the Ghost outtakes from etree. Burned them, and thought the levels were a bit low.

So now I am in the process of "remastering" the tracks. In doing so I am (1) Boosting the levels so all the tracks are the same, and (2) Running the tracks through a couple of Waves plugins (L1 Ultramaximizer+ > Waves L2).

I think the sound is improved a bit. Mostly from the levels being boosted.

My questions:

1. I'm no Sound Forge master. Am I doing anything I shouldn't to this (meaning that I'm not really improving the quality of the sound). I just mess around with plugins until I think it sounds good. I really don't have any formal training. What the heck do those 2 plugins really do?

2. Is it alright for me to reseed this, if I make notes to the changes? I don't want to if people are going to get mad, but I thought it would be nice for others to hear what I think is an improvement.

Thanks,
MIKE B

[Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)]

I would definately NOT reseed this. It only encourages people to attempt their own "remastering" and pretty soon you've got 15 copies of the same show running around with various levels of "remastering". Editing the show for your own listening pleasure is fine of course but unless it's a show you've recorded or you have permission from the taper I would not reseed other folks' recordings.
That is my 2 pennies worth.

Also there are .pdf files that come with the Waves plugs that explain the products thoroughly.

Alex

Thanks. Good point. If I have no idea what I'm doing, who knows what some other fool will do. I've seen some crazy shit, and heard some piss poor recordings.

Uhm...I didn't get any PDF files for the Waves plugins. Guess that might have something to do with where I got them 

MIKE B

[John R]

as alex states, i wouldn't.  there's been some pretty serious shit around here regarding stuff being remastered, do some searching.  swampy had some issues, and there was major discussion regarding rich whateverthefuckhislastnameis 'remastering' some shows.  keep the 'better for your ears' copy for your personal enjoyment, but i wouldn't reseed.

jr

edit.

found them

http://www.taperssection.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=24571.0

http://www.taperssection.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=24849.0

[Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)]

as as alex states, i wouldn't.  there's been some pretty serious shit around here regarding stuff being remastered, do some searching.  swampy had some issues, and there was major discussion regarding rich whateverthefuckhislastnameis 'remastering' some shows.  keep the 'better for your ears' copy for your personal enjoyment, but i wouldn't reseed.

jr

edit.

found them

http://www.taperssection.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=24571.0

http://www.taperssection.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=24849.0

Yep, I've read those. I would never "remaster" another tapers recording (although I did boost the levels on one of Brian S. recordings but I think I asked him first). This is studio outtakes and the levels are not consistant. I'm just making them consistant.

I do agree with what was in those threads though. I'm using shitty Creative speakers and some Grado SR-80's out of my piece of crap Creative creative soundcard. Certainly nowhere near worthy enough to be considered anywhere close to "professional."

I will enjoy these. If anyone wants a copy, I'd be more than happy to B+P them a copy, but only if you promise to keep it to yourself and never reseed.

Once again, this place rocks. So many other places, people would have been complete dicks. Not here. Just considerate and kind responses. This is a pretty damn fine community we've got!

MIKE B

[cleantone]

Thats some expensive plug ins for someone to buy who doesn't know how to use them......

[nickgregory]

good deal, thanks alex

[F.O.Bean]

are these for wavelab 4/5?

thanks

[pfife]

Well, my opinion is that there are differing levels of "mastering" that kinda make it more or less "immoral" -

If you are using a normalization (non-RMS) you are just bumping up the volume, and leaving the dynamics alone.  This seems like the minimal amount of mastering to get the volume up.   Using Waves Ultramaximizer (which is awesome, I agree) is a multi-band compressor, which definately effects the recording's dynamics...

[Tim]

Thats some expensive plug ins for someone to buy who doesn't know how to use them......

-T

so what exactly is it that makes you think you are a "pro" and thus gives you license to speak this way to other people on this board?

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

I have a CD mastering question:

when a second set including encore runs just over 80 minutes, is it considered poor form to cut a couple of minutes from the crowd noise between the last song and the encore to get the set+e to fit on one 80 minute CD?  Seems sort of wastefull to offer a B&P with just the encore on on CD because of a few minute overrun.

[F.O.Bean]

i would either trim the crowd inbetween the encore, or id cut the second set or set in half and go w/ 2 45-50 min discs

YMMV

[nickgregory]

media is cheap...I would always go with keeping the original data intact...

[F.O.Bean]

media is cheap...I would always go with keeping the original data intact...

yep, thats the way i think nick

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

media is cheap...I would always go with keeping the original data intact...

yep, thats the way i think nick

Well, that was my feeling too.  I'm doing B&Ps for people who came to me in the crowd at the show, and I was just thinking of saving them a CD.

I'll stick with the full release.

thanks

[cleantone]

so what exactly is it that makes you think you are a "pro" and thus gives you license to speak this way to other people on this board?

a. I typed, I didn't speak. You cannot read emotion from text. You assumed I was trying to be condecending, I wasn't.
b. He is the one who plainly offered the fact that he doesn't fully know how to use this software... (Multiband compression is not an easy thing to properly use).
c. where in this:

Thats some expensive plug ins for someone to buy who doesn't know how to use them

do I say I'm a pro?
d. They ARE expensive (see below) Without plainly stating it, I was jokingly noteing that it's kinda obvious he didn't buy them. Of course maybe he did...

Seriously Tim, your misinterpriting what was said.

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