The Beatles catalog finally gets remastered

[Flannel Boy]

http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSTRE5363RN20090407

The original Beatles catalog has been digitally remastered for the first time and will go on sale in CD format on September 9, the band's record label and company announced Tuesday.
The release will coincide with the launch of "The Beatles: Rock Band" video game, the British quartet's first major leap into the world of digital music.

The catalog will not be available online for the foreseeable future, although the digital remastering is widely seen as bringing that process one step closer.

"Discussions regarding the digital distribution of the catalog will continue," a statement issued on behalf of record label EMI and Beatles company Apple Corps Ltd said.

"There is no further information available at this time."

From the Beatles site:

The collection comprises all 12 Beatles albums in stereo, with track listings and artwork as originally released in the UK, and 'Magical Mystery Tour,' which became part of The Beatles' core catalogue when the CDs were first released in 1987. In addition, the collections 'Past Masters Vol. I and II' are now combined as one title, for a total of 14 titles over 16 discs. This will mark the first time that the first four Beatles albums will be available in stereo in their entirety on compact disc. These 14 albums, along with a DVD collection of the documentaries, will also be available for purchase together in a stereo boxed set.

Within each CD's new packaging, booklets include detailed historical notes along with informative recording notes. With the exception of the 'Past Masters' set, newly produced mini-documentaries on the making of each album, directed by Bob Smeaton, are included as QuickTime files on each album. The documentaries contain archival footage, rare photographs and never-before-heard studio chat from The Beatles, offering a unique and very personal insight into the studio atmosphere.

Yes, I will buy the 16 disc set.

[Flannel Boy]

A crew of engineers at London’s Abbey Road Studios have spent four years working on the remasters using new technology and vintage equipment, the press release says, in an effort to preserve “the authenticity and integrity of the original analogue recordings” and ensure “the highest fidelity the catalog has seen since its original release.”

Shit!

I'm remasturbating here.

[Van Cruncheon]

Turd, polish

What's next for these mastering engineers: cleaning up the kylie minogue omnibus?

[Veidt]

Meh, don't really care for the Beatles. Not my time, not my age.

[Diunx]

YES! I shall buy this.

[fistfulofmetal]

Same date as The Beatles: Rock Band.

Awesome.

Two things I can completely ignore.

[Eric P]

like re-mastered or just made louder?

i'll hold off until i hear what they actually put out.

[Brehvolution]

I'm moist with anticipation.

[ferrarimanf355]

I'm moist with anticipation.

Is that why my pants are creamed? 

[Robo]

I sincerely hope we get proper remasters out of this.  A Revolver that sounds as good as Love will make me soil my pantaloons.

[Flannel Boy]

like re-mastered or just made louder?

i'll hold off until i hear what they actually put out.

Probably both, going by previous Beatles remasters.

[cool breeze]

Same date as The Beatles: Rock Band.

Awesome.

Two things I can completely ignore.

9.9.09

day of spending way too much money  :'(

[Phoenix Dark]

I'm looking forward to this. I'd love to see some good remastering done on a few other albums as well, especially Hendrix's stuff. His estate doesn't seem nearly as competent as the Beatles'. Same thing with Black Sabbath...I have a pretty eh sounding Paranoid cd.

[Robo]

A second boxed set has been created with the collector in mind. 'The Beatles in Mono' gathers together, in one place, all of the Beatles recordings that were mixed for a mono release. It will contain 10 of the albums with their original mono mixes, plus two further discs of mono masters (covering similar ground to the stereo tracks on 'Past Masters'). As an added bonus, the mono "Help!" and "Rubber Soul" discs also include the original 1965 stereo mixes, which have not been previously released on CD. These albums will be packaged in mini-vinyl CD replicas of the original sleeves with all original inserts and label designs retained.

 

[Eric P]

that's pretty hot.

[Flannel Boy]

I don't know who's going to get more of money in September: The Beatles or the University of Manitoba?

[TVC15]

Better give more to the Beatles.  Paul needs to buy himself another replacement distinguished mentally-challenged fellow bride.

[Flannel Boy]

The CD collection is also a better investment than my law education.

[Bebpo]

Awesome.  I will enjoy the remasters through the ultimate game of rock band this fall.

[Rman]

like re-mastered or just made louder?

i'll hold off until i hear what they actually put out.

Yes.  A thousand times yes.  Can't stand these new lazy ''remastering'' techniques.

[Flannel Boy]

The re-mastering process commenced with an extensive period conducting tests before finally copying the analogue master tapes into the digital medium. When this was completed, the transfer was achieved using a Pro Tools workstation operating at 24 bit 192 kHz resolution via a Prism A-D converter. Transferring was a lengthy procedure done a track at a time. Although EMI tape does not suffer the oxide loss associated with some later analogue tapes, there was nevertheless a slight build up of dust, which was removed from the tape machine heads between each title.

From the onset, considerable thought was given to what audio restorative processes were going to be allowed. It was agreed that electrical clicks, microphone vocal pops, excessive sibilance and bad edits should be improved where possible, so long as it didn't impact on the original integrity of the songs.

In addition, de-noising technology, which is often associated with re-mastering, was to be used, but subtly and sparingly. Eventually, less than five of the 525 minutes of Beatles music was subjected to this process. Finally, as is common with today's music, overall limiting - to increase the volume level of the CD - has been used, but on the stereo versions only. However, it was unanimously agreed that because of the importance of The Beatles' music, limiting would be used moderately, so as to retain the original dynamics of the recordings.

When all of the albums had been transferred, each song was then listened to several times to locate any of the agreed imperfections. These were then addressed by Guy Massey, working with Audio Restoration engineer Simon Gibson.

Mastering could now take place, once the earliest vinyl pressings, along with the existing CDs, were loaded into Pro Tools, thus allowing comparisons to be made with the original master tapes during the equalization process. When an album had been completed, it was auditioned the next day in studio three - a room familiar to the engineers, as all of the recent Beatles mixing projects had taken place in there - and any further alteration of EQ could be addressed back in the mastering room. Following the initial satisfaction of Guy and Steve, Allan Rouse and Mike Heatley then checked each new re-master in yet another location and offered any further suggestions. This continued until all 13 albums were completed to the team's satisfaction.

http://sev.prnewswire.com/entertainment/20090407/LA9552207042009-1.html

[Eric P]

they doing vinyl releases or CD only?

[Flannel Boy]

they doing vinyl releases or CD only?

For now, they've only announced a CD release.

[Eric P]

ok.

i'm patient.

i can wait.

[Robo]

http://sev.prnewswire.com/entertainment/20090407/LA9552207042009-1.html

 

[Positive Touch]

why do we have to wait until september 

[Cormacaroni]

'The catalog will not be available online for the foreseeable future.'

[Fresh Prince]

I actually like the Beatles.

[Bloodwake]

Awesome. This was needed BADLY. Some of the most horrible CDs ever in terms of audio quality are Beatles records.