Here's a good one.

One of the Foo Fighters albums. At Mr. Toad's years ago, we imported this one song (big singe, I forget which one) because a client wanted to use it as a reference. On the screen, when in the editor, it just looked like a solid 2x4 of sound. That was not surprising. The surprising part was the quiet middle section. For four measures, the volume was turned down three dB POST LIMITING. This meant your saw a totally slammed limited waveform, but with 3 dB of headroom. The next 4 measures were about 1 or 1.5 dB down, then when the song kicks back in, it was a full level, limited to -0.1dB.

Also, the Torche record my friend played for me is SO squished that I just can't listen to more than one song.

ben

skatingbasser wrote:Thought not fitting for an "Awful" description, I definitely think Disco Volante could be have quite a bit louder without damaging the dynamic integrity. I am always reaching for the volume no matter what album was on previously.

This is a quandry for me. For some reason, this album sounds just slightly off, I can't really describe it. Sounds in places like it's clipping, and then in others, too soft.

I'm describing this from memory, I haven't listened to it in awhile, though it being my avatar, that probably sounds goofy.

BadComrade wrote:

same wrote:Crazy Rhythms by the Feelies immediately pops to mind. I get the feeling that it'll finally be remastered though as they just played a show with Sonic Youth.

Twin Tone have been selling "remastered" CDs of this album for quite some time now.

Wait, the Feelies are playing again?? Both the main guys? Not Wake Ooloo using the name The Feelies?

Yup. They got back together again.

I honestly don't know a thing about them, but they really seem like the kind of band I could easily get into.

The Naked City box set is painfully remastered to be louder than loud.

'I see a darkness' by Bonnie Prince Billy. Amazing album but way too quiet.

"Songs for the Deaf" by Queens of the Stone Age. Gives me ear fatigue like no other record I own.

HOLY SHIT - talk about Ear Fatigue...

I tried listening to 'KISS ALIVE - THE MILLENNIUM CONCERT [2000]' in my car the other night...

First of all this piece of shit is mixed with the crowd noise mixed up so damn high, it goes through your ears solidly throughout every second of every song like a hot, raggedy electric knife...

"Look how great we are! Our fans are insane for us! We can barely hear ourselves playing!"

Yeah - we get it, dudes...

Then of course coupled with this 'Loudness Wars' style mastering...



and SON. OF. A. BITCH. this will kick your ears' ass.

Listen to this sample - about 10 seconds in you're thinking "eeg. they sure goosed that crowd noise up a bit for the big intro, huh?" then at about 25 seconds you're just in disbelief that it is still "HHHHHHAAAAAAHHHHH" noise just as loud, and I assure you it goes through the whole fucking recording...

The original CD issue of Talking Heads Speaking In Tongues is appalling.

Arson Smith wrote:HOLY SHIT - talk about Ear Fatigue...

I tried listening to 'KISS ALIVE - THE MILLENNIUM CONCERT [2000]' in my car the other night...

First of all this piece of shit is mixed with the crowd noise mixed up so damn high, it goes through your ears solidly throughout every second of every song like a hot, raggedy electric knife...

"Look how great we are! Our fans are insane for us! We can barely hear ourselves playing!"

Yeah - we get it, dudes...

Then of course coupled with this 'Loudness Wars' style mastering...

and SON. OF. A. BITCH. this will kick your ears' ass.

Listen to this sample - about 10 seconds in you're thinking "eeg. they sure goosed that crowd noise up a bit for the big intro, huh?" then at about 25 seconds you're just in disbelief that it is still "HHHHHHAAAAAAHHHHH" noise just as loud, and I assure you it goes through the whole fucking recording...

Christ!

And also, big thumbs-up, fellow Goldwave user!

D'Piucchstre wrote:All the Jimi Hendrix reissues sanctioned by his family/estate. Eddie Kramer removed all the dirt and wierdness from his originals, and gave us Hendrix in pristine digital coldness, with off of the cool sounding wierdness removed. -- This is one of those cases where the bad production had balls.

There still isn't a decent CD version of Electric Ladyland. The Reprise CD has noise reduction issues as well (gating, early fades). I have the original commercial open reel of that album, which I need to rip to digital one of these days. It sounds pretty good.

The worst CD mastering I've ever heard is the Chrysalis CD of Ten Years After's Cricklewood Green. I'm not exaggerating when I say it sounded like it was mastered from a cassette copy, on a poorly aligned machine.