how does the process of remastering an album work?
also, on a side note, what do the masks or whatever they’re called, do in front of microphones do to the sound that a vocalist makes?
Chief’s Domain - http://www.seas.ucla.edu/~ravi
Those “masks” are called “pop filters” and are used (you may have guessed this) to eliminate unwanted “p” sounds. They can be made very easily from women’s hosiery.
Sweet Basil
There is some pretty sophisticated software out there that can recognize the digital number patterns that correspond to tape hiss, pops, crackles and so forth. The software will even take a sample of music from the other track or from an adjacent area and insert it where it removes a pop.
You might want to take a look at: http://www.syntrillium.com or http://algorithmix.com
for some samples of software and some explanations for how it works.
Remastering means they go back and get the original 8, 24, 32 or whatever (depending on era and producer’s budget) track tapes that the material was first recorded on, and remix it down to a new two track tape or CD or whatever. I’m sure someone has better details but thats the gist of it.
Generally, though it gets to hair splitting pretty quick,
Re-mastering just means they go and do ( as said above by Cooper) a new two track (stereo) mix of the original tapes.
And generally only for the purpose of transferring them to digital, or cleaning up noise background.
They won’t do a remix as commonly referred to. They won’t change the dynamics of the music, or the spectral balance.
Then, if they say, remixed and remastered, they mean that some other aspects of the recording have been re-done.
Generally the dynamic range can be enhanced a little to take advantage of the higher headroom available now.
The spectral balance can also be adjusted, and in very minor ways, on select frequency bands, to bring out detail that is buried down there in the noise floor.
And of course, kill the tape hiss noise present. A good set of ears though, will leave in that amp buzz, and other extraneous noise that is a real part of the original preformance.
One thing about tweaking though, if the sound range aint there, you can’t enhance it.
You may be able to clean it up, (noise reduction) but you cant do much about the frequency spectrum adjustments.
(some things are better left alone, just do a good clean transfer to a new format, then leave it alone.
At least there you get the real thing, needle scratch sounds and all.)
That’s my short take on it,
remastering and remixing are both fine arts in my book. Take notes on those artists names, you might want to hire them yourself later. You at least get free lessons on how it’s done.
(lets see, i wonder if bob clearmountain can do my next mix)
( a great tailor cuts little)
BZ