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Madmartigan JC

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  1. Like
    Madmartigan JC got a reaction from crumbs in "Violin Concerto No. 2 and Selected Film Themes" Williams / Mutter album & Blu Ray   
    You are right in that it's not as terrible as in Gathering of Friends, but still I find it inexcusable how they could screw up like this.
    I find the compression creates such an 'unnatural' sound all throughout the album. But let's agree that can be a subjective appreciation. But to me those louder clippings are unbelievable. Like designing a beautiful state-of-the-art car and screwing the paint job. Who QCs these albums? 
    Listen to Rounds from 8:05 on. Is it absolutely terrible? Maybe not. But if I did as bad a job at my work (not sound related BTW) I wouldn't last long.
     
     
     

    I'm sorry If I tire you all with my ongoing rants on this subject, but the quality of the sound is integral to the quality of an album, and its houldn't be something to worry about for new, high-profile recordings in 2022. I just find it ironic how the labels (Sony Classical, DG) are pushing Super Ultra High Resolution, vinyls and whatnot, yet it all sounds like s**t to me.

    This is not something I have experienced so markedly in other releases of the same labels. I have been thinking wether they migh asume the average consumer for these albums is not the traditional classical music consumer, and therefore the mastering should be made to sound more aking to pop, or something.

    But well, the work itself is glorious, I adore the new arrangements and love the performance. It's just sad I'm already dreaming of the remastered edition for the 20th anniversary.
      
  2. Like
    Madmartigan JC got a reaction from Tom Guernsey in "Violin Concerto No. 2 and Selected Film Themes" Williams / Mutter album & Blu Ray   
    You are right in that it's not as terrible as in Gathering of Friends, but still I find it inexcusable how they could screw up like this.
    I find the compression creates such an 'unnatural' sound all throughout the album. But let's agree that can be a subjective appreciation. But to me those louder clippings are unbelievable. Like designing a beautiful state-of-the-art car and screwing the paint job. Who QCs these albums? 
    Listen to Rounds from 8:05 on. Is it absolutely terrible? Maybe not. But if I did as bad a job at my work (not sound related BTW) I wouldn't last long.
     
     
     

    I'm sorry If I tire you all with my ongoing rants on this subject, but the quality of the sound is integral to the quality of an album, and its houldn't be something to worry about for new, high-profile recordings in 2022. I just find it ironic how the labels (Sony Classical, DG) are pushing Super Ultra High Resolution, vinyls and whatnot, yet it all sounds like s**t to me.

    This is not something I have experienced so markedly in other releases of the same labels. I have been thinking wether they migh asume the average consumer for these albums is not the traditional classical music consumer, and therefore the mastering should be made to sound more aking to pop, or something.

    But well, the work itself is glorious, I adore the new arrangements and love the performance. It's just sad I'm already dreaming of the remastered edition for the 20th anniversary.
      
  3. Like
    Madmartigan JC got a reaction from Bayesian in "Violin Concerto No. 2 and Selected Film Themes" Williams / Mutter album & Blu Ray   
    You are right in that it's not as terrible as in Gathering of Friends, but still I find it inexcusable how they could screw up like this.
    I find the compression creates such an 'unnatural' sound all throughout the album. But let's agree that can be a subjective appreciation. But to me those louder clippings are unbelievable. Like designing a beautiful state-of-the-art car and screwing the paint job. Who QCs these albums? 
    Listen to Rounds from 8:05 on. Is it absolutely terrible? Maybe not. But if I did as bad a job at my work (not sound related BTW) I wouldn't last long.
     
     
     

    I'm sorry If I tire you all with my ongoing rants on this subject, but the quality of the sound is integral to the quality of an album, and its houldn't be something to worry about for new, high-profile recordings in 2022. I just find it ironic how the labels (Sony Classical, DG) are pushing Super Ultra High Resolution, vinyls and whatnot, yet it all sounds like s**t to me.

    This is not something I have experienced so markedly in other releases of the same labels. I have been thinking wether they migh asume the average consumer for these albums is not the traditional classical music consumer, and therefore the mastering should be made to sound more aking to pop, or something.

    But well, the work itself is glorious, I adore the new arrangements and love the performance. It's just sad I'm already dreaming of the remastered edition for the 20th anniversary.
      
  4. Thanks
    Madmartigan JC reacted to crocodile in The Official Bernard Herrmann Thread   
    Karol 
     
     
  5. Haha
    Madmartigan JC reacted to mahler3 in John Williams 90th Birthday Gala Concert at The Kennedy Center, Washington DC, June 23rd 2022   
    DG are already working on 90 different editions! 
  6. Like
    Madmartigan JC reacted to Jay in JW Directly Quoting Other Pieces   
    "Aquarela do Brasil", a 1939 composition covered by countless artists such as these 3 examples:
     
     
     

    Is heard in this track (at 0:59):
     
     
  7. Like
    Madmartigan JC reacted to lairdo in "A Gathering of Friends" Williams / Yo Yo Ma album with Pablo Sainz-Villegas & Jessica Zhou   
    I agree about seeing it live. I wonder if that might actually happen and where. One can hope nearby and that it is streamed on video and even released.
     
    As for the mastering, I feel that the loud sections then the timpani sounds are pretty much crushed. Those moments sound ragged, something that could not possibly happen when hearing it live. I just don't get why those mastering it needed to max it out in such a fashion. There are creative uses for such things in many audio situations - I think Platoon's movie sound mix is deliberately distorted in places to add to the sense of war and horror. Certainly many types of rock music are at max volume too. I find it very odd. 
     
    But even with that, listening to the music is a a great experience. For me with the cello concerto, the music is first rate. My 2nd listening reinforced that I like this version very much. I understand the enjoyment of the original's opening with a triumphant flourish, but this new version starting more quietly, almost magically, is lovely. I very much like this revision, and it is almost like 2nd cello concerto other than using the same themes. Maybe a version 1.5.
     
    The other tracks are appropriate to the album. As I wrote earlier, this version of Highwood's Ghost is not as appealing to me as the one on the Bernstein 100 Blu-ray. That's not to say I don't like it here. Just the one with the Boston Symphony sounds more coherent. Perhaps it is the mastering issue since the big orchestra section is not compromised sonically on that recording.
     
    What's interesting about the Schilndler's List suite and the Lincoln and Munich's tracker is that they seem closer to tone and spirit with the cello concerto and Highwood. While the cello and Highwood venture into musical tones and ideas that rarely feature in Williams' film pieces, all 10 tracks fit cohesively here in terms of seriousness and in a straight play through. I think that does not happen as much with Markings on the deluxe Across the Stars album as that piece seems to be too different from the film arrangements proceeding it. It will be interesting to hear how Violin Concerto No. 2 feels followed by the 3 film arrangements on that upcoming album.
     
    Overall, mastering aside (and I wish the issues on CD were not also in the digital versions, but they are), A Gathering of Friends is a treat and a lovely, long overdue, follow up to Yo-Yo Ma Plays the Music of John Williams. 
     
     
  8. Like
    Madmartigan JC reacted to Holko in "A Gathering of Friends" Williams / Yo Yo Ma album with Pablo Sainz-Villegas & Jessica Zhou   
    Okay, who do we mass mail about this bullshit?
  9. Angry
    Madmartigan JC reacted to MaxTheHouseelf in "A Gathering of Friends" Williams / Yo Yo Ma album with Pablo Sainz-Villegas & Jessica Zhou   
    I still think that the mix and recording itself are totally fine and transparent. But I have to agree, someone did fuck up really bad with mastering this.
     
    In 'Highwoods Ghost', at the 8 minute mark, you can literally hear the gain reduction kicking in multiple times. WTF!!!
    Highwood's Ghost Hits A Brickwall.mp3  
     
    Also this seems to be a problem with the cello concerto and Highwood's Ghost. The 'Schindler's List' pieces, 'A Prayer for Peace' and 'With Malice Toward None' are perfectly fine.
     
    The guy who mastered this received multiple Grammy Awards i.e. for "Best Engineered Album"... http://www.phoenixaudiollc.com/awards-testimonials
    Well....
  10. Sad
    Madmartigan JC reacted to crumbs in "A Gathering of Friends" Williams / Yo Yo Ma album with Pablo Sainz-Villegas & Jessica Zhou   
    Yeah, the delicacy of the instrumentation has been totally lost because it's mastered so loudly!
     
    Some of the solo sections are unpleasant even with the volume low.
     
    Incredibly disappointing, because it was totally avoidable!
     
     
    A comparison to the mastering of With Malice Towards None on the last Spielberg/Williams album:
     

  11. Really Sad
    Madmartigan JC reacted to crumbs in "A Gathering of Friends" Williams / Yo Yo Ma album with Pablo Sainz-Villegas & Jessica Zhou   
    Oh dear... who on earth mastered this?
     
    It's brickwalled like a pop album, uncomfortable listening even at 50% volume. Especially with headphones :/
     
    The room acoustics are really lost when the volume of the instruments are this overpowering.
  12. Like
    Madmartigan JC got a reaction from bollemanneke in Music from HBO Max’s ‘Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts’ Special Released   
    Could these recordings have something to do with avoiding certain reproduction rights for the originals? Seems weird, but I can't quite understand the need to rerecord them. Not that I'm complaining, (the more recorded versions out there, the more to choose from). 
     
    BTW, is that an edit at 3:23 of Harry's Wondrous World?
     

    PS: Happy to hear a different approach, but count me Team Ritardando.
     
  13. Thanks
    Madmartigan JC reacted to Miz in Natalie Holt's OBI-WAN KENOBI (2022)   
    It's not so much the lack of existing themes that lets this score down. It's the lack of carrying, or even noticing, the dramatic contours of this (albeit flatly directed and edited) show. From planetary reveals, ship take-offs and landings, dramatic reveals, dialogue and scene transitions, this score has it covered... as in, just covered over in simplistic mood music (or, cut to mood music suddently, as in the Ep 2 Vader reveal). Where Williams, or Ludwig Gorransson, would trade in flourishes, instrumental variety, contrasts in tone, and real melodic strength, this score barely manages the drama on-screen.
     
    But the lack of even tonally nodding to the legacy themes is a deficit (as Giacchino, Powell and Gorransson have all done, quite aside from quoting them outright). This is all the more disappointing because the new material here is not up to the job.
  14. Like
    Madmartigan JC reacted to Dave in Natalie Holt's OBI-WAN KENOBI (2022)   
    I watched Episodes 1 & 2 so far and it baffles me how Holt not uses Williams' Themes... so I rescored the Rooftop Fight / Leia's Rescue scene (more or less in JW's style) with Obi's Theme, Leia's Theme and the Force Theme. I kept what I think is Reva's Theme because I quite liked it.
     
  15. Like
    Madmartigan JC reacted to artus_grayboot in Natalie Holt's OBI-WAN KENOBI (2022)   
    It's got nothing to do with the fact that she's a woman, and everything to do with the fact that the score rejects the usage of themes audiences know and expect, despite the fact that Star Wars has such a wealth of well-known themes built up for these different characters. That, and the fact that the music identity for this show seems to be in conflict with itself: part of it is largely non-thematic and/or uses new themes for characters with pre-existing themes, overall in a more modern RCP, Zimmer style; and other bits use the Kenobi theme with an orchestra, written in the vein of Williams. They are vastly different approaches, so it's jarring. It just makes one wonder how we got to this point.
  16. Thanks
    Madmartigan JC got a reaction from Marian Schedenig in John Williams & Berliner Philharmoniker 14th/15th/16th Oct 2021   
    I'm sorry if it's been discussed previously in this thread, but I found the compression of the regular CD so excessive it is incomprehensible to me that DG could issue the album as it is.
    Just 27 seconds into the first track (Olympic fanfare...) were enough to notice something was off. I felt so confused by the muddy loud parts that I had to rip it to look at the sound wave. As you can see, it shows abundant compression, while maintaining a wide dynamic range (this is the Imperial March). But doesn't seem too bad from afar.
     

     
    However, on closer inspection, the flat summits and valleys are all around in the louder moments. 
     

     
    That extreme compression can be found in every track. It's such a shame, because it's an extraordinary album, I love the performance, and of course such a meaningful historic event. I have experienced compression with DG releases before, but never at this level. I am very dissapointed.
     
    Those of you who have listened to the other versions (DVD, vinyl) have experienced this too?
     
     
  17. Like
    Madmartigan JC reacted to Andy in Obi-Wan Theme debuts at Star Wars Celebration, conducted by John Williams   
    Listened again. Yeah, this is really trimmed, more than I'd thought.  It's the bare minimum really.  This is too short I think.  Appropriate for a fan convention promotion, but I would not want this to be a standard thing, although I agree playing the full version with Marion's theme right after playing the concert arrangement of Marion's Theme is redundant.
  18. Haha
  19. Like
    Madmartigan JC reacted to Dr. Know in Williams composing fanfare for the Hollywood Bowl centennial - "Centennial Overture"   
    I want to destroy these people who talk through the entire performance.
  20. Really Sad
    Madmartigan JC reacted to DangerMotif in Natalie Holt's OBI-WAN KENOBI (2022)   
    This is the worst thing star wars has ever done musically. I don’t want to hear any complaints about Ludwig Goransson, Shirley or Giacchino, this is sooo much worse
  21. Like
    Madmartigan JC reacted to artus_grayboot in Natalie Holt's OBI-WAN KENOBI (2022)   
    Howdy everyone. Wow this episode made me realize that they are dropping the ball musically big time.
     

    Overall, the score for this episode just seems to be doing the bare minimum amount of work - serving the picture, a little bit of extra effort in order to get the B- in terms of using orchestral colors, and nothing else. As a starting composer that’s trying to teach himself everything, I understand the want to do the bare minimum!! Writing music at a high level like Williams is really hard work. But this is Star Wars -  a certain level of sophistication in the writing should be expected.
     

    Forgive me if I’m letting my emotions get the better of me on my writings, but I totally see and agree with what you all are saying in terms of wanting the music to be at a much higher level of sophistication.

    This, in addition to some parts being handled strangely
    just make me a little upset as to how Star Wars might not be what it once was, and this show is contributing to that. Do better Lucasfilm! This is Star Wars.

    But, because I want to keep positive,
     
  22. Like
    Madmartigan JC reacted to DarthDementous in Natalie Holt's OBI-WAN KENOBI (2022)   
    Well hold on, since when was this the domain of the studios?

    Shouldn't it be on the composer to be aware of the musical continuity given that they're writing the music? I doubt that it was anyone other than Michael Giacchino that decided to craft the beginning of the Vader's Castle cue (Krennic's Aspirations on the OST) to recall Williams tragic scoring for Anakin's fall in ROTS, or to include the Imperial motif from ANH as a secondary theme for Vader, or even to use the Death Star motif when the Death Star is first introduced. Same goes with Powell

    People are holding Natalie to a far lower standard than we normally do composers for Star Wars and I'm not entirely sure why, on the plus side it is making me appreciate the spin-off movie scores far more than I did initially

    EDIT: It's actually pretty interesting to compare the scoring given that Kenobi has very similar scenes to Rogue One:
     
  23. Love
    Madmartigan JC reacted to Tydirium in Natalie Holt's OBI-WAN KENOBI (2022)   
    Why not give Bill Ross the whole show, then? I think everybody would have been happy if he was the main guy.
  24. Like
    Madmartigan JC reacted to Holko in Natalie Holt's OBI-WAN KENOBI (2022)   
    I'd honestly much rather take something good on its own without any JW reference or likeness than something with badly forced JW references all over. Sadly this is neither, just kind of nothing. Still holding off on full judgments until I can listen to it on its own, i didn't grow to love Boba as much as I do now until I listened to the OSTs and assembled my program from them either.
  25. Like
    Madmartigan JC reacted to Falstaft in Natalie Holt's OBI-WAN KENOBI (2022)   
    This show is testing my patience, musically. 
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