Remasters of the First 6 Star Wars Soundtracks now available (Shawn Murphy / Disney Records 2018)

[Manakin Skywalker 4,891]

Just now, Pellaeon said:

I listened to Lapti Nek and Ewok Celebration. They don’t sound like the film mixes to me, unless I’m misunderstanding the meaning of film mixes.

I think he just meant the final mix of every cue for use in the film, not the album masters. I think he simply misused the word "film mix", he didn't mean it literally as a film take.

[Jay 37,352]

5 minutes ago, Pellaeon said:

 

I listened to Lapti Nek and Ewok Celebration. They don’t sound like the film mixes to me, unless I’m misunderstanding the meaning of film mixes.

 

You are.  The ROTJ OST is a collection of a small handful of film cues ,and then a bunch of music recorded at a later session specifically for album use, and the two tracks you brought up are from that recording session.  They were actually very likely remastered directly from the old album master for this release, as the first gen elements from that final recording session have been MIA for decades (which is why we couldn't get the Jabba The Hutt concert arrangement on the 97 set).

[Holko 9,525]

1 hour ago, crumbs said:

Geez, there's a real clarity to AOTC that I've never heard before. A HUGE improvement on the hissy, muddy OST. Reminds me of the clarity jump from the TPM OST to UE.

 

Just goes to show the improvement to be gained from modern scans of old analogue masters.

 

2 minutes ago, Chewy said:

Seems like the hiss on AOTC is even more present on these new remasters:

 

what

[Manakin Skywalker 4,891]

4 minutes ago, Chewy said:

Seems like the hiss on AOTC is even more present on these new remasters:

Perhaps the hiss is some sort of new-fangled instrument.

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

They must've brought snakes into the recording booths!

[Chewy 2,388]

Empires Strikes Back sounds weird...a lot of reverb, and seems like eveything was mixed to the left channel.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Just now, kaseykockroach said:

They must've brought snakes into the recording booths!

 

There's a snake in mah booth!

[crocodile 8,006]

15 minutes ago, Manakin Skywalker said:

Perhaps the hiss is some sort of new-fangled instrument.

Maybe it is meant to represent the Ssssssith behind the sssscenessss Sssssscheming.

 

Karol

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

Ewok Celebration sounds almost as good as Mini Sloth Sing-a-Long!

[Jurassic Shark 12,066]

It's incredible that they still can't get things right. Ever heard about quality control?

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

Only Siths deal in quality control!

[Chewy 2,388]

What is this seriously? (City in the Clouds - ESB)

 

[Jurassic Shark 12,066]

It's a phantom menace, hiding in the high frequencies.

[Alan 689]

I'm not hearing any hiss in the AOTC samples.

[Chewy 2,388]

I'm pretty sure they attempted to mix multi-channel audio to stereo for ESB. Looking at this, I guess they didn't even use their headphones to listen to the crappy work they did:

 

 

This spectrogram of "The Asteroid Field" from ESB, shows a huge difference of level between the left and right channels (most of the instruments were put on the left and the right channel only contains low frequency audio reverb from the left channel.......................)

 

That doesn't happen on every track though, The Imperial March sounds good.

[Jay 37,352]

[Jurassic Shark 12,066]

I think I'll cancel my order of TESB.

[Jay 37,352]

And that was the most important one to get right, too, since it is the world premiere release of the original 2LP program on CD.  

 

Bummer.

[Holko 9,525]

Someone send these to Shawn Murphy and ask what the hell he was thinking.

[Jurassic Shark 12,066]

[Manakin Skywalker 4,891]

3 minutes ago, Holko said:

Someone send these to Shawn Murphy and ask what the hell he was thinking.

"Whoops" -Shawn Murphy, 2018

[1977 1,743]

Knew I should have purchased the 2016 iTunes ESB album...oh well.

 

Guess it's like the OUT, gone for good.

[Jurassic Shark 12,066]

Let's hope MM's future complete score presentation includes the OST program.

[Holko 9,525]

From "Recording the Star Wars Saga" in regards to the RotS DVD:

 

Spoiler

"For the three cues from The Empire Strikes Back, it appears that the multi-track tapes have been remixed specifically for the DVD by Shawn Murphy. A central cue to the score, titled “The Asteroid Field,” accompanies the Millennium Falcon’s pursuit by Darth Vader’s TIE fighters with propulsive rhythms and complex woodwind passages. For this cue, the woodwinds are more clearly defined on the DVD, with a noticeable absence of minor distortion on the piccolo runs and some of the loud brass passages that affected both the album master and 4CD set. The french horns are correctly spatially placed on the left as compared with right on the disappointing 2CD Special Edition mixes. The horns are also slightly raised in level to match the balance heard in the film, revealing extra detail in their orchestration. The violins have a new air to them with an extended upper frequency range and the basses retain their low grunt, which was something noticeably absent from the lifeless sound of the 2CD Special Edition version. The centre channel provides solidarity and focus featuring mainly woodwinds, timpani and violas as well as bleed from other instruments, notably brasses. There is some pizzicato work from the violas at the conclusion of the cue that is almost inaudible in previous releases. The harp is placed to the right versus left in the film. There is also a noticeable improvement in dynamic range for this cue on DVD. The woodwinds that open the piece are about 13 dB down from the peak level compared with 7 dB for the 4CD box set and 13 dB for the 2CD set. The average RMS power is improved to about 20 dB compared with 16 dB or so for other releases."

 

 

He could do it properly 13 years ago!

[rough cut 1,714]

Ok, so early in the game, the lowdown is this - so far:

 

ANH sounds good (compared to what though?) but with better edits compared to all previous releases.

 

Stay away from ESB and AOTC.

 

ROTJ sounds good. But how good? Are we talking better than the original RSO cd release (which many praise as the best sounding version)?

[Holko 9,525]

Okay, on a more thorough listen to those itunes samples, Empire is not that awful aside from the reverb and drowned perc in Asteroid Field - the most annoying is the stereo mixing. Somehow it's not left and right, it's left and center-right. There's barely any right-only stuff, and not much center or center-left either. It makes it feel very left-heavy and physically unpleasant to listen to on headphones.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

3 minutes ago, Holko said:

Okay, on a more thorough listen to those itunes samples, Empire is not that awful aside from the reverb and drowned perc in Asteroid Field - the most annoying is the stereo mixing. Somehow it's not left and right, it's left and center-right. There's barely any right-only stuff, and not much center or center-left either. It makes it feel very left-heavy and physically unpleasant to listen to on headphones.

 

"Empire isn't so bad except for all these ways it's a hellish dumpster fire."

[aj_vader 534]

OMG! The Imperial March sounds amazing! 

[Chewy 2,388]

15 minutes ago, Holko said:

Okay, on a more thorough listen to those itunes samples, Empire is not that awful aside from the reverb and drowned perc in Asteroid Field - the most annoying is the stereo mixing. Somehow it's not left and right, it's left and center-right. There's barely any right-only stuff, and not much center or center-left either. It makes it feel very left-heavy and physically unpleasant to listen to on headphones.

That makes me wonder how they can even release something like that, anyone can notice something's wrong in this...

[aj_vader 534]

2 minutes ago, Chewy said:

That makes me wonder how they can even release something like that, anyone can notice something's wrong in this...

 

Oh wow just heard the Battle of Hoth. It's awful! 

[Jurassic Shark 12,066]

3 minutes ago, aj_vader said:

OMG! The Imperial March sounds amazing! 

 

I was hoping for that!

[Disco Stu 15,495]

1 minute ago, aj_vader said:

 

Oh wow just heard the Battle of Hoth. It's awful! 

 

Yeah the unbalanced channels make me feel like I'm having an inner ear balance problem or something

[aj_vader 534]

1 minute ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

I was hoping for that!

I've only heard the short sample in the B section with the wind flurries. Dying to hear the main section. Is it up anywhere? I'm dying here looping the same 20 seconds. 

[Chewy 2,388]

iTunes has longer samples: https://itunes.apple.com/nz/album/1375815586

[Jurassic Shark 12,066]

Yeah, but in low quality.

[Chewy 2,388]

Just now, Jurassic Shark said:

Yeah, but in low quality.

The quality is pretty good here.

[aj_vader 534]

4 minutes ago, Chewy said:

iTunes has longer samples: https://itunes.apple.com/nz/album/1375815586

OMG Thank you! THAT F*CKIN BRASS!!!!!!! 

Wait so if you have apple music you can listen to the whole thing now? (UK)

[Chewy 2,388]

It's not Friday there yet!

[Lockdown 238]

They completely ruined the organic feel of the Clarinet solo in Attack of the Clones by adding a shit ton of reverb everywhere. It sounds so muddy now

[1977 1,743]

5 minutes ago, Lockdown said:

They completely ruined the organic feel of the Clarinet solo in Attack of the Clones by adding a shit ton of reverb everywhere. It sounds so muddy now

 

They probably had to add all the reverb to hide the hiss...

[tmarps 217]

The reverb on The Asteroid Field sounds horribly horribly digital

[phbart 609]

Shawn Murphy is turning 70 this month. I'm pretty sure his hearing is not able to detect the flaws in ESB like we did. Dunno how old is Patricia Sullivan. What I can say is that, unlike MM, they have great difficulties in dealing with and balancing imperfect source elements. To get a great album from them, the elements must be in pristine condition, or else... I mean, just listen to what they did to Temple of Doom in 2008. Or, should I say they have difficulties in dealing with music of the "darker" films of a trilogy?

[Chewy 2,388]

18 minutes ago, Lockdown said:

They completely ruined the organic feel of the Clarinet solo in Attack of the Clones by adding a shit ton of reverb everywhere. It sounds so muddy now

In which cue?

[Lockdown 238]

1 minute ago, Chewy said:

In which cue?

Just compare Love and Pledge or Across the Stars to any of the previous releases. Also, in RotS when the main titles ends and leads into the film, compare that to previous releases too..the differences are insane. (At least for me.)

[Chewy 2,388]

I actually like the changes I'm hearing on the prequel remasters.

[MikeH 768]

The Rhodes keyboard solo in Anakin and Padmé is definitely more centered and present in this new mix. In the Clones OST it was panned left and had a more organic quality since it was pushed further into the ensemble. 

 

Listening to the new Prequel mixes I can definitely hear the electronics more, where before they were less obvious and felt more acoustic. 

[phbart 609]

What I loved in the prequels is "Duel of the Fates". Vastly superior to previous versions.

[Brundlefly 2,385]

19 minutes ago, phbart said:

Shawn Murphy is turning 70 this month.

Why is he supposed to be physically able to handle this? Disney, just go to a person who can manage to produce a Star Wars CD with a satisfying master and hide the flaws of the source elements. I'm tired of this! Every score gets a deluxe treatment by Master Mike Matessino, except fucking Star Wars! Just give all the shit to that guy, Disney, and let him remix and remaster and rewhatever the shit out of it and we're all happy. For several decades now, it seems impossible to get a flawless, good sounding OST album of every Star Wars score, let alone a flawless complete presentation.

[Chewy 2,388]

This little digital noise happens for every percussion hit they let in the mix in the "Boys Into The Battle" cue on ROTS. Again, very noticeable... Good job

[phbart 609]

16 minutes ago, Brundlefly said:

Every score gets a deluxe treatment by Master Mike Matessino, except fucking Star Wars!

Murphy didn't get the 2008 Indy boxset right either. I mean far from it. Light years away from being right. That's another one that urgently needs to get in the hands of MM.