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

[Richard Penna 3,670]

15 hours ago, Manakin Skywalker said:

Part of me is thinking they might just abandon CD's altogether at this point though and just dump them all digitally, in which case the amount of discs wouldn't matter (perhaps even leading to more music being released?)

 

A huge 20+ CD box set would also give Disney an excuse to charge big bucks for it, putting off perhaps more casual fans, and those who didn't need all 9 scores. Makes much more sense to me to just do digital sets, focusing on the best presentation and some nice cover art, and not worrying about disc capacities, boxes that fall apart during shipping and scratched CDs.

[Groovygoth666 650]

If the prequel and sequel trilogy's get expanded it'll probably be as Mondo exclusive vinyl box sets. 

[greenturnedblue 372]

And get delayed indefinitely just like the Rogue One deluxe mondo set

[DangerMotif 1,037]

That would be north of 20 vinyls so unlikely but would guarantee digital

[Manakin Skywalker 4,891]

9 minutes ago, Gibster said:

That would be north of 20 vinyls so unlikely but would guarantee digital

 

If my estimate of 22-25 discs is correct, that'd be equal to a whopping 44-50 LP vinyl set. Which, using Mondo's pricing model, would be about $937.50 + shipping/tax. 

[DangerMotif 1,037]

I assume they would have to go Standalone to do physical 

[Groovygoth666 650]

22 hours ago, Manakin Skywalker said:

 

If my estimate of 22-25 discs is correct, that'd be equal to a whopping 44-50 LP vinyl set. Which, using Mondo's pricing model, would be about $937.50 + shipping/tax. 

So you're saying it might be a bit of a big box set 

[enderdrag64 624]

Sorry this may have been mentioned in this thread before, but 45 pages is a lot to scroll through to try to find this, do we know what tapes were used as sources for each of the three original trilogy remasters?

[crumbs 14,300]

17 minutes ago, enderdrag64 said:

Sorry this may have been mentioned in this thread before, but 45 pages is a lot to scroll through to try to find this, do we know what tapes were used as sources for each of the three original trilogy remasters?

 

"Best available" was about as detailed as we got.

 

A behind the scenes featurette about the remaster did indicate the 35mm mag source was used for the Throne Room music on ANH.

 

They also had shots of the ESB multitrack documentation but unclear if it was used in the set.

[DangerMotif 1,037]

Are the 97 Remasters better quality than what is on Itunes?

[Bespin 8,478]

Yes and no.

 

Star Wars's scores are cursed.

[enderdrag64 624]

34 minutes ago, Gibster said:

Are the 97 Remasters better quality than what is on Itunes?

The 1997 sets have substantially more content. 

 

If you're looking at the score to Star Wars they're probably about equal in quality, I'd just stick with 1997.

 

If you're looking at the score to The Empire Strikes Back, they both suck

 

If you're looking at the score to Return of the Jedi, the 2018 sets (the ones on Itunes) are substantially better quality than the 1997 sets but have almost no music

[artguy360 1,843]

Listening to the ROTS remastered OST, Enter Lord Vader sounds incredible. But then again, it always did. Such a badass track.

[Bespin 8,478]

On 05/07/2022 at 12:45 AM, artguy360 said:

Listening to the ROTS remastered OST, Enter Lord Vader sounds incredible. But then again, it always did. Such a badass track.

 

ANH is fine too, the real problem is with ESB, they tried to push the limits of the poor master too far.

[aj_vader 533]

10 minutes ago, Bespin said:

 

ANH is fine too, the real problem is with ESB, they tried to push the limits of the poor master too far.

Yeah A New Hope is okay for the most part, the shift in top end during the Tie Fighter Attack is very strange and the panning is a little extreme. I know that Eric Tomlinson set the mics in an effort to give a very wide sound, however I think the Disney Releases have pushed it too far and it feels inconsistent.

 

I think many have mentioned the crazy reverb on The Asteroid Field, but the hyped top and bottom end (EQ, shelving) on most tracks [possibly most obvious on The Imperial March] is sounding like all those pop 'remasters' from the 90's.

 

It's been 5 years now since this release and it's still as dissapointing as they day it was released. 

 

Help us Mike M, you're our only hope! 

[crumbs 14,300]

ESB is the worst sounding of the lot, but ROTJ gives me hope a future expansion might rectify that godawful sounding SE once and for all.

 

But considering it's been 5 years since these miserable releases, with no news of expansions in sight... well, it's hard to be optimistic.

[enderdrag64 624]

3 hours ago, crumbs said:

ESB is the worst sounding of the lot, but ROTJ gives me hope a future expansion might rectify that godawful sounding SE once and for all.

 

But considering it's been 5 years since these miserable releases, with no news of expansions in sight... well, it's hard to be optimistic.

Then again, since that time we've had the Solo Deluxe Edition, the Rogue One Expanded Edition, a bunch of old video games getting official OSTs (Battlefront (2015), Battlefront II (2017), Jedi Fallen Order, KOTOR II) and we've gotten multi volume releases for several Disney+ series at this point.

 

That's not to say that if expansions were to come out that they would necessarily meet expectations (certainly not if they're of a similar quality as the 2018 releases) - but I do think that if there is a barrier to them coming out it is certainly not Walt Disney Records

[Marian Schedenig 8,172]

2 hours ago, enderdrag64 said:

but I do think that if there is a barrier to them coming out it is certainly not Walt Disney Records

 

Perhaps the barrier is Williams seeing what they did wrong with their recent Legacy Collection releases and vetoing any attempt to do the same to SW.

 

PS: I'm kidding.

[Bounty95 557]

It's just Mike taking all the necessary time to produce some incredible and definitive releases. 

[Manakin Skywalker 4,891]

23 minutes ago, Bounty95 said:

It's just Mike taking all the necessary time to produce some incredible and definitive releases. 

 

[Schilkeman 955]

The Sony remasters for Star Wars and Empire are still on HD tracks. I just bought them, and they sound great. If you really want the ost presentation, these are the ones to get.

[karelm 2,903]

This ad makes me want to hear the remastered set but then I remember how much hated them.  Did they even listen to the final mix?  Or perhaps they need to bring in a musician next time and not just audio engineers.  I will say Star Wars sounds good in this ad.  

 

[aj_vader 533]

Because one has no life, I synced the original Imperial March from the OST and put it on top of the Disney 2018 remaster. They are the same takes, however the timing is a little different and confirms a suspicion I had regarding the recording of the piece. 

 

So the audio phases up to the quiter section at around 0.47 (as you'd expect it to phase considering it's the same recording), but then the audio goes out of sync, you move it back and it does phase cancel again, but then at 1.37 it happens again. 

 

I think it's three different isolated recordings that were cut together, why else would different releases of the same mix have different timings that corrolate in those 3 places? 

 

Green = in sync. Orange = out of sync. 

 

[karelm 2,903]

9 hours ago, aj_vader said:

Because one has no life, I synced the original Imperial March from the OST and put it on top of the Disney 2018 remaster. They are the same takes, however the timing is a little different and confirms a suspicion I had regarding the recording of the piece. 

 

So the audio phases up to the quiter section at around 0.47 (as you'd expect it to phase considering it's the same recording), but then the audio goes out of sync, you move it back and it does phase cancel again, but then at 1.37 it happens again. 

 

I think it's three different isolated recordings that were cut together, why else would different releases of the same mix have different timings that corrolate in those 3 places? 

 

Green = in sync. Orange = out of sync. 

 

Even where you say both were in sync, those wave forms look quite different!  They are timed correctly but details in the original are missing in the remaster but you can see compression was applied.  The Disney Remaster is louder int he green section right channel but both are quieter in the orange.  There are also timing issues.  What does this mean?  Different takes?

[aj_vader 533]

2 minutes ago, karelm said:

Even where you say both were in sync, those wave forms look quite different!  They are timed correctly but details in the original are missing in the remaster but you can see compression was applied.  The Disney Remaster is louder int he green section right channel but both are quieter in the orange.  There are also timing issues.  What does this mean?  Different takes?

The waveforms are different yes, but I promise they are the same recording. The big difference in the right channel I suspect is the hyped close mics of the basses. You can really hear it in the softer section, those low marcato stabs are almost like timpani's the way the bottom end has been hyped. There is definitely a considerable amount of compression on the Disney one yes. 

 

I'm saying it's different takes in both versions. The Disney one is only different in when those takes come in, they aren't different takes to the original, but they are definitely different mixes, without a doubt. 

[Holko 9,499]

It all starts with the stupid demaster not even downmixing LCR to stereo properly, that already throws the waveform off.

[Trope 519]

On 10/4/2023 at 9:59 AM, karelm said:

This ad makes me want to hear the remastered set but then I remember how much hated them.  Did they even listen to the final mix?  Or perhaps they need to bring in a musician next time and not just audio engineers.  I will say Star Wars sounds good in this ad.  

 

 

At 2:11, Dann Michael Thompson says, "You will hear things you didn't hear before." He is correct. I didn't hear the awkward edits, incorrect performance takes, poor phase alignment, drop-outs, and the absence of a right stereo channel in TESB before listening to these demasters.

 

He should also have said, "Things you did hear before you will never hear again," since Disney removed the far superior 2016 remasters from digital streaming services worldwide.

[Amer 2,080]

51 minutes ago, Trope said:

 

At 2:11, the Dann Michael Thompson says, "You will hear things you didn't hear before." He is correct. I didn't hear the awkward edits, incorrect performance takes, poor phase alignment, drop-outs, and the absence of a right stereo channel in TESB before listening to these demasters.

 

He should also have said, "Things you did hear before you will never hear again," since Disney removed the far superior 2016 remasters from digital streaming services worldwide.

I'm sure they eventually realized their mistake but it was too late by then as the CDs were hitting the stores. Eventually, some one must have realized that they supposedly used the wrong master by mistake and not the finalized corrected version that Shawn Murphy had overseen.

 

"Oh well...we can fix this next time" There is always a next time. 

 

 

[Brónach 1,301]

On 29/06/2022 at 2:09 AM, enderdrag64 said:

The 1997 sets have substantially more content. 

 

If you're looking at the score to Star Wars they're probably about equal in quality, I'd just stick with 1997.

 

If you're looking at the score to The Empire Strikes Back, they both suck

 

If you're looking at the score to Return of the Jedi, the 2018 sets (the ones on Itunes) are substantially better quality than the 1997 sets but have almost no music

 

 ok my head hurts now

[Holko 9,499]

It's all very simple. Just give up, listen to all other things and wait for MM's future perfect editions.

[crumbs 14,300]

6 hours ago, Amer said:

I'm sure they eventually realized their mistake but it was too late by then as the CDs were hitting the stores. Eventually, some one must have realized that they supposedly used the wrong master by mistake and not the finalized corrected version that Shawn Murphy had overseen.

 

Do you have any evidence for this statement?

 

To the best of my knowledge, there's zero indication what was released isn't exactly what everyone involved in those "remasters" intended and approved, Shawn Murphy included.

[Brónach 1,301]

1 hour ago, Holko said:

It's all very simple. Just give up, listen to all other things and wait for MM's future perfect editions.

 

you laugh, but i've done this for years

[Holko 9,499]

I don't laugh, I was serious, I deleted all SW and Indy edits when the HP set came out.

[Brónach 1,301]

i dont have the HP set

 

i'm ignoring SW because it feels overplayed in my head but that doesn't mean the scores don't deserve better

 

i'm knee deep in the Indy bullshit right now

[Tallguy 3,365]

1 hour ago, Holko said:

It's all very simple. Just give up, listen to all other things and wait for MM's future perfect editions.

 

I hear those will be out very soon.

[Brónach 1,301]

We have top men working on it right now.

[Tallguy 3,365]

25 minutes ago, Brónach said:

We have top men working on it right now.

 

WHO?!?

[Brónach 1,301]

Top men.

[Amer 2,080]

3 hours ago, crumbs said:

 

Do you have any evidence for this statement?

 

To the best of my knowledge, there's zero indication what was released isn't exactly what everyone involved in those "remasters" intended and approved, Shawn Murphy included.

"Supposedly" I said.  And obviously no one would come forward and claim. Its such an embarrassing faux pax on their part.

[DangerMotif 1,037]

I spoke to Michael Gorfaine about the potential of doing the Star Wars or Indiana Jones expansions at the concert tonight. He said it is definitely possible but someone else in his office handles it. He also brought up Mike Matessino’s name when I asked him and said he would pass it along.

[Brando 1,856]

Next time you need to run into that other guy. Good thing too that he knows MM.

[DangerMotif 1,037]

He was impressed that I knew about the Sabrina expansion so he’s definitely is aware of these but I don’t know how serious he took my question. I guess we’ll see.

[DangerMotif 1,037]

 

 

Obviously it has to be done in a civil manner, idk if his people know that we want this stuff. Would it really be the worst thing to send Gorfaine’s office a nice email explaining that everyone wants it?

[Holko 9,499]

And why everyone wants it, what all is wrong with previous efforts.

[Tallguy 3,365]

Dozens of us. DOZENS!

[bollemanneke 3,337]

You can't e-mail them.

[A. A. Ron 1,738]

[enderdrag64 624]

 

I just stumbled on this wonderful interview with Chris Malone about the Empire Strikes Back soundtrack. He goes over a lot of what he talks about in his old pdf document and also corrects some mistakes he made. I'm only like 40 minutes into it but I've learned a ton about the exact formats that the OT scores were recorded onto, I'd highly recommend giving this a listen