wowbobwow 69 Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 Hi all -- I'm new-ish around here. I think I read a while ago (on here) that the special edition release of the Return of the Jedi soundtrack has the sound quality issues were due to only having access to a second or third generation master and that they were unable to find the original. Is this actually true? How were they able to assemble the 1993 Anthology version if so? The thing that's frustrating the most about the SE release is the high end is capped so low. As a kid I even noticed how much better the Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back special edition soundtracks sound so much better. The Return of the Jedi content on the Anthology release doesn't have the same issues, you get that high end that's missing on the SE release. But obviously it's not as complete. I hope this topic isn't beating a dead horse and if so, sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post martybmusic 54 Posted January 22, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted January 22, 2020 You may find Chris Malone's article the most illuminating here. Honestly, his entire piece is so well researched and such a delight to read (and frequently re-read, in my case). http://www.malonedigital.com/starwars.htm#.XihhLlNKjOQ (PDF link within) Discussion of the ROTJ top end in the 2CD Special Edition set begins at the bottom of page 28. Holko, JibberJabberwocky and wowbobwow 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 The producers of the 1997 SE simply didn't have access to the same material for ROTJ as the 1993 anthology. Its a pity. And the biggest reasons a redo of the Original Trilogy scores are long overdue. Still a landmark album though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holko 9,498 Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 And the messed up overdid DNR. Whoever finalised it should never have worked again, period. That it even got a reissue is one of the biggest insults to orchestral music (and Williams+LSO, no less)... ever? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post #SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted January 22, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted January 22, 2020 14 minutes ago, Holko said: And the messed up overdid DNR. Whoever finalised it should never have worked again, period. That it even got a reissue is one of the biggest insults to orchestral music (and Williams+LSO, no less)... ever? A bit overdramatic. mstrox, A. A. Ron and DrTenma 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bespin 8,475 Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 I fixed that in the 2019 Bespin Remastered Edtiton! Send me a PM. wowbobwow 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holko 9,498 Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 Lol 48 minutes ago, Stefancos said: A bit overdramatic. It's miles closer to "unacceptable" than "fine". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ymenard 54 Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 7 minutes ago, Bespin said: I fixed that in the 2019 Bespin Remastered Edtiton! Send me a PM. What's different from your 2019 version versus the EQ-ed "restoration" version made in 2017? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bespin 8,475 Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 The price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wowbobwow 69 Posted January 22, 2020 Author Share Posted January 22, 2020 2 hours ago, martybmusic said: You may find Chris Malone's article the most illuminating here. Honestly, his entire piece is so well researched and such a delight to read (and frequently re-read, in my case). http://www.malonedigital.com/starwars.htm#.XihhLlNKjOQ (PDF link within) Discussion of the ROTJ top end in the 2CD Special Edition set begins at the bottom of page 28. This is fantastic, thank you. Still making my way through the PDF, but I did skip to read the highlight you mentioned. Quote The reason for the conspicuous absence of upper highs – and the hiss that should be present with analog recording – could be shared between poor alignment of the machine used to reproduce the source tapes and incorrect calibration of the requisite Dolby A decoder. If it was due to equipment miscalibration, wow. And the waveform analyses are telling of how digital "cleaning" of the recordings did more harm than good. I hope that there is another release of the full score with more care put into the digital transfer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martybmusic 54 Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 2 hours ago, wowbobwow said: If it was due to equipment miscalibration, wow. And the waveform analyses are telling of how digital "cleaning" of the recordings did more harm than good. I hope that there is another release of the full score with more care put into the digital transfer. Yeah it's fascinating. I suppose it's possible that the quality of the tapes they transferred was poor, but what Malone suggests about Dolby NR calibration seems plausible. If not decoded properly when transferring the tapes, material recorded with Dolby NR would appear quite hissy in the top end. If you play back or transfer old tapes recorded with Dolby (have worked with some recorded with Dolby A) you'll notice it right away. Bob Margouleff talks about it here in regards to a poor tape transfer of Stevie Wonder's 'Talking Book' sessions (see clip). If this were the case with ROTJ (the only OT score not recorded at Anvil incidentally), the mastering engineer may have elected to low-pass as far as needed until the hiss was less offensive. That's a pretty blunt instrument to use in this case, but that is what the ROTJ Special Edition sounds like to me - a firmly cut-off top end, not a gradually thinning top end of more damaged tape or something. At any rate, the Anthology ROTJ selections are a dream to listen to and I know we all eagerly await an eventual Mattesino-led rerelease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Turner 21 Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 I hadn't realized there were issues with the reissue of RETURN OF THE JEDI. Listening to it again recently I'm quite stunned. It does indeed sound lacking. This definitely needs to be remastered. Someone get Mike Matessino on the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crlbrg 381 Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 So due to all of the issues listed above - which release of the original trilogy soundtracks would you recommend for the best audio experience? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,023 Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 12 minutes ago, carlborg said: So due to all of the issues listed above - which release of the original trilogy soundtracks would you recommend for the best audio experience? The OST (80s release) and anthology are both fine. On 1/22/2020 at 8:15 PM, martybmusic said: At any rate, the Anthology ROTJ selections are a dream to listen to and I know we all eagerly await an eventual Mattesino-led rerelease. Since Matessino had the supervisor role for this mess up, it makes sense that he gets a chance to finally make it right. crlbrg 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 3 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said: The OST (80s release) and anthology are both fine. The 1983 OST release of ROTJ and the rerecorded tracks from the Varese Star Wars Trilogy and Gerhardt's rerecording are all you need, right @Gruesome Son of a Bitch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,023 Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 1 minute ago, Stefancos said: Gerhardt's rerecording That's my preferred album. 1 minute ago, Stefancos said: Varese Star Wars Trilogy That's great too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,493 Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 I'm only assuming, but ROTJ was recorded at Abbey Road, was it not? I seem to recall that a new digital recording and mixing desk had been installed, and that no-one was familiar with operating it. How could it go so wrong in January, 1983, yet go so right, a few months later, for BRAINSTORM, which is still among the best sounding scores I've ever heard? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holko 9,498 Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 Because it's not then that things went wrong, it was in 1997 with the cockmongrels who assembled the SE release. The demaster based on new transfers sounds great. crumbs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,023 Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 I guess they learned how to operate the desk during those months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,493 Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 4 hours ago, Holko said: ...cockmongrels... Cockmongrels That's become my new mantra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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