badly mastered commercial CDs

[CyanJaguar]

I remember pearl jam saying that they went out of the way to create or recreate that live ambience . THat might be what you are talking about.


To my ears, the hotter a cd is , the better it sounds. I hate playing a loud song ,and then having the next song be 5 dbs lower,

and when I play a soft song, and a loud one comes on, it immediately seems better(the hotter song), just like musicians think their music is the beast when the engineer turns it up way loud.

 

[jrlemonz]

I totally dont think it has a boxy and cruddy sound to it. Everything sits really well in the mix. I always think about how great the drums soudn when i listen to it. Check track 4 if you have the cd, the drum sound at the beginning when they are solo is incredible. It's the song I use as a reference, I can't believe you don't think it's mixed well. I have never heard anyone insult that CD, and have seen it used as a reference at stores to check moniters as well (by people I don't know).
Jake

 

[lemonsucker]

badly mastered: californication indeed, and "showbiz" by muse

the best master i've stmbled across so far was jeff buckley's "grace".
the peaks are not hot at all, but it sounds great to me.

 

[regebro]

Camn, no, thats not what I'm thinking f. I'm thinking of how the album sounds like its cheaply recorded in somebodys basement.

I'll listen to it again tonight, and see if I can describe to you exactly why I think it sounds like shit. Its probably a year ago or so since I listened to it last time.

 

[LongWaveStudio]

The first three albums by the Manic Street Preachers are pretty badly mastered. I know its not important for levels to be peaking or anything, but the level of the whole album is extreemly quiet, even the hard songs. Very wierd album. we've done a lot of mastering for them even since those albums, their recordings sounds a lot more professional now. it was definitely lacking punch, i think they must have been on a budget or something to release something as bad as that.