sergeant pepper

[dobro]

I'm listening to sergeant pepper for the first time a few years. A few impressions:

1 the mix is fucked - people singing hard left, drums hard left, things all over the place - what a bunch of hippies. I figure they were trying to be 'trippy' and 'blow the minds' of people listening through headphones, which is what I'm doing

2 they get some sounds on this album that are amazing to the enth degree. Paul's bass. That tabla. Ringo's drums... Doof!

3 they don't have to boost vocals to make them stand out sometimes - they can keep the level down, and still that vocal stands out - how do they do that?

4 what a great wonderful fucking album - all mixing sins are forgiven

Kids, just say NO to drugs.

 

[Wil Davis]

I think you're just fishing (or trolling maybe... ), but just in case you're not... were you listening to the CD? If "yes" then, forget it and try to get the original vinyl - I've always been under the impression that originally, all the Beatles' stuff was mixed for mono (that's right folks mono) - perhaps what you were hearing on the CD was someone's (bad) second-guess...

- Wil

 

[Cave Dweller]

im pretty sure they wanted it to sound that way. i remember reading about how they planned it out. as for the vocals standing out, that just good mixing.....good sources, proper EQing..... basicly just a good mix.

 

[Wil Davis]

Sorry - I've just re-read my post - what I meant was that SP was mixed to sound good in mono - but that all (or most of) their earlier stuff was actually released in mono. I know that when the CD's came out, there was much debate as to whether or not they should be re-mixed for stereo (and ruined in the process...)

- Wil

 

[Tom Hicks]

My impression was that the early mono stuff was indeed remastered in stereo by Capitol with some strange panning decisions.But by the days of Sgt. Pepper ,George Martin and company were mixing in stereo.

 

[zer0sig]

you should try listening to "magical mystery tour" on a dolby pro-logic system with pro logic enabled

so, for the albums with iffy stereo mix decisions, is it ruinous to simply set the amplifier to mono?

 

[acidrock]

The Beatles intended for the vocals to be panned.
You have to remember that when the record was released stereo was still not widespread,kind of like color TV at the time.The idea of mixing in stereo was in its infancy and to hear two different sounds coming out of two speakers was unique and lead to experimentation that over time proved to be a bit kooky.
I have all of the Beatles albums on vinyl and their early stereophonic albums have the lead vocal on one side and the backups on the other.Unusual by todays standards,but if you bought a stereo in 1967 by golly hearing that wide pan was the cats pajamas daddio!

 

[mjbee]

My impression was that the early mono stuff was indeed remastered in stereo by Capitol with some strange panning decisions.But by the days of Sgt. Pepper ,George Martin and company were mixing in stereo.

Sgt Pepper, mono, days and days mixing, with the lads present.

Sgt Pepper, stereo, much less time spent mixing, George and a tape op present.

This has nothing to do with CD re-releases, you understand. There always was a stereo and mono.

Some feel that this means the mono is the "true" one, because more time and Beatle involvement

Mike.

 

[Robert D]

It wasn't just the Beatles and company. Lot's of stuff from that era had wierd panning decisions, like all the drums on one side. But some of it was artistic crazyness, and I think some of it was due to the equipment of the time and how stuff got bounced.
RD

 

[strmkr]

I think some of it also may have been due to mixing under the influence of LSD......WOW,MAN! that sounds cool over there!

still love SP,one of my all time favorites.