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Audio Engineer Claims that Metallica's Latest Album Sounds Better on Guitar Hero

Started by Guest_Donnie Darko_*, Sep 18 2008 01:01 PM

20 replies to this topic

#1
Guest_Donnie Darko_*
Posted 18 September 2008 - 01:01 PM

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Mastering Engineer Ian Shepherd is among those who believe that the distortion Metallica fans have been complaining about since the release of Death Magnetic is not present in the Guitar Hero III version. As he notes: "In comparison, the released CD version is - to coin a technical phrase - smashed to f**k." So who or what is to blame here? Shepherd believes that the album was the latest victim of the so-called "loudness wars" going on in the industry right now. That is to say, engineers are over-editing and sacrificing sound quality to achieve a higher level of louditude. The GHII version strips away the clipping and focuses more on dynamic range.

As a result of all this, the filesharing community is already hard at work breaking down the GH3 version to isolate the tracks. There is also a petition floating around arguing for a re-mix or remaster of the album—but they claim that the brick-wall limiting and compression was done before mastering, so they feel that it is basically a loss at this point. It's a shame too because the music itself has been well-received.

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#2
ehsan
Posted 18 September 2008 - 01:15 PM

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Whoah!

#3
rhythmboy
Posted 18 September 2008 - 01:26 PM

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Awesome - I love this  ;)

Given that I'm sure the band themselves sign off on final product before it gets released, just goes to show that they have all gone deaf. First Saint Anger and now this...

I've only heard it on TV ads but at least Rick Rubin got a better snare sound on the latest album than Bob Rock did on St.A. But a snare alone does not a good album make...

#4
groovewell
Posted 18 September 2008 - 01:34 PM

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You've gotta laugh.

Now imagine if Metallica didn't have such an issue with filesharing... The album could have been leaked on the internetz, the mega fans could have complained and they might have had a chance to fix it up before the proper legitimate release.

Suckerz

#5
neo
Posted 18 September 2008 - 02:13 PM

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Quote

they claim that the brick-wall limiting and compression was done before mastering

That doesn't really add up unless they mixed the whole album again just for Guitar Hero...

#6
pan_down
Posted 18 September 2008 - 02:45 PM

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yeah couldn't they just use the GH3 master?

#7
Cheyne
Posted 18 September 2008 - 02:48 PM

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loller skates ..

Thats a flat waveform ..    looks like its had the balls compressed out of it ..   wheres the dynamics ?  That would tear away all the screeching , run away distorted treble that metal heads love ..

#8
Blinky-Live-
Posted 18 September 2008 - 04:14 PM

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wow

#9
dec0n
Posted 18 September 2008 - 04:33 PM

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one snare to rule them all...  

#10
Guest_Donnie Darko_*
Posted 18 September 2008 - 05:31 PM

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#11
spazmatron
Posted 18 September 2008 - 07:41 PM

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oops didn't see this thread.

anyways my topic linked to this blog which has links to most of the necessary info's:

http://mastering-med...c-clipping.html


a quote supposedly from the album's mastering engineer:

Quote

    I’m certainly sympathetic to your reaction, I get to slam my head against that brick wall every day. In this case the mixes were already brick walled before they arrived at my place. Suffice it to say I would never be pushed to overdrive things as far as they are here. Believe me I’m not proud to be associated with this one, and we can only hope that some good will come from this in some form of backlash against volume above all else.

#12
Spectrum
Posted 19 September 2008 - 12:03 AM

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So Metallica fans are complaining about distortion, eh?

I would have said, nothing else matters.







/um, I'll get my coat.  ::(

#13
Jester_Fu
Posted 19 September 2008 - 08:46 AM

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Quote

That doesn't really add up unless they mixed the whole album again just for Guitar Hero...
It does add up. The "brickwall" is only applied at the mastering stage. As most are aware, mastering is most commonly done on a stereo track or over very very limited channels. That means that GHIII just had to get the unmastered version and undertake their own mastering. It's quite possible the game designers used their Sony/marketing leverage to complain that the mastered version was no good for re-rendering/mre-mastering into a format suitable for the game. Net result is that the mastering engineers for the game used their common sense and didn't "brick wall" limit the whole thing.

Now, all you have to do is sit back and wait for the hardcore fans who do buy the game to rip the audio from it and post that on torrent instead of the CD album. That will mark, IMO, the opportunity for people to be genuinely correct in saying the MP3 quality is better...

#14
neo
Posted 19 September 2008 - 11:19 AM

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Quote

It does add up. The "brickwall" is only applied at the mastering stage.

I know that. What I was saying doesn't add up is the claim that it was done BEFORE the mastering stage.

#15
Guest_Donnie Darko_*
Posted 19 September 2008 - 12:00 PM

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so years ago metallica shuns napster/technology, finally embraces itunes now - only to be bitten on the ass by technology once again!
sheesh

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#16
groovewell
Posted 19 September 2008 - 02:05 PM

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Douche Fags

#17
Jester_Fu
Posted 19 September 2008 - 05:39 PM

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Quote

I know that. What I was saying doesn't add up is the claim that it was done BEFORE the mastering stage.
Well... no argument from me on that point. Sounds like A+++ arse covering to me. If you're tracking or mixdown engineer did that, you'd not only sack the cunt, you'd fire him out of a cannon into a flaming pile of his work over a nicely smoldering layer of dog shit.

Anyway, metallica have been in need of a good arse reaming for years. Or was that - they need a break from ream their own arses...  :-

#18
Sid
Posted 23 October 2008 - 03:57 PM

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Here is a BBC interview with Ian Shepherd regarding 'the loudness war' and particularly Metallica's Death Magnetic.

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He also suggests that Death Magnetic sounds better on Vinyl

http://www.gizmodo.c...on_vinyl-2.html

#19
Will666
Posted 27 October 2008 - 07:56 PM

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The funny thing is if you do a little digging around you can find the multi tracks for the LP make it how you want it. Get all the way to 11 if you want hahahaha

#20
ajay
Posted 04 November 2008 - 11:18 AM

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Master Of Puppets was the last album that sounded any good... Bob Rock single handedly fucked Metallicas sound.
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