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flaxattack
Senior Member
Username: flaxattack

Post Number: 2230
Registered: 4-2004
Posted on Tuesday, April 07, 2009 - 12:05 pm:   Edit Post

saw this today
THE BEATLES'S ENTIRE ORIGINAL RECORDED CATALOGUE REMASTERED
Category: Music
We are delighted to announce the release of the original Beatles catalogue, which has been digitally re-mastered for the first time, for worldwide CD release on Wednesday, September 9, 2009 (09-09-09), the same date as the release of the widely anticipated "The Beatles: Rock Band" video game.

Each of the CDs is packaged with replicated original UK album art, including expanded booklets containing original and newly written liner notes and rare photos. For a limited period, each CD will also be embedded with a brief documentary film about the album. On the same date, two new Beatles boxed CD collections will also be released.

The albums have been re-mastered by a dedicated team of engineers at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London over a four year period utilising state of the art recording technology alongside vintage studio equipment, carefully maintaining the authenticity and integrity of the original analogue recordings. The result of this painstaking process is the highest fidelity the catalogue has seen since its original release.

The collection comprises all 12 Beatles albums in stereo, with track listings and artwork as originally released in the UK, and 'Magical Mystery Tour,' which became part of The Beatles' core catalogue when the CDs were first released in 1987. In addition, the collections 'Past Masters Vol. I and II' are now combined as one title, for a total of 14 titles over 16 discs. This will mark the first time that the first four Beatles albums will be available in stereo in their entirety on compact disc. These 14 albums, along with a DVD collection of the documentaries, will also be available for purchase together in a stereo boxed set.

Within each CD's new packaging, booklets include detailed historical notes along with informative recording notes. With the exception of the 'Past Masters' set, newly produced mini-documentaries on the making of each album, directed by Bob Smeaton, are included as QuickTime files on each album. The documentaries contain archival footage, rare photographs and never-before-heard studio chat from The Beatles, offering a unique and very personal insight into the studio atmosphere.
wideload
Intermediate Member
Username: wideload

Post Number: 139
Registered: 6-2003
Posted on Tuesday, April 07, 2009 - 3:41 pm:   Edit Post

Cool. I wonder if including Quicktime files was part of the Apple-Beatles settlement?
dnburgess
Senior Member
Username: dnburgess

Post Number: 599
Registered: 1-2003
Posted on Tuesday, April 07, 2009 - 3:45 pm:   Edit Post

Seeing as they're putting so much effort into remastering them it would be nice if they were also released on SACD.
aquaman
Member
Username: aquaman

Post Number: 71
Registered: 9-2006
Posted on Tuesday, April 07, 2009 - 3:52 pm:   Edit Post

Were any of the albums recorded in mono originally? Is that why only now will the first 4 albums be released in stereo? If mono recordings are processed to playback in "stereo" will that degrade fidelity?
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 3674
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Tuesday, April 07, 2009 - 5:29 pm:   Edit Post

My original copy of "Meet the Beatles" was mono, IIRC. (One of my older brothers bought it. I was a cool 8 year old, but not that cool!)

Bill, tgo

(Message edited by lbpesq on April 07, 2009)
elwoodblue
Senior Member
Username: elwoodblue

Post Number: 648
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Tuesday, April 07, 2009 - 6:01 pm:   Edit Post

Aquaman,
My experience is that some mono recordings aren't as punchy when changed to stereo. It's all subjective to what the listener likes and who is remastering and what kind of equipment is used to play it on.
Having both versions available would be ideal.

(Message edited by elwoodblue on April 07, 2009)
briant
Advanced Member
Username: briant

Post Number: 292
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Tuesday, April 07, 2009 - 6:49 pm:   Edit Post

This kid will be buying the full box o' everything.
flaxattack
Senior Member
Username: flaxattack

Post Number: 2231
Registered: 4-2004
Posted on Tuesday, April 07, 2009 - 7:28 pm:   Edit Post

i am sure that with advances in technology and the love and care that was taken on this venture
that....
it will be just fine and dandy
especially to us old timers who remember that there used to be mono shelves and stereo shelves at e.j.korvettes.
adriaan
Senior Member
Username: adriaan

Post Number: 2160
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Wednesday, April 08, 2009 - 3:12 am:   Edit Post

Not sure if this is an urban myth, but lots of really old recordings were done in kind-of-stereo. Just in case something went wrong on one recording device (this is before the age of tape recorders) they set up a second one next to it. If you have both copies, and manage to synchronize them, you have a stereo recording.
bsee
Senior Member
Username: bsee

Post Number: 2259
Registered: 3-2004
Posted on Wednesday, April 08, 2009 - 5:58 am:   Edit Post

I'm getting my Rock Band drum kit in proper order in preparation for the release.
dadabass2001
Senior Member
Username: dadabass2001

Post Number: 1073
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Wednesday, April 08, 2009 - 6:29 am:   Edit Post

Bob, throw towels on the drums for that "puddin" sound
:-)
Mike
hieronymous
Senior Member
Username: hieronymous

Post Number: 568
Registered: 1-2005
Posted on Wednesday, April 08, 2009 - 10:53 am:   Edit Post

I'm pretty sure there were both mono and stereo versions of the older albums - the stereo ones have things panned pretty hard left and right, so if you're in a big music store, sometimes you can't hear the vocals, etc., because they're off in the other speaker! This could just be my fuzzy memory though...
bsee
Senior Member
Username: bsee

Post Number: 2260
Registered: 3-2004
Posted on Wednesday, April 08, 2009 - 11:12 am:   Edit Post

I know you're kidding, but I've actually taken to playing the game in headphones, Mike. That way I don't hear the stick impacts much at all. Much better game experience for up to an hour, then my ears get tired. I have the Drum Rocker kit and it is much more fun and real than the crap pieces that come with the game, though it still falls short in a couple spots.

Here's hoping that they will have added a Ringo-modeled drum kit to the list so that the fills sound in character. Among the failings of the game for drums is that the fills all sound like a completely different kit that the recorded song parts. The other failing, to me, is the inability to globally turn off "overdrive" so you can actually play the song entirely as written without any fills at all.

I am so looking forward to playing Ringo's parts instead of getting stuck with the occasional speed metal tune that can't possibly be played without a double kick. The vocals should be pretty fun as well.

As far as re-buying every Beatles tune because it has been "remastered" goes, though, that will be a harder sell for me. I'm not unhappy with the originals and I'm not sure that perfect production quality will really add to the Beatles experience in a meaningful way.

-bob
elwoodblue
Senior Member
Username: elwoodblue

Post Number: 649
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Wednesday, April 08, 2009 - 1:23 pm:   Edit Post

harry,
your memory is spot on...alot of the older recordings are panned hard...you get some cool 'versions' of the songs just listening to one speaker.
...alot of the time the reverb is panned right with the dry in the left...sometimes you can get some neat 'backing tracks' without vocals on just one side.
It sure would be fun to be one of the engineers who get to play around with the masters.

(Message edited by elwoodblue on April 08, 2009)
flaxattack
Senior Member
Username: flaxattack

Post Number: 2232
Registered: 4-2004
Posted on Wednesday, April 08, 2009 - 2:39 pm:   Edit Post

bob
according to the beatles rock band site. they will be selling instruments as played by the beatles. so i am sure there will be a ringo kit and i assume they will model drums for existing kits,...
so there will be a hofner bass. i will stick with my gene simmons axe. lol.
they aint gettin me for more than the disc
and the box o cds
bsee
Senior Member
Username: bsee

Post Number: 2262
Registered: 3-2004
Posted on Wednesday, April 08, 2009 - 10:42 pm:   Edit Post

We'll almost certainly just get the disc as well, Jeff. We have enough clutter around here with every game system known to man as well as peripherals. The new Nintendo DSi just arrived and Lisa is enthralled with the thing and some rhythm game.

-bob
crobbins
Advanced Member
Username: crobbins

Post Number: 301
Registered: 6-2004
Posted on Thursday, April 09, 2009 - 7:47 am:   Edit Post

I'll add these to my collection of Beatle boots..:-)
peoplechipper
Member
Username: peoplechipper

Post Number: 79
Registered: 2-2009
Posted on Saturday, April 11, 2009 - 12:03 am:   Edit Post

I remember Pete Townsend saying in "the Kids are Alright" that if you take Beatles recordings and cut the vocals out(I think he said they were left)they were kinda crap;...it's funny, as some of their sound is the blueprint for pop/powerpop forevermore; some is best forgotten...

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