Beatles "Let It Be" (5.1 surround & Dolby Atmos mixes out in October!)

[jimfisheye]

I'm not really hearing the radical difference in sound quality you describe between the original stereo mix and the 2021 remixes. In fact, I actually think the drums & bass sound better on the remix. Naked sounds a bit over NR'd in places, but I wouldn't call it bad-sounding either. Can you point to a specific passage where this tape damage is apparent?

Naked had the overall dull and dynamically flat sound of an old tape where the high end never comes back. The original Spector album just popped and sounded really hi fidelity next to it.

I think the mastering eq balance in this new set is pretty on point overall, honestly. It just has the sound of struggle with degraded tape. There's genuine effort in this. The first thing that grabbed me was how dynamically flat the acoustic guitars sounded in Two Of Us. They pop and grab you on the original. It sounds like transient dynamics just aren't on the tape anymore. It sounds a bit mid scooped next to the album though. Like can happen when you struggle with high end attenuated tape and try boosting high end back up.

I don't hear any grossly crude stuff like those Al Stewart releases or the recent Lennon stuff to be fair. More of a healthy generation loss hit vs the original.

Maybe the bright and mid scooped mastering eq aesthetic is just in vogue right now and this is a mastering disagreement?

This is still more of missed opportunities. Including a needle drop to showcase the original fidelity and a little messing around to make some de-Spector-ized versions could have gone a long way. Then the surround mix as included might have come across like a nice addendum.

I think the mastering eq presentation of the Nagra reels version is overall on point too. But I also think it's overly bright and fatiguing. I prefer the troubled minidisc copy even with the obvious artifacts and generation loss.

 

[5.1 4 Life]

While I'm sitting out the Deluxe Editions of Let It Be, it's nice to know that...
The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ Returns To Billboard Charts After Reissue (udiscovermusic.com)

 

[esimms86]

@esimms86 and @privateuniverse : a National Guard person, disguised as my regular mail carrier, delivered my LIB box set this afternoon. Hope you get your sets soon.

Received mine today too(in perfect condition, I might add), and nobody went postal!

 

[DuncanS]

Received mine today too(in perfect condition, I might add), and nobody went postal!

Discworld?

 

[EricKalet]

The Naked version revealed something was very wrong with the tapes. The sound of deteriorated tape and desperation. That remains the case here unfortunately.

It's well past time to admit defeat and deliver some careful needle drops from pristine vinyl copies for all these albums.

I'm not hearing sound quality issues tht would lead me to believe they had to work with "deteriorated tape and desperation"...this 2021 version would far exceed eveb the best and most controlled needle drop from a record which can only provide 70db of dynamic range. Perhaps though the intangible (meaning you can't measure how someone percieves sound quality or how they feel how about it - goosebumps, warm feeling, joyfulness, etc) "sound" of a vinyl recording is warmer and therefore more pleasing, and that is what you may be looking for.

 

[jimfisheye]

70db dynamic range would be welcome from a vinyl pressing! Or from any recording for that matter! Most modern releases come nowhere near. I usually prefer pristine digital sound FWIW. I also don't believe a calibrated vinyl system sounds warmer or different to a calibrated digital system. Anyway, I tried to describe what I was hearing.

Actually what I mean to say is I prefer clear sound free of any challenging generation loss or fidelity issues or hyped (mid scooped and/or bright) style mastering. A lot of vinyl pressings have issues is all. The ones with great recordings and great pressing quality still surprise me for how a mechanical system can be that accurate though.

 

[privateuniverse]

@esimms86 and @privateuniverse : a National Guard person, disguised as my regular mail carrier, delivered my LIB box set this afternoon. Hope you get your sets soon.

Mine has finally arrived as well! Woo-hoo!

 

[marcb]

The Naked version revealed something was very wrong with the tapes. The sound of deteriorated tape and desperation. That remains the case here unfortunately.

It's well past time to admit defeat and deliver some careful needle drops from pristine vinyl copies for all these albums.

The Naked version used a decent amount of noise reduction on some individual instrument tracks - which could very well have made it sound like what you describe.

I’m not hearing what you hear on the new version.

 

[jimfisheye]

Listening to the Nagra reel discs further...

My initial reaction to the fatiguing brightness is what it is. Listening more and especially the two tracks on disc 5 reveals these are obviously much lower generation copies in so much better condition. The bright treatment is a mastering faux pas but these could be eq'd some and be the high point of this entire set. The 5.1 album remix doesn't have this bright treatment.

I still think there was a lot of effort that went into this set and elements show that off. I don't take back a single comment on the 5.1 mix of the album proper though. It sounds like a noble effort but the fidelity of the original is not here. Like every one of these deluxe releases, frankly. I don't like the Spector treatment so I was hoping for a "Naked" style reworking of some kind to come along for the ride. I'm more disappointed at the missed opportunity there.

There's a relatively unmolested copy of the original mono guitar and voice track that is Across The Universe in the center channel. Once you veri-speed it back to pitch, that is. (Lossless Elastique Pro for the win!) They didn't have to throw a bone like that. Could have easily ruined it by putting some reverb from the muzak overdubs in there too. But they didn't. And that gets a few points at the end of the day!

The tracks for this album were stepped on all to high hell. Multiple rounds of that. Very much including the original release. Probably should be grateful for the bits that survived! These releases should still have included needle drops to showcase the original fidelity IMHO. I suppose someone figured that might look awkward.

 

[sjcorne]

I don't like the Spector treatment so I was hoping for a "Naked" style reworking of some kind to come along for the ride. I'm more disappointed at the missed opportunity there.

I'm happy with the sound of the 5.1 mix, but can't disagree there - it would've been great to have a 5.1 "Raw Studio Mix" as was done for Lennon's Imagine box.

 

[Old Quad Guy]

Just a quick heads up to check your email for an offer to rejoin Disney+ for $1.99 for the next 30 days. Then, $7.99 after that.

So, this will cover the documentary that’s coming around Thanksgiving.

 

[ted_b]

Unless the documentary requires a special fee.

 

[Old Quad Guy]

Unless the documentary requires a special fee.

Well, if that’s true, I haven’t heard anything about that, but I’ll at least finally watch episode 9 of STAR WARS.

 

[Bill B]

Just a quick heads up to check your email for an offer to rejoin Disney+ for $1.99 for the next 30 days. Then, $7.99 after that.

So, this will cover the documentary that’s coming around Thanksgiving.

Just signed up. They finally got me to subscribe to a streaming service by using The Beatles as bait. At least I am into Marvel and The Simpsons so that will add some value.

BTW, you don't need an email you can just go to Disney+ and join. I think the offer is open until Nov 14th.

 

[bayards]

yup joined up too.

 

[Strilo]

I feel like if Disney+ was going to do the whole Premier Access thing for the Get Back documentary, they would already have marketed it that way.

 

[mrcond]

I'm no marketing expert by any means, but it would seem to me that Disney would view this as a golden opportunity to get millions of eyeballs on their app and platform, and hope that at least a fair percentage will stick around after the Beatles documentary has aired.

 

[ted_b]

I'm only repeating what Strilo slapped me ("where have you been") about back in August when I was horrified to think that a Premier Access strategy would even be in the works. I agree that it would be bad marketing, but a quick money grab is certainly not beyond these folks. Let's hope reasonability prevails.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

I'm no marketing expert by any means, but it would seem to me that Disney would view this as a golden opportunity to get millions of eyeballs on their app and platform, and hope that at least a fair percentage will stick around after the Beatles documentary has aired.

I guess they may use it like the Carrot / Loss Leader airing; relating to your thoughts.

 

[Bill B]

I'm no marketing expert by any means, but it would seem to me that Disney would view this as a golden opportunity to get millions of eyeballs on their app and platform, and hope that at least a fair percentage will stick around after the Beatles documentary has aired.

I have a hard time thinking this $1.99 promotion is aimed at the 50+ age group who want to see the "Let It Be" documentary, but they are definitely making it easy for us. I'd love to find out if the promotion is aimed at Beatles fans from somone in the know. And I agree, people sticking around for $7.99 a month afterward is always their hope and many will, for a while. I plan on keeping it through the winter when I spend more time in the house and then making a final decision in the spring. I've watched the Marvel "Black Widow" movie last night, which I had not seen yet, so I already got my $1.99 worth of viewing,