HiRez Poll Beatles, The - THE BEATLES (The White Album) [Blu-Ray Audio]

[ar surround]

Just reportin' what my ears are hearin'! I can't listen to this long at my typical volume, but have to bring it down 3 to 5 db. Why? That's a good question.

It's because of what Ralph described...a "tizzy" high end. That equalization might be part of the "dirtying" it up process that Giles Martin described. Too bad some producers seem to apply the same "remastered CD" shenanigans when engineering high resolution recordings. Try this equalization using Audacity. It certainly helped for me:

 

[4-earredwonder]

It's because of what Ralph described...a "tizzy" high end. That equalization might be part of the "dirtying" it up process that Giles Martin described. Too bad some producers seem to apply the same "remastered CD" shenanigans when engineering high resolution recordings. Try this equalization using Audacity. It certainly helped for me:

View attachment 37028

AR, thanks for posting this. Unfortunately, my Meridian 861 has been professionally EQed and the only way I can reduce the treble is manually. I have about 175+ BD~As [classical, jazz, rock, etc] and I never feel the need to muck with the EQ when playing those discs. Pepper and TWA. OTOH, need a treble reduction.

I only hope if Giles tackles Abbey Road, IMO, one of the most audiophile sounding of all the Beatles' recordings, he practices more restraint....like a FLAT transfer, perhaps?

 

[Frogmort]

Froggy, I tested this out. On my system, the surround sounds perfectly balanced, actually. Lowering the front 3 speakers by even 2db made the surrounds sound very dominant. Now, there is something irritating about this mix though. I usually listen to albums at 75 db. I have to bring this one down a few db or it gets irritating fast. Lowering the whole thing, though, it's fine.

For me, it's just a quick and dirty way to make it a bit less harsh overall, and while certain songs do become just a touch too 'surroundy', other ones like 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' for example actually sound just about right this way to me. Certain songs also seem to have that harshness more than others, and some songs seem to have more/less surround action going on than others too. I've also noticed that with my subs cranked way up, some songs sound really nice and full, but some others are almost overloaded with the kick drum. So the harsh upper-mids lower-treble/surround/bass seems to vary a bit from song to song.

I do really love it as is, but it's in my nature to fiddle around with things that don't sound quite perfect to me, but I think it would just be too involving to do a track by track level/eq rejiggering for me. AR Surround's suggestion of bringing just the top-end down about 2dB would probably be much easier and effective, although if I were to try something like that, I would probably try just reducing the around 3kHz~7kHz range just to keep from scooping out the mids and higher treble too much maybe.

 

[ar surround]

For me, it's just a quick and dirty way to make it a bit less harsh overall, and while certain songs do become just a touch too 'surroundy', other ones like 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' for example actually sound just about right this way to me. Certain songs also seem to have that harshness more than others, and some songs seem to have more/less surround action going on than others too. I've also noticed that with my subs cranked way up, some songs sound really nice and full, but some others are almost overloaded with the kick drum. So the harsh upper-mids lower-treble/surround/bass seems to vary a bit from song to song.

I do really love it as is, but it's in my nature to fiddle around with things that don't sound quite perfect to me, but I think it would just be too involving to do a track by track level/eq rejiggering for me. AR Surround's suggestion of bringing just the top-end down about 2dB would probably be much easier and effective, although if I were to try something like that, I would probably try just reducing the around 3kHz~7kHz range just to keep from scooping out the mids and higher treble too much maybe.

Give the 3kHz - 7kHz futz a try and let us know how it works out for you. And yes, as you noted the harshness, etc. varies from track to track, so it is a PITA to do the full job...so much so that you might be sick of hearing the album by the time you are happy with the results.

 

[kap'n krunch]

you know?
It just struck me....

We
Got
The White Album
in
Surround..
had to be said...
It
Don't
Get
ANY
BETTER
THAN
THIS

...

just thinking out loud...

Aren't we lucky???

 

[beerking]

I've just voted 10 again
Why
Coz I can!!

Well, I wish I could...

 

[lennon fan]

really enjoying the repeated listenings. This time I won't burn it out like I did when it first came out
Of course some of us have waited over 45 years for surround Fabs. ...and this is very Fab indeed!
So, of course, do everything from Hard Days Night on in surround as it should have been done decades ago,
and we can oooh and ahhh some more before us old ones kick it.

 

[edisonbaggins]

Review video, explaining my vote of "9":

 

[Perp]

I think that people have different systems. So, they’re going to hear this album differently.

I’m not sure why people tend to favor the mono mixes over the stereo versions of albums. I certainly don’t like everything collapsed and buried into one speaker.

Great video but if I can give some constructive criticism...I was very interested in what your father-in-law had to say but I noticed that you cut him off and didn’t let him finish his thought. Remember, when you have a guest, it’s good to be polite. It’s not only about you and what you think.

 

[edisonbaggins]

I think that people have different systems. So, they’re going to hear this album differently.

I’m not sure why people tend to favor the mono mixes over the stereo versions of albums. I certainly don’t like everything collapsed and buried into one speaker.

Great video but if I can give some constructive criticism...I was very interested in what your father-in-law had to say but I noticed that you cut him off and didn’t let him finish his thought. Remember, when you have a guest, it’s good to be polite. It’s not only about you and what you think.

I always appreciate criticism. As far as being polite goes, he didn't share your perspective, but thought we were having a conversation, where there will be some back and forth, and some jumping in when there is something to say. I would never dream of being rude to my step-father, but some people have differing views of certain behaviors.

 

[Perp]

All the same, I like and appreciate the time you take to do your videos. You ARE one in a million.

 

[4-earredwonder]

I always appreciate criticism. As far as being polite goes, he didn't share your perspective, but thought we were having a conversation, where there will be some back and forth, and some jumping in when there is something to say. I would never dream of being rude to my step-father, but some people have differing views of certain behaviors.

I watched the entire video, Mike, and felt you gave Frank ample time to express his most worthwhile views. A great TEAM, IMO....from two different perspectives!

Thanks for sharing!

 

[edisonbaggins]

I watched the entire video, Mike, and felt you gave Frank ample time to express his most worthwhile views. A great TEAM, IMO....from two different perspectives!

Thanks for sharing!

Always a pleasure!
The point about letting guests speak is well-noted. Just trying to explain that no rudeness was detected during the event. We sort of loosely pre-gamed what we wanted to discuss, so sometimes he's setting me up to deliver a point. On the other side of the coin, I have received plenty of criticism about pace, length and content of videos, so I do my best to keep things moving, while learning and feeling my way along through all this.
Frank says he'd like to do more 60's albums together. Thanks for watching and the feedback!

 

[beerking]

16 Horsepower
Secret South

Whilst watching Miami at Minnisota

OOPs wrong thread ..I knew Manchester United's heavy defeat would unsettle the marbles.

 

[ar surround]

...I’m not sure why people tend to favor the mono mixes over the stereo versions of albums. I certainly don’t like everything collapsed and buried into one speaker...

Mono? Mono? Oh yeah, I had that once. Knocked me on my ass for two weeks. Never want it again.

 

[beerking]

It goes back to Da Vinci days

Mono Lisa

Mono? Mono? Oh yeah, I had that once. Knocked me on my ass for two weeks. Never want it again.

 

[key_wiz]

AR, thanks for posting this. Unfortunately, my Meridian 861 has been professionally EQed and the only way I can reduce the treble is manually. I have about 175+ BD~As [classical, jazz, rock, etc] and I never feel the need to muck with the EQ when playing those discs. Pepper and TWA. OTOH, need a treble reduction.

I only hope if Giles tackles Abbey Road, IMO, one of the most audiophile sounding of all the Beatles' recordings, he practices more restraint....like a FLAT transfer, perhaps?

A flat transfer wouldn’t really be possible if he is doing a new mix.

 

[JediJoker]

A flat transfer wouldn’t really be possible if he is doing a new mix.

Well, the new mix could be presented unmastered, Steven Wilson style.

 

[IMachine]

3 Points from Rudy!???
Why?

 

[beerking]

3 Points from Rudy!???
Why?

Trying to stop it being top of the pops in the new year maybe?