watchnerd
Grand Contributor
The Verve "Now's The Time" album has pretty good sound.
I thought that was Sonny Rollins?
But we're thread forking...
The Verve "Now's The Time" album has pretty good sound.
Here's a video about remastering Furtwangler.
Still, the idea of cutting out noises did prompt me to write a different version of my software. I wrote something to break the piece into 4 subcomponents: Signal Tones, Noise Tones, Signal Transients, and Noise Transients. The sum of these components is the original recording. It's interesting to listen to the subcomponents, as well as filter and mix them. So far I haven't been able to leverage the new code for any useful purpose, but it's a tool in my toolshed now.
I have a Saint Saens of the same performance that sounds Fantastic. It says "Remastered for CD", but not sure what that means. Did they just create a master, or actually modify the eq and use NR or not?I listen to a lot of classical music (the romantic period is my favorite) on my home audio system. I love the sound of a big symphony. It really stresses the audio reproduction in a way that few other things do, and it's so rewarding when everything falls into place, from the performance, the recording, and the playback. Unfortunately, some of my favorite pieces / performances have recordings that are flawed in some way. I find that if the background noise is too high, it takes me out of my zone. Also, if the spectral balance is off then I can't comfortably listen at high levels.
As an audiophile, I appreciate the conflicting desire to reduce excessive background noise while maintaining perfect fidelity of the underlying music. I tried a few commercial noise reduction products, and found that they weren't well suited for classical music. If I configured them to substantially reduce the background noise, they were always detrimental to the music, or introduced artifacts that were as offensive (or more) than the noise. In the end I wrote my own, and have been very satisfied with the results.
For years I've been de-noising music in my classical library. I recently started rebalancing the spectra as well. It occurred to me that others might appreciate this "remastering" of the music, so I started posting results to my youtube channel. I have a few audiophile favorites on there (Saint Saens Organ Symphony, for example), and feel that all the pieces I've done had a lot of potential, and with the minor issues addressed they have become very enjoyable and useful for appreciating a good playback system.
Here's the channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/alexdlrg
Here's the 1st movement of the Saint Saens Organ Symphony (noise reduction only, balance was good). The second movement can be found on the channel. I always post every movement to a piece.
Here's Borodin's Polovtsian Dances. (Incredible soundstage, recorded in 1966!)
If anyone can think of a recording that would benefit from some noise reduction and/or spectral rebalancing, please let me know. If I like the piece enough to add it to my library, I'll likely try my hand at "fixing" whatever is deficient.
Good one. I also very much like another SACD from Philadelphia: Ondine ODE 1094-5It may be useful to try the Reference Recordings version of Michael Stern.
There are so many modern "acceptable" (although maybe not artically your favorite) pristine well mastered recordings of modern high resolution vintage of most works that I find it hard to listen to pre 1980's classical recordings with the term "audiophile" attached to it. I own over 6000 classical CD's. There are so many labels that pay very close attention to mic'ing and mastering (my favorites are BIS, Chandos, Linn, Pentatone) and I have an aversion to major labels who release poorly mic'ed and mastered live performances (which is cheaper than doing a proper orchestral recording). People enjoy what they grew up with. But my ears just can't handle old mono recordings of Furtwangler when I can have a pristine recording with full detail, nuance, and wide stage/instrument separation on a modern BIS recording.
I did appreciate the Mercury Living Presence RCA remasterings aabout 3 decades ago but you can only do so much with poorer raw material. There is almost always a modern recording that stacks up artistically.
The Organ Symphony is a peculiar one because of the 16 Hz bass note which when properly reproduced on a subwoofer will probably induce nausea, and there are not many modern recordings in comparison to other major works.
It may be useful to try the Reference Recordings version of Michael Stern.
I used a telarc disc for the Saint Saens symphony #3. I believe it was recorded in 79 or 80, so not the same performance.
If so, it was early digital.I used a telarc disc for the Saint Saens symphony #3. I believe it was recorded in 79 or 80, so not the same performance.
For sound, per se, try Markus Stenz (conductor), Gurzenich Orchestra Köln on Oehms Classics.I haven’t found a true audiophile complete set of Mahler that is satisfying but a few of Ivan Fischer’s recordings on Channel Classics stand out. Symphonies 2 and 4 are highly recommended. As a set, I prefer Fischer. Chailly’s symphony 3 and 9 on Decca also. I have the whole set of MTT and the SFSO which was highly touted but I dislike live recordings.
For sound, per se, try Markus Stenz (conductor), Gurzenich Orchestra Köln on Oehms Classics.
I know. I know I will stop grabbing them some day. Sure.Ugh, now another contender. There are so many Mahler sets, hard to decide. But THANKS!!
Kal, I just grabbed a Symphony 1 and 3 on the London label, with Zubin Mehta conducting.I know. I know I will stop grabbing them some day. Sure.
Not in many years. There are so many wonderful recordings, one cannot say that Mahler is underserved. However, when it comes to "audiophile," it has got to be multichannel to qualify for me.Kal, I just grabbed a Symphony 1 and 3 on the London label, with Zubin Mehta conducting.
Honestly I sort of like it, and the sound, while not fantastic is fairly good. Have you heard that one?
I am a bit confused now.I used a telarc disc for the Saint Saens symphony #3. I believe it was recorded in 79 or 80, so not the same performance.