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So let's discuss RevRad's mixing/mastering issues


dudley dawson

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I've listened to both digital and vinyl versions of the album.  Both have the same mixing/mastering issues (I'm not sure if mixing, mastering, or both gets the blame here).  The most apparent gaffe I think is on Youngblood where on the last verse, you actually hear BJ's vocals getting louder mid-verse.  But really the album as a whole sounds improper due to varying degrees of loudness on each track (and BJ's vocal levels varying track to track).  Who was asleep at the wheel for this??

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2 minutes ago, Grinch said:

I'm still wondering why the last one got deleted.

most likely because there are about 20 active threads about the album already. However this seems to be such a popular complaint that you can feel free to let it run free in this thread. 

 

Also I'm glad I'm only a small audiophile, I don't care about the loudness at all and I certainly don't have the equipment to even notice it in a negative way.

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I only know that HDtracks version aren't that HD. I have not listened a vynil yet to check the differences. But I get some radio rips from some songs, and the mastering was a lot better. I mean, there was room for things, and doesn't clip every second. 

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14 minutes ago, Sarcasm said:

most likely because there are about 20 active threads about the album already. However this seems to be such a popular complaint that you can feel free to let it run free in this thread. 

 

Also I'm glad I'm only a small audiophile, I don't care about the loudness at all and I certainly don't have the equipment to even notice it in a negative way.

I'm not a huge audiophile but it seems PRETTY apparent to me.

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34 minutes ago, Sarcasm said:

most likely because there are about 20 active threads about the album already. However this seems to be such a popular complaint that you can feel free to let it run free in this thread. 

It just seems odd because the last thread was a fairly hot topic. There was maybe 4 pages of posts within 2 days and 20 active threads is kinda given for a new album release. Idk just really random that it was deleted

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Only audiophiles care. I don't mean to sound blunt but it's true. The only complaints about the so called problem I've seen are from a select few on this forum. No reviews or anyone I know who has listened to the album have brought it up. 

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26 minutes ago, Clayish said:

There's way too much noise in the background of the Outlaws hook. 

Still one of my favorite tracks here.

All that noise in the background of the Outlaws hook makes it more beautiful IMO. 

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I just kinda hate how the mix isn't consistent. In some songs the vocals seem buried, in some songs they're loud enough. and what's up with the trumpet? apparently it's in there but you can't hear it. The drum tones are great, guitar tones are decent, but the bass gets lost in the mix, it's a little muddy and needs more grit to it to cut through the mix. as far as the low-fi intros, I think the band did that intentionally in the studio, which is fine for a song or two but they over did it, the one in Too Dumb To Die is totally uncalled for and doesn't seem to really have anything to do with the rest of the song. The mastering isn't very good either. I understand wanting someone new to mix, but they should have still used the same mastering studio and engineer.

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The whole thing sounds mixed and mastered by amateurs. It's actually pretty stunning the album got released in its current state. That being said, the songs themselves are good enough to where I'm not going to let this drag down the experience too much for me.

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It's not just audiophiles that care. It's annoying even on car stereo equipment. I feel in order to hear the vocals properly I have to turn songs up and down halfway through. It's crazy.

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Could this be because the boys produced it themselves? I've been a little bothered by this mixing too

I mean everyone just does like spotify these days, so like, maybe they just didn't care as much?

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The vocals sound distorted to me, most noticeably in Revolution Radio. I can only assume it's intentional though, because it's not clipping distortion, it sounds more like the highs and lows have been cut significantly. Which is fine, whatever, it works I guess. Just a really weird choice to me.

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The volume of the opening instrumentation on Bang Bang seems a little too quiet as compared to the rest of the track....turn in up and to hear the bass intro and then your speakers are absolutely blasted when the guitars kick in. I understand the intended effect but the contrast might be just a bit over the top. Or maybe I'm just too old. 

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After thinking about it more, I think ultimately the blame resides with Reprise. And this isn't the first time they've botched something Green Day-related. How many more albums are they under contract for? If I was them I would give serious thought to switching labels, preferably to one that gives a crap about QA.

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13 minutes ago, dudley dawson said:

After thinking about it more, I think ultimately the blame resides with Reprise. And this isn't the first time they've botched something Green Day-related. How many more albums are they under contract for? If I was them I would give serious thought to switching labels, preferably to one that gives a crap about QA.

eh I dunno, green day didn't tell the label about the album until it was pretty much done, I get the impression that they didn't have much input on this

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2 minutes ago, dudley dawson said:

After thinking about it more, I think ultimately the blame resides with Reprise. And this isn't the first time they've botched something Green Day-related. How many more albums are they under contract for? If I was them I would give serious thought to switching labels, preferably to one that gives a crap about QA.

 I kind of have the impression the band kind of went "off the grid" on this one and delivered the goods to Reprise. The label might have honestly been a little underwhelmed with the production values (after all, some drum tracks were recorded in the studio shitter), but Green Day probably has enough clout to call the shots these days. 

 

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Well then it's the label's responsibility to tell them it is poorly mixed/mastered and have it corrected prior to release. I don't think they should influence any songs themselves, but when something is obviously wrong with the final product, that's their job to intervene.

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As much as I'm always the first to criticise poor mixing to within an inch of its life, maybe the raw feeling is what they were going for? It's got major issues by mainstream standards, but it feels really raw despite the huge arrangements. Isn't raw what they were going for with the Trilogy, but all the artificial reverbs and multi tracked vocals sent the whole thing the opposite way? Whatever's wrong with the mix (and I could go on forever about such things), I'm loving the record. Given the time the band spent on this album, and how they're in a far better place than when they were recording the Trilogy (not to mention the fact they've been doing this for 30 years) I'm sure they know what they want and how to get it.

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I've noticed it sounds a little fuzzy in the background throughout the album. It doesn't sound very clear - especially when you compare it to older albums like Nimrod and Insomniac. Another thing: I'm torn with Tre's cymbals. Sometimes I feel like they aren't pronounced enough, and other times it sounds a bit like white noise. I don't know what's up with that. I suck at explaining audio quality, so sorry if I sound like a total airhead. :lol:

definitely get what you guys are saying. The mastering isn't a deal breaker for me though.

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4 hours ago, Hero_Of_The_Hour said:

It's not just audiophiles that care. It's annoying even on car stereo equipment. I feel in order to hear the vocals properly I have to turn songs up and down halfway through. It's crazy.

Yeah I'm the last person to be fussy about audio quality, I barely notice differences in it and will listen to the crappiest quality recordings, but when there's too big a difference between the 'quiet' parts of a song and the 'loud' parts (eg intro of Bang Bang and the rest of it) to the point you have to either change the volume while listening or have the quiet parts too quiet to hear or the loud parts too loud it's undeniably annoying.

I think if you tend to listen to music loudly it wouldn't be an issue, but for the sake of my neighbours and ears I don't, so I do find myself turning it up and down. Other than wishing those few bits were made louder I have no problem with how the album sounds though, I like the sound of the vocals and everything else.

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