AC/DC Remastered

I was thinking on getting them.....Is the quality much better?

 

Here's a link to the previous AC/DC remasters thread:

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=97122&highlight=AC%2FDC

Here are a few other links discussing mastering of AC/DC discs:

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=111798&highlight=AC%2FDC

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=106039&highlight=AC%2FDC

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=105769&highlight=AC%2FDC

That's just from a small search. Sorry I don't know how to shorten the links.

Hope that helps.

 

Thanx ....I tried to find a thred on this...but sometimes it like trying to find a needle in a hay stack.

 

Yeah,Get em now!Shred yer speakers!

 

I keep hearing that the Ted Jensen mastered Back In Black is highly recommended in these parts, by Steve H. I think it sounds awesome. You still have the option of the original Barry Diament CD's which were from the original masters, and not compressed or maximized.

 

Really? And you're from around here?

 

Well, It's true, isn't it???

I know. Not many posts. Been around since the early DCC forum.

 

Nah, not really. The general consensus - as far as I have been able to gather - is that the original Atlantics, including the Barry Diament masterings, are the preferred versions.

Consider: Barry had the original masters of Back In Black at his disposal and transferred them unfutzed-with to digital. What more can you want?

 

Sadly, Barry's fantastic mastering was compromised along the way somewhere when they created the digital production masters for every country. The only CD's that I've heard to escape this atrocity are the 32XD and 20P2 Japanese 1st and 2nd pressings and yes I'm including the Australian Albert masterings.

 

Wow...guess those Japanese issues are gonna be some $$$

IMHO, The original Austrlalian Albert Back In Black CD sounds *really* strange...

 

The 20P2 shouldn't set you back too much....
It isn't the first pressing and was part of the Forever Young series (a budget series) that used the first pressing mastering....

Play your cards right...it'll show up....and not for that much either!

 

If you're after the 32XD's... count on it.

 

I guess the 32XD's are the Warner/Pioneer, and 20P's are the MMG pressings?

 

I have 20P2 pressings that are still only labeled WB's and with AC/DC they state Atlantic/Warner.

 

So true, I have A/B'd the Aussie and Japanese pressings of High Voltage and the Aussie CDs have been EQ'd to make the guitars slightly more forward/louder in the mix. The Japanese CDs are as close as I have ever heard to the original Albert's vinyl. Seek them out, they are great!

 

The 20P2 "Forever Young" series overlapped the Warner/Pionner (up until 1989) and WEA Japan (1989-1992) years. For many titles, the first pressing has the Warner-Pioneer logo in the spine area of the obi strip and the later ones have the WEA logo.

 

Hi Dave,

There must be at least some that reflect my masters.
While I no longer have copies of them, I do distinctly remember hearing them when they came out. And at the time, I made the clones for the various plants myself.

Best regards,
Barry
www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
www.barrrydiamentaudio.com

 

Hi Barry, sadly it's true my friend. I've heard Aussie, USA, Canadian, France, and W. Germany original pressings and the 2 Japanese CD's I've mentioned of both Highway To Hell and Back In Black except the 32XD of BIB. These are the only ones that represent what I know your mastering sounds like.

All others, all AC/DC albums on CD included, are as Linus describes with the bass and treble sounding more forward and unnecessarily in your face to the point of pain when turned up. The Japanese sound much much more relaxed with everything sounding much more defined and not hard and artificial.

 

Hi Dave,

I don't have an explanation but I do remember US pressings of "Back in Black" and "For Those About To Rock" that reflected my mastering without further alterations. I used to have copies of these on my shelf. I guess they went out of print but they did exist and I'm sure there must be some still around...somewhere.

Wouldn't mind having these again.

Even better, I'd love to record those guys myself... in the Soundkeeper way - direct to stereo, playing for real, without overdubs, no compression, let it rock!

Best regards,
Barry
www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
www.barrydiamentaudio.com

 

So are you saying someone screwed around with Barry's mastering after it left his hands? I have original US Atlantic CDs of Highway To Hell (19244-2) and Back In Black (16018-2) and they don't sound painful at all - they rock like they're supposed to

BTW, what other AC/DC CDs did Barry work on?

 

Thanks, Barry

Let's not forget that Dave's opinion - while certainly as valid as anyone's - is just that. An opinion like any others' here

 

Hi John,

It sounds to me like Dave may have discovered something I didn't know about. It certainly doesn't seem so outlandish to me that somewhere along the line someone made a decision to "improve" things.

My only point was that I have held CDs in my hands that did reflect my mastering so I would suspect some copies exist out there somewhere.

Best regards,
Barry
www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
www.barrydiamentaudio.com

 

Barry,

I don't want to deepen this thing. But I do wish to go on record that my copy of the original Atlantic pressing of Back In Black sounds GREAT to me. No "in-your-faceness" "forwardness" and "pain" on this one. In my opinion, natch

Thanks again for your work

Aside: any idea who did the original Highway To Hell at Atlantic?

 

Thanks John,

Sounds to me like you have one of the real originals of "Back In Black". I remember that one really kicking too. Wish I had one.

I'm not sure who did "Highway To Hell". I'd guess Joe Sidore out at Warner in LA but that's just a guess. For all I know, I did it but don't remember. I'd have to hear it to have a real shot at knowing. Before the CD days, when the vinyl came out, that was the first I'd ever heard of AC/DC.

My best memory of their music is hearing George Piros working on the vinyl, through the closed, double, "soundproof" doors or his mastering room as I stood outside of it. I entered and saw George, who was getting close to retirement, hunched over the microscope examining the groove as he cut it. All this while AC/DC was peeling the paint off the walls. George was not in the habit of listening that loudly to anything. I guess he was just playing it back the way it was meant to be played. ;-}

Best regards,
Barry
www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
www.barrydiamentaudio.com

 

Hmm...I thought Barry did that one...could be wrong.