An Insight Into BROTHERS IN ARMS

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Amp_Nut
Inventar

#1 erstellt: 21. Jul 2009, 03:22

There have been a couple of posts on the Yahoo tnt audio adicts forum that I thpough would be of interest to many here.

I am simply reproducing a couple of posts in the order that they were sent :

HM

The remastered Dire Straits Brothers in Arms doesnt make my speakers sing, they rather tend to boom - is nothing else but a compressed copy of the 1985 original.
> If you compare track 6 Ride Across The River, it starts with a flute - and there is a hissing noise below the flute (allthough its a DDD)that increases after some seconds. This indicates that the original level was manipulated at the mixing desk.

Steve Wilkins

The history of Brothers is a little bit chequered in the early part of its history( I was working at Polygram HQ studios at the time) -

This is what I can fuzzily remember -

The original multitrack was made on a early Sony PCM 3324, I do not know what it was downmixed to but I seem to remember the editing for the digital master after mix down was done by HHB.( !!)

The first 10k CD pressings had the channels reversed the disc was then corrected with more bass added as well( at the request of the band), as far as I know the vinyl was always correct with regard to channel allocation.

How the bass was increased digitally at the time( the disc is marked DDD) is a bit of a mystery, there were not any digital eq desks or dsp effect modules capable at the time except for one prototype at Decca.

My suspicion is that the two track master was eqd in the analog domain and then converted to digital again, so DDD as stated on the disc is probably incorrect.

The XRCD copy says it was made from the original analog master tape which I doubt( since it was a digital master), normally for Japan a Sony PCM F1 or 1610 copy would be sent for local remastering rather than a analog one

It does not sound very good I agree !

I believe the hiss is not in the flute channel but from a Yamaha synth used for the steel drums at the intro.

Arj
Inventar

#2 erstellt: 21. Jul 2009, 05:20

Thanks for the Post AN..it is interesting.
my version's recording (I think it is a US recording) is also not very good. it is "thin" must be the Un-"remastered" recording which was "corrected" by remastering and adding the bass ..

will listen to it tonight and check out track 6

BTW from what i understand the LP is very good..

[Beitrag von Arj am 21. Jul 2009, 05:27 bearbeitet]

ani
Stammgast

#3 erstellt: 21. Jul 2009, 06:24

Hi,

nice information AN, I had and still have the 1986 indian LP which sounds better than the CD's even today. I remember going to a friends friends place to listen to Compact disk and he played the DDD album Bros in Arms, I came back wondering how quite the opening passage of Ride across the river sounded, no ticks and pops of old vinyl. A lot had to be said about the overall sound of that album on CD, was too young to say "Hey the LP sounded better"

Amp_Nut
Inventar

#4 erstellt: 21. Jul 2009, 08:19

I 'enjoyed' reading the truth about the srew ups ( Channels REVERSED !! ) on the original CD ! geez

Sadly, I have the XRCD with its Digital To Analog + Bass Bloat and then Back to Digital

Musically too, I prefer their " Love Of Gold" which also has some Huge dynamics...

[Beitrag von Amp_Nut am 21. Jul 2009, 08:21 bearbeitet]

Arj
Inventar

#5 erstellt: 21. Jul 2009, 10:16

even "Dire Straits" has a good recording..

Roger66
Stammgast

#6 erstellt: 21. Jul 2009, 13:22

Interesting facts about classic albums ...

The last dire straits disc I added to my collection was "making movies". I'm rather disappointed about the sound quality of this album. On the cover is pointed out, that it was digitally remastered, what ever that means. It's totally flat, there's no bass at all ... Love over gold, Brothers in arms and On every street IMO have a much better sound.

[Beitrag von Roger66 am 21. Jul 2009, 13:22 bearbeitet]

bhagwan69
Inventar

#7 erstellt: 21. Jul 2009, 18:17

Musically very happy.
Some recordings could be better;
However, when I am in an 'audiophile' mood, I pass those CD's by.
Overall, it is great fun....

ani
Stammgast

#8 erstellt: 22. Jul 2009, 05:03

DS and MK recordings cannot be said to be audiophile or rock/pop, they are good productions but earlier ones were done within a tight budget. Regarding lean sounding remasters of DS albums, even the original LP's are lean, so one need not complain the digital remasters alone

At the same time the playback sytem too playes a major role in how they sound.

Mark Knopfler solo recordings are better but each and every album has varying levels of acoustic string bass recordings. If I borrow Bhagwan's words, one may have to skip them when in audiophile mood.

I love their musc and have all their cd's and Lp's including the complilations

[Beitrag von ani am 22. Jul 2009, 05:07 bearbeitet]

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