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  1. 13-03-2014  #1

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    Question Led Zeppelin 2014/15 Remasters -- THOUGHTS?

    Any lovers of Classic Rock here think that the new remasters will be any good?

    I've been following this news since it was first reported in 2012, but I still have my doubts about how the newly-remastered mixes will turn out. The only benefit of the doubt that I'm giving these new reissues is that Jimmy Page initially saw them being released last year, so I'm hoping this implies that he's taken a more audiophile-like perspective on the catalog for these reissues.

    The albums were listed in search results on Amazon's UK page yesterday, but were soon removed after Led Zeppelin fanatics (like me) starting spreading the news before an official press release could be made. I'm not some basic fan that only relies on U.S.-published news, so I was just eager in general to see them begin getting listed at all. :p

    Still, I'm on the fence. I've heard 2008's Japanese-imported remasters, and the mixing is too damn cold. The 2008 issues are also only slight decible tweaks of the early '90s remasters that I've also stayed away from, because multiple people have said that the channels of some songs from those '90s releases were reversed (how no one in the studio notices that, I have no damn clue).

    That's why I only listen to the first CD master releases that were made in the 1980's, because they copy the same warm, analog sound that the original vinyl pressings have, and all of the song's channels remain in their original positions. Those '80s CDs only had SLIGHT signal processing done to them, and that's why they're the most-preferred amongst fans. My only hope is that Page has kept this in mind for when these new remasters are released worldwide on JUNE 2, because the trick to remastering is not only using the original master tapes, but also using as little signal processing as possible to keep the original sound intact.


    What are your predictions, guys? Rock 'em out below, I'll give 'em a read.
    \m/ -_- \m/
    Last edited by Tyler; 03-05-2014 at 21:50.

  2. 03-05-2014  #2

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    I hope they didn't mess these up. If these are going to have a 24-bit release (on HDtracks or some other store), we will be able to truly appreciate the work done on the remasters. Fingers crossed!

  3. 03-05-2014  #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by wizfrikiman View Post
    I hope they didn't mess these up. If these are going to have a 24-bit release (on HDtracks or some other store), we will be able to truly appreciate the work done on the remasters. Fingers crossed!
    The rumor going around is that the catalog is being remastered from new and direct digital copies of the analog master tapes, and NOT the tape source copies that have been played 20-30 times that were used to make the previous reissues. If this is true, then these remasters should be promising. :D

    As for HDtracks, I'm hesitant. It wasn't too long ago where I was trying to find a lossless CD-ripped copy of Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" that comes the closest to having the sound the original vinyl pressings did. I was downloading every release from every country possible to see which copy had that certain sound (it was the West German version because it had the original mix and mastering, but that's besides the point). :p When I found out about HDtracks, I downloaded their lossless copy of "Rumours" and compared it with the West German version.

    Although the HDtracks copy didn't leave the album sounding forward, the mixes of the songs were a pinch on the bright side, and it left the sound boxy, meaning it was like the sound was trapped in a box. Whether or not HDtracks does this mixing process to all of the albums they receive, I'm not sure, but if they ever offer these new remasters on their website, I'll be comparing their lossless copies to my Diament/Sidore ones, and we'll go from there.

    \m/ -_- \m/

  4. 04-05-2014  #4

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    As far as I'm concerned, HDtracks does not touch the files they receive at all. They're just sellers.

  5. 04-05-2014  #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by wizfrikiman View Post
    As far as I'm concerned, HDtracks does not touch the files they receive at all. They're just sellers.
    The only real problem buyers have is that they have no idea which album release HDtracks is sourcing when they encode it in high resolution. I'll go back to "Rumours" for my example. On the original release of the album, the track "Gold Dust Woman" fades up, while the later reissued/remastered versions of the album have the song open with a cold start.

    HDtracks' version of the song has a cold start, meaning they sourced from a reissued version of the album, and not the original release.

    That's why I don't keep "mastered" albums from HDtracks in my external hard drive. There's just too much discrepancy and hesitancy.



    I'm not chewing you out, just trying to keep you and everyone else informed. :D

  6. 16-05-2014  #6

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    New Jimmy Page interview regarding the reissues. http://www.musicradar.com/news/guita...ssues-600187/1

  7. 16-05-2014  #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by wizfrikiman View Post
    New Jimmy Page interview regarding the reissues. http://www.musicradar.com/news/guita...ssues-600187/1
    I read it yesterday, but I thought it was one of the best articles covering the remasters project and release, to be honest.

    Also, as a Led Zeppelin fan, I am 100% happy and relieved that Page is finally speaking out against Plant's reunion bullshit talk that he's been doing for decades, especially the fact that he called Plant out on the line of shit he said during his Australian 60 Minutes interview (skip to 13:43).



    As fans, we know Page, Jones, and Jason would love to do reunion shows/tours as Led Zeppelin again, or at the very least remain open-minded to the idea like they have for so long. I truly commend them for that amount of dedication to their music and their fanbase, because it's not an easy thing for former band members to do after having so much success.

    I've waited SO long for at least one of the three other guys to point the finger at him, so whether or not Robert Plant ever agrees to another reunion performance, or even admits to the games he's been playing, I'm happy that Page said what he said.

  8. 03-06-2014  #8

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    Well, my weigh-in is finally here...

    As I've stated up to this point, the only versions of the Led Zeppelin albums that were deemed with the highest quality sound, range and natural projection to them, both by myself and other diehard listeners, were the CDs mastered by Barry Diament and Joe Sidore in the early to mid '80s. However, a major factor in those high praises from audiophiles has been because of the reviews of later remasters that have been released in decades past, both in terms of mastering processes and the multitude of variation between pressings. Essentially, until the release of these HD remasters, we had been unknowingly settling for what we deemed to be the best sound, and not what the actual sound should have been, though we never knew.

    The emphasis on those CDs has always been the warm, analog sound, thus giving a high listening experience. This was due to the fact that when the albums were first mastered for CD, the master tapes were not used. They were instead sourced from previous vinyl releases, hence the vinyl-like quality to them. Because of this, it was more difficult to hear John Paul Jones' bass guitar since the CDs had bass-like sheeted sound on them due to vinyl's dynamics limitations. We no longer have to deal with this because of the reissues' tighter grip. So, in comparison of those early CDs to the 2014 reissues, it's no contest. The 2014 reissues are the best editions by a landslide.

    What's most noticeable on the first three albums of this extensive reissue project is that there is new life breathed into John Bonham's drum tracks, giving a sincere and distinct quality unheard before. But here's the kicker: the newly-enhanced drum tapes do not overtake any of the songs' remastered mixes. Every song now has a more harmonious and balanced punch than what we've previously heard on past releases. The resonance of the analog master tapes is still present in the reissues, yet thankfully not overpowering for the sake of this enhanced sound and modernized quality. Jimmy Page's guitar presence now has more depth than what we've been accustomed to hearing, giving off a more rich experience. All of these elements are now completed by Robert Plant's newly-spacious vocals resulting in an entirely different listening experience for both Led Zeppelin fans and audiophiles alike.

    ****************************************

    As a treat to all of you, I've uploaded all three of the reissued 2CD Deluxe Edition albums in FLAC-HD for you to enjoy, straight off the HD download cards from each respective album package. Each album download is at least 1.6GB in size, and comes with a high-res photo of the reissued album art. I've tagged all songs by hand to include precise metadata, including punctuation and composer citation. All songs are also tagged with a comment section, in which I've included each album's record label and catalog release number information. Just click any of the album's artwork, and you'll be brought straight to its download page. I've also directly provided each album's label and catalog number below the artwork in this post so you can see which FLAC-HD edition was sourced. YOU'RE WELCOME. ;)

    ****************************************


    Label: Atlantic/Warner Music Group
    Catalog #: 8122796457



    Label: Atlantic/Warner Music Group
    Catalog #: 8122796453



    Label: Atlantic/Warner Music Group
    Catalog #: 8122796449

    ****************************************



    ENJOY!! :D
    Last edited by Tyler; 02-08-2015 at 19:06.

  9. 03-06-2014  #9

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    Great stuff Tyler, thanks for these. I'm a huge Zep fan, and they're a major part of why I got into the guitar industry.

    I'm a little curious though... I wonder what's up with the noise spike at 29Khz. Where did it come from? I wonder if it's something added from the mixing console, cause I don't think the source tapes would contain frequencies that high.

  10. 03-06-2014  #10

    Mega Producer

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    Thank you Tyler, have you compared them to the "Mastered for iTunes" versions?

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