Metamatic Forums John Foxx John Foxx remastered or not ? :-o

Spot on!!

I think we need say no more.

I'm not employed as a sound engineer but I'm 31 years old, have excellent hearing and have been playing about with tape recorders, synthesizers, drum machines and computer audio editing equipment since I was very young.
Anyone who has seen my fully restored Roland CR-78 would be able to see my great attention to detail

I love Metamatic and know all versions of it intimately. In a nutshell, the old 'Edsel' re-issue is plagued with unmistakable master tape drop-out, particularly on "He's a Liquid"

After a while, you get used to it, so therefore it was a pleasant surprise NOT to hear it on the new CD

There was also some kind of weird noise reduction used on the old Edsel release, the volume level of tape hiss seems to vary in-line with the source material, like some kind of automatic noise reduction system had been implemented. When listening through headphones, the effect is rather bizzare, a bit like the Automatic Level Control you used to get on old, cheap cassette recorders!

Thankfully, that too is gone on the new release! Yes, the hiss is still there but it's constant and with no attempt made to remove it - this is a GOOD thing, with a recording of this age I would rather hear the vintage tape hiss, rather than A) Try to remove it with a heavy hand and loose a fair amount of 'top end'. B) Use a Digital Noise reduction technique causing unavoidable odd effects like those described above.

I've played it a number of times now, with and without headphones and I'm pretty convinced that a different (better) source master tape has been used for this release. Considering the recording was made in a very small studio circa 1979/80, I doubt much can be done to improve the sound over this new version, which is simply brilliant!

In my humble opinion, the guy that is moaning about the new CD is wrong....

Thank you John, you have done us proud and I simply cannot wait for the Garden........

I'm also over the moon with the new remastered Metamatic. Back in 1980 I was happy with the vinyl as well, not knowing any different. I don't sit and listen to every imperfection. I've better things to do.
I'm pleased that John as re-released Metamatic and I'm also eager for The Garden.

Peter

yes indeed - very well said & explained , dave r. ! :-)

What impresses me most about the sound quality of the new release is that, perhaps for the first time, we are now hearing Metamatic as its creator intended?

It's unfortunate to see this degenerated into a typical online tirade against freedom of speech. If anyone actually read the thread in detail on the New Wave Outpost, they would see that in no way do I suggest that people should avoid this release, more so than comment on the "remastering". I have recently provided screen shots in that thread for our little torch carrying guy who started this thread, in an attempt to illustrate my point.

And for the record, I am a freelance sound engineer, having remastered several currently in-print CD's. When I say "remastered", I mean I would spend hours on one song, with a full remaster taking weeks at times.

In the 90's the the term "digitally remastered" meant going back to the best generation master tape available, and enhancing/improving the sound quality. Nowadays, the term means nothing more that "the music is now on CD". Speaking from experience, many companies will simply "remaster" from previously released CD's. The reason is restoring and transfering tapes can be quite costly. And while I have been put in this situation with projects that I've worked on for release, I always remaster the material completely. If Metamatic were my project, and tapes were not to be used, I would have started with the old Virgin CD because it is an excellent starting point. Please note the term "starting point" because the processing would begin from that source. It is a flat transfer of the masters with no processing added. The Edsel release from years back was a very novice job, and much of that is what was used for the current CD release. I mean no disrespect to John, Robin or anyone reading, but this just didn't live up to my (admittedly audiophile) expectations. This is my observation, nothing more.

Scott

I think that's a fair point well made.

This forum is all about freedom of expression and open discussion. All opinions are welcome, particularly when expressed in this eloquent and well-considered manner.

Thanks for posting Scott.

The very reason I stated on this thread yesterday that this was a 'storm in a tea cup', was because I knew you had a point about the limited amount of improvement that was made to this lastest release. Everyones opinion is right to a degree, yes it was remastered but yes it could have been better.

Please see my post at EV yesterday before this thread started at Metamatic, it mirrors your thoughts too.

http://www.ultravox.org.uk/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000540;p=1#000019

Anyway now your here on the forum we hope you decide to stay, as balanced views are always welcome.

sorry fellows , but i'm indeed well pissed off by now ! *grim*

what a load of bullshit ! *grim*

FACT is that we are discussing it now , but FACT is also that nobody has ANY right to LIE through his teeth like this person did with all his claims , "explanations" & wanna-be "proofs" ! :-/

i've already answered him over in the other forum & for me he's jus' one of those wiseacres , who pester other people with their overzealous & utterly ridiculous nonsense , which i highly dislike ! :-/
read my reply to him & his "proofs" here @ http://www.nwoutpost.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=20502 , if u like !

well ... that may be true in other cases but DEFINITELY NOT in the case of the new "metamatic" remaster !

fyi : if the new "metamatic" version would have indeed been made of the same previously released cd by edsel ( which this person seems to believe ) then it would also sound like it , which is CLEARLY NOT the case , as dave r.'s reply here already proves WITHOUT A DOUBT !

that's actually the ONLY thing i agree on !

anyway ... for me it's jus' A FACT that both edsel re-releases are made from the same source material - i. e. the ( original or @ least still available ) master tapes - plain & simple as that !

"nothing more" , eh ? :-o

jus' read what the same person wrote over in the other forum before he paddled back here like a spineless sissy ! *grumble*

scott a.k.a. rubellan wrote : "I just got the Metamatic 2CD set, and I can tell you it has NOT been remastered, as previously claimed. It is just a transfer of the previous CD reissue with a few unreleased tracks added."

how does that sound to u then !?

however ... there are only two options & absoluetly NO space for other "interpretations" now : either this scott person is right & it's indeed NOT a remaster , which i highly doubt for reasons that i've already explained over in the other forum ... or rob harris & all the people involved in the production of the new version of "metamatic" aren't telling us the truth & want to make us fans believe that it's a remaster , while it's not , which i actually don't even dare to think for real , as this would make me furious as hell , if it should be true then ! >:-O

therefore i must demand a clear word from rob harris in this case here as soon as possible to clarifiy things ONCE & FOR ALL now !

'nuff said indeed for me !