Author Topic: Audiophile question on 'digitally remastered' versions of Death Row albums  (Read 1340 times)

DeeezNuuuts83

I've seen those DualDisc releases but never bought one

Have u get them? What's the sound like?
The only DualDisc I own is the Makaveli album, which out of the Death Row catalogue shows the most significant improvement, obviously because the Makaveli album released in its original form has never really mastered.  I've listened to the actual discs of both (the original release from 1996 and the DualDisc from however many years ago), and there's a clear difference.  But frankly I haven't listened to the actual disc in five or six years, I just ripped it into mp3.

I think on one of the older Pac forums (maybe MrMakaveli or one of those), Dante actually posted some diagrams with some readings that are supposed to dictate audio quality.  I didn't really understand it but I could kind of figure out the differences, as it showed side-by-side original records, remasters and DualDisc comparisons.
 

B.A.

When I buy old albums or replace old albums that might have gotten damaged I always buy the original pressing whenever possible just because I want to hear it the way it was intended to be heard, for better or worse. I wouldn't want to hear an old album remixed and remastered by someone less talented than the person who originally mixed and mastered it, specially cuz nowadays it's all about making shit sound as loud as possible, a lot of stuff is over compressed, sometimes distorted and lacks dynamics; older, more subtle mixes/masters sound better to me and it's how older albums used to be mixed and mastered.

They should re-release instead of remaster. Because the bottom line is that they are trying to sell more copies of that album so they slap the "Digitally Remastered" on it like it's soooo much better than the original. They should leave the original recordings as they are (unless there's a major fuckup somewhere of course) and instead change the art work, add some bonus tracks, add some videos with some behind the scenes footage, in the booklet they can add some behind the scene photos or talk a little bit about the process of how the album came to be, that would be worthy of a re-release and I wouldn't mind buying an album again if I'm a fan of it. If the only selling point is the "Digitally Remastered" logo on the cover, I stay away from it because a lot of times it just means they fucked up the mix. But that's just how I feel about "Digitally Remastered" re-issues.
"Lyrics aint nothin' if the beat aint crackin' and knees be smackin', that's why the G's keep stackin'" - DJ Quik