(OUTDATED) Watching Rainbows - The Ultimate Get Back Sessions Remaster (BETA RELEASE)

[iPanggo]

UPDATE 03/09/2023

Work resumed a few weeks ago, we just completed everything until the 26th Jan.
We're integrating as much multitrack as possible, including the Isn't It A Pity demo recorded the 26th morning (according to Peter Jackson, and us too)
Also, I took some extra time to bring the audio quality to the best ever on some bits like the Let It Be film, using some Ozone 10, Waves plugins and other stuff as well.

We expect to complete the audio by the end of the year, however the set itself is probably going to be released in early 2024, since we still need to work on the booklet, artwork and extras!

When you say you're integrating multitrack audio are you saying you're going to replace some of the nagra stuff with 8 track?

Yes, but I'm only gonna do that if the quality is clearly better than Nagra. I'll not integrate stuff such as the boardroom tape or short snippets.

[Golem]

I my opinon that's far better suited for a seperate set like NBS did, throwing out the nagra would not only be jarring, but it would ruin the point of archiving as you would be removing the nagra mix from the set. It's only my opinion I guess but I say leave the compositing for everyone else to do, this set should be a collection of the nagra tapes, which is what we desperately need, I don't want to have to find out what tracks you substituted just to get a complete collection.

[Jay]

I my opinon that's far better suited for a seperate set like NBS did, throwing out the nagra would not only be jarring, but it would ruin the point of archiving as you would be removing the nagra mix from the set. It's only my opinion I guess but I say leave the compositing for everyone else to do, this set should be a collection of the nagra tapes, which is what we desperately need, I don't want to have to find out what tracks you substituted just to get a complete collection.

I agree with every word.

[Patrick Healy]

I my opinon that's far better suited for a seperate set like NBS did, throwing out the nagra would not only be jarring, but it would ruin the point of archiving as you would be removing the nagra mix from the set. It's only my opinion I guess but I say leave the compositing for everyone else to do, this set should be a collection of the nagra tapes, which is what we desperately need, I don't want to have to find out what tracks you substituted just to get a complete collection.

Agree. It would definitely be nice to have all the 8-track stuff comprehensively collected as well but inserting it into Nagras will stop it being a definitive set.
Obviously even if you do include the 8-tracks you're then left with the question of which mix to include as the rooftop and 31st material is available in several mixes.
31st's The Long and Winding Road master take for example, even though it wasn't even used on the Spector album, has:
1970 mono (original Laserdisc/VHS Let It Be film),
1992 stereo (Furmanek restoration of Let It Be film),
1995 stereo (Anthology VHS/Laserdisc although might be 1992 duplicate if Furmanek was involved in both?),
2003 stereo (Naked/Anthology DVD although I'm not sure if Anthology mixes out Preston's incorrect note or Paul's humming during the keyboard solo like Naked does, if not that's technically two mixes),
2003 5.1 (Anthology DVD),
2015 stereo (1+ Blu-ray/DVD),
2015 5.1 (1+ Blu-ray/DVD),
2021 stereo (LIB box set).

So that's four, possibly five or six, stereo mixes excluding the mono mix and 5.1 isolations/fold-downs.
To be clear I can understand that you might think the 8-tracks are better because they're real stereo. And some people might agree with that view. But the problem is that by substituting the Nagras for the 8-tracks you're effectively taking the other choice, to have pure Nagra mixes, away because the Nagra mixes simply won't be included.
And even if someone did agree there's then obviously the question of which mixes to use which few people will agree on for every multitracked track.
My proposed solution? Keep the main set to pure Nagra and gather together all the multitrack mixes on a bonus volume. That way the Nagra purists get what they want and there's no debating over which other mix is correct because they're all there anyway.

[maccafan1]

Just caught up with this feed and WOW, seems fantastic work being done

[iPanggo]

Here's what me and the others think:
This set aims at 2 things: best audio quality and complete reconstruction.
And, since we're on our way to renumber everything, we need a proper reconstruction with every thing placed in the right order. This is why you need multitracks, at least in some places where there's no Nagra, such as Bathroom Window on the 21st, the Oldies medley on the 26th, the last Get Back take from the 23rd, Save The Last Dance from the 22nd, and of course Rooftop.

We're swapping Nagra with multitrack only when we have an audio upgrade and, most importantly, the multitrack is exactly equal to what was recorded (no extra overdubs or edits).
A/B Road was doing that, albeit in a very cluncky way, I'm being way more careful by adjusting volume imbalance and speed correcting. Also, we're mostly sticking around with "vintage" mixes such as the Glyn Johns compilations. In the booklet, we have the full tracklisting of every audio track, including the source for every single one, so you can see where multitrack was used.

This project is not a Nagra reconstruction, but it's a Get Back reconstruction (that's also why I changed the title), and if you don't like the inclusion of multitracks and you would have preferred the Nagra "mixes" (which are not proper mixes since it's pretty much bare bones audio ) that's fine! This project is simply not that.
If this is so desired, I'm sure someone can make audio patches to swap once this thing gets released. Honestly speaking, I'm way too busy to make another version of the set just to please more people, and even if I did, no one is gonna be satisfied in the end because of personal preferences.

That being said, thanks to everyone! Hope I clarified with this post.

[rfwood1]

Just caught up with this feed and WOW, seems fantastic work being done


I'm with you on this! I'm really interested in hearing the final, final product! Keep up this great work!

[bobzilla]

I'll not integrate stuff such as the boardroom tape or short snippets.

So are you saying the boardroom tape won't be in the set at all? It seems like if your goal is the complete Get Back Sessions, this happened during that time and should be included.

Just to put my two cents in about the Nagra/multi-track debate, I'm all for having it all in chronological order, regardless of source. As long as you note which is which in the booklet, it shouldn't matter.

Thanks for all the work your team has done!

[iPanggo]

I'll not integrate stuff such as the boardroom tape or short snippets.

So are you saying the boardroom tape won't be in the set at all? It seems like if your goal is the complete Get Back Sessions, this happened during that time and should be included.

Just to put my two cents in about the Nagra/multi-track debate, I'm all for having it all in chronological order, regardless of source. As long as you note which is which in the booklet, it shouldn't matter.

Thanks for all the work your team has done!

I feel like you probably misunderstood here. With "boardroom tape" I'm referring to the 1976 reunion recording that contains some multitrack playbacks, such as a Dig A Pony take and some oldies, which are already in the Nagras. The "lunchroom tape" (Roll 132A) of the 13th is obviously going to be included.

[steepien]

If this is so desired, I'm sure someone can make audio patches to swap once this thing gets released.

Do you mean someone else on your team? Or just someone else entirely? Because you guys have already done extensive work tracking down and remastering the best Nagra sources; somebody outside the team making patches would be easier said than done.