Rubber Soul (2024) (EP) (Remix)

[Tex]

I'll never accuse Giles Martin of having good mixing tastes so any tweaks are welcome. Thanks!

It's shame you can't remove that extra layer of fogginess/wooliness he now applies to the whole sound-stage. I guess that's somewhat better than his previous method where each element has it's own reverb layer and it made everything sounded disconnected and out of sync. But, Abbey Road is a premier studio so who am I to critique I'm just a dinosaur in a room with a cheap PC.

[Bombers_1969]

I'll never accuse Giles Martin of having good mixing tastes so any tweaks are welcome. Thanks!

It's shame you can't remove that extra layer of fogginess/wooliness he now applies to the whole sound-stage. I guess that's somewhat better than his previous mixes where each element has it's own reverb layer and it made everything sounded disconnected and out of sync. But, Abbey Road is a premier studio so who am I to critique I'm just a dinosaur in a room with a cheap PC. - LOL!

I think the convenience of MAL contributes to these unbalanced mixes. Would love an official remix of Rubber Soul which doesn't use MAL - only the original 4 tracks, etc. This would better maintain the legacy nature of the remixes.

Bombers_69

[Tex]

Giles added a dense dark reverb to the snare on "If I Needed Someone" which drives me batty. You are correct, if not for the MAL separation they would have left it alone. Notice also they killed the cymbal stride.

The 2023 remix and the 1986 remix synchronize so well you could actually swap out the drum tracks. I did it myself it works extremely well.

[Tex]

I think the convenience of MAL contributes to these unbalanced mixes. Would love an official remix of Rubber Soul which doesn't use MAL - only the original 4 tracks, etc. This would better maintain the legacy nature of the remixes.

The team for some reason likes to single out a certain element and exaggerate or emphasize it. It started with spectrally isolating and raising the kick drum in 2015. Sure some isolated things could be adjusted like 2 decibels but just moving it around the sound-stage makes it more obvious I don't need it goosed 4 or 6 decibels. The original balances Norman Smith got were mostly spot on. If us remixers exaggerate something it probably needed it.

Carry on...

[Bombers_1969]

Giles added a dense dark reverb to the snare on "If I Needed Someone" which drives me batty.

The 2023 remix and the 1986 remix synchronize so well you could actually swap out the drum tracks. I did it myself it works extremely well.

Funny you should mention the 1986 remixes. I just completed a Rubber Soul remix of the entire album using the Red Album ones in this thread and the 1986 remixes from the 24/44.1 USB Apple, centering the vocals & narrowing the panning by 10%. Works much better than expected!

[Tex]

I know many here hate the 1986 digital remixes but they spectrally de-mix and de-verb extremely well which is why I use them in my remixes.

I have trouble listening to the 1965 stereo master because of all the tape wobble and dropouts. It sounds like an old cassette to me.

[Bombers_1969]

I think the convenience of MAL contributes to these unbalanced mixes. Would love an official remix of Rubber Soul which doesn't use MAL - only the original 4 tracks, etc. This would better maintain the legacy nature of the remixes.

The team for some reason likes to single out a certain element and exaggerate or emphasize it. It started with spectrally isolating and raising the kick drum in 2015. Sure some isolated things could be adjusted like 2 decibels but just moving it around the sound-stage makes it more obvious I don't need it goosed 4 or 6 decibels. The original balances Norman Smith got were mostly spot on. If us remixers exaggerate something it probably needed it.

Carry on...

Totally agree! 2 decibels is usually enough ... no need to boost 4db or higher.

[Bombers_1969]

I know many here hate the 1986 digital remixes but they spectrally de-mix and de-verb extremely well which is why I use them in my remixes.

I have trouble listening to the 1965 stereo master because of all the tape wobble and dropouts. It sounds like an old cassette to me.

Yes, the 1986 remixes get a bad rap, much more than they deserve. However, the 1965 mixes are so ingrained in my memory that I still love them (except for Nowhere Man)! Hard to believe George Martin let this one slide! From what I've read, Lennon & McCartney were after an ultra treble mix which went way over the top.

[yymca6]

I know many here hate the 1986 digital remixes but they spectrally de-mix and de-verb extremely well which is why I use them in my remixes.

I have trouble listening to the 1965 stereo master because of all the tape wobble and dropouts. It sounds like an old cassette to me.

Yes, the 1986 remixes get a bad rap, much more than they deserve. However, the 1965 mixes are so ingrained in my memory that I still love them (except for Nowhere Man)! Hard to believe George Martin let this one slide! From what I've read, Lennon & McCartney were after an ultra treble mix which went way over the top.

I totally agree with you on the 1965 mix. BTW I still listen a lot to my Disque Americ CD and its CINRAM equivalent. But you did a pretty good job on these songs in your EP. Apart from Nowhere Man what points out is the Girl remaster. I am so used to listen to the original very panned mix, yours is very interesting.

[greenfrog12]

Great job, thanks.