Lars Ulrich - Death Magnetic Sound Quality
It’s been reported that Lars Ulrich has broken the band’s silence on the sound quality issues with Death Magnetic. Here’s a quote apparently from an interview with Blender Magazine:
“Listen, there’s nothing up with the audio quality. It’s 2008, and that’s how we make records. [Producer] Rick Rubin’s whole thing is to try and get it to sound lively, to get it to sound loud, to get it to sound exciting, to get it to jump out of the speakers. Of course, I’ve heard that there are a few people complaining. But I’ve been listening to it the last couple of days in my car, and it sounds fuckin’ smokin’.”
Wow. 12000 people have signed the petition so far, and public expression of dissatisfaction is phenomenol. Additionally, anyone who knows anything about engineering/mixing/mastering only has to listen to a few moments of selected passages throughout the album to know it’s awful, and the noises coming out of the speakers are what the technical audio production industry trains to avoid.
That said, it’s Metallicas party and if they like clipping and digi-stortion, what are you gonna do? In their corner, the strongest writing they’ve done in 15+ years and millions on millions of album sales, No. 1 chart positions world-wide. In the soung quality seeker’s corner? 12000 signatures and the blogosphere happy to keep the dream of a remix alive. Despite the “should” aspect of this, I can’t say it looks hopeful that anything will ever come of it. Except an interesting movement that might have taken hold…the listener havin g a bigger impact on the final product, the demand to be able to mix tracks as the final listener, the knowledge that as a buying public, we’re getting more critical, and demanding better from the pro’s. And hopefully a little knowledge about the loudness problem, and a decided shift in demand for louder and louder music.
Comments
Mackie HR824’s playing this CD make it sound like something nobody should be selling either in the first place or in cheesed out responses that sound like some damage control consultant “developed” the response to legitimate compliants. Great playing Metallica - amateur recording and mixing/mastering. Huge mistake all around…if this is the new Metallica standard, hang it up dudes or get some new pals helping you. Who went to the deny and deny vigorously charm school?
Love the album but glad to know that its not only me who thinks the sound quality is rubbish. Having invested 20 grand in quality audio gear, let me tell you when you amplify a crap source you get loud crap.
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