How can an audio engineer take a thirty-forty year old song that was recorded on analog tape? How is the data extracted and processed?
In: 42
Regardless of whether they have the separated tracks (instruments and effects) or just the final print, the remaster is applying modern mixing and mastering techniques, such as new methods of equalization (boosting/cutting frequencies) compression, saturation (distortion/amps/etc), effects (reverb, echo etc), to make the music sound comparable to today’s mixing standards.
This mostly means adding clarity of instruments through adding careful distortion (yes, really), and making things louder and “pop” more and, generally, more bass.
The mixing standards of today are not just about quality but about taste. This explains why certain eras of “remasters” are especially terrible and much worse than the originals. I’m looking at you, early-mid 2000s.
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