Mono? or Stereo? Or Both?

[congerz83]

Hello Brothers and Sisters

I'm back! Haven't spoken to my Ric brothers in a while. Was going through some major life changes. Hope all is well. Especially to Chris, Simer and Jps.

My question is..... with the release of stereo AND mono boxed sets, which one should I buy. Do I really need both?


- Rick

[beatlefreak]

Keep in mind, Rick, many of the mono masters are completely different mixes (sometimes even different takes) than their stereo counterparts. The mono mixes are not simply both stereo channels folded down to a single channel. The Beatles and George Martin spent the majority of mastering time on the mono mixes. Not nearly as much time was spent on the stereo mixes.

[congerz83]

S**T looks like I'm gonna need both!

[jdogric12]

Hey there Roosevelt! Great to see you again. I haven't seen you since MARF II, I think!

[brianeharmonjr]

Specs on the Stereo box:

-Dimensions: 12"x6"x3"


-Description:

Hard black glossy lift top with magnet clasp
CDs packaged in three panel digi-pak with digital mini documentaries
Remastered by Guy Massey, Steve Rooke, Sam Okell with Paul Hicks and Sean Magee


-Contains:

All 13 Studio remasters plus Past Masters (digi packaging with digital mini documentaries)

Please Please Me
With The Beatles
A Hard Day's Night
Beatles For Sale
Help!
Rubber Soul
Revolver
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Magical Mystery Tour
The Beatles
Yellow Submarine
Abbey Road
Let It Be
Past Masters

DVD of all 13 mini-documentaries (Running time: 40 minutes)

Specs on the Mono box:

-Dimensions: 5.75" x 5.38" x 2.63"

-Description:

·Hard white glossy slip box
·Limited edition
·CDs packaged as mini LP replicas (replica artwork, sleeves and gatefolds)
·Remastered by Paul Hicks, Sean Magee with Guy Massey and Steve Rooke

-Contains:

Original Mono version - 11 albums (12 discs)

+= mono mix CD debut

·Please Please Me
·With The Beatles
·A Hard Day's Night
·Beatles For Sale
·Help! (CD also includes original 1965 stereo mix)+
·Rubber Soul (CD also include original 1965 stereo mix)+
·Revolver+
·Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band+
·Magical Mystery Tour+
·The Beatles+
·Mono Masters (features all of the mono tracks that appeared on singles, EPs. or that never made it onto the 13 albums)

-Essay written by Kevin Howlett

*note: Yellow Submarine, Abbey Road and Let It Be are not included, as they were originally recorded in stereo

[congerz83]

Hi J-DOG!!!!

[sloop_john_b]

Yo! What's up Rick?

[brammy]

Whatever it was originally mixed in.

"Cause there's a difference between stereo and mono, obviously. If you mix something in mono, then you shouldn't try and fake it. You lose the guts of it, you know. A lot of them lost their...The fast version of "Revolution" was destroyed, you know. I mean, it was a heavy record and then they made it into a piece of ice cream." - John Lennon

[jps]

Hey Richard! Glad to know you're still around.

I guess your wallet will let you know if both are necessary; I suppose to truly be a Beatle-holic, both sets should be on your shelves, but is that worth the price of admission?

[FretlessOnly]

I suppose that now that I'm duly impressed by the mono set, I'm gonna have to get the stereo set. In the mono set, the greatest differences I've noted so far are:

1. Flange in Lennon's vocal on Lucy in the Sky...
2. Tempo and pitch of She's Leaving Home
3. Overall bass sound in the first four albums. In other words, it has beef! You could hear the bass before, but you couldn't really feel it. Please Please Me sounds like it was recorded last week with a bank of 15's on the bass. I Saw Her Standing There, in particular, really shines.
4. Lady Madonna really has opened up.
5. Hey Bulldog sounds fantastic on the Mono Masters CD #2. For some reason, the version on the 1999 re-master sounds over-driven and distorted. At least on my copy; no reason to suspect mine is any different. All of the other 1999 yellow sub tracks sound fine to me.

And to quote brammy quoting Lennon: "The fast version of "Revolution" was destroyed, you know. I mean, it was a heavy record and then they made it into a piece of ice cream." The Mono Masters version of Revolution is dirty and heavy as a box of lead. Lennon would dig this one for sure.

Some disappointments:

1. I really expected Paperback Writer and Rain (two of my all-time favorites, and just a brilliant period for me) to jump out of my speakers, but they didn't. A little extra wash on the vocals in the echo part of Paperback Writer, but nothing really new to me on Rain. They sound about the same to me. Maybe they were just done very well back in the day.
2. Well, that's it really. Lot's more to listen to. I'm saving Revolver (my favorite album of all time) for a rainy day. And we don't have too many rainy days here in Boston in September.

[Bosifis1]

John...

I'm getting my stereo mixes on Tuesday(That's what Amazon tells me). I can't wait for it.The monos sound interesting. Like all the others, I wished they were remixed. Revolver is my fav, too. How are you liking the weather? I'm on the Cape and lovin the fall air!!!(And lack of tourists...No offence to others...)

[FretlessOnly]

Hey Brian: Nice to know of a fellow Rick fan nearby. And I can totally sympathize about the tourist thing; the cape from Memorial Day - Labor Day is a total mess. Just be wary of the leafers, don't you know!

Enjoy the stereo mixes. The mono remasters sound fantastic, to be sure. I may pick up the Abbey Road stereo remaster, as I already have the 1999 Yellow Submarine remaster, and the Let it Be album is enough of a train-wreck for me to avoid it. I have the "naked" CD along with a British pressing of the original LP, so that's sufficient.

Currently listening to Think for Yourself from the mono box set, and it sounds just so terribly fantastic. Kudos to all involved!

[revolver323]

I bought AHDN and Rubber Soul in stereo. RS sounds better to me, but perhaps the recording techniques had ben upgraded by then. What I find disconcerting about AHDN in stereo as opposed to mono is the placement of the instruments. For example, on "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You," a conga drum is placed center, and when it comes in, it overwhelms the rhythm track on the left. And I hate having vocals on one side and rhythm on the other. But I don't hate it enough to spend $250 on the mono boxed set. I was impressed with how much better the vocals and bass sound on RS, though.

[JakeK]

Hey Brian: Nice to know of a fellow Rick fan nearby. And I can totally sympathize about the tourist thing; the cape from Memorial Day - Labor Day is a total mess. Just be wary of the leafers, don't you know!

Enjoy the stereo mixes. The mono remasters sound fantastic, to be sure. I may pick up the Abbey Road stereo remaster, as I already have the 1999 Yellow Submarine remaster, and the Let it Be album is enough of a train-wreck for me to avoid it. I have the "naked" CD along with a British pressing of the original LP, so that's sufficient.

Currently listening to Think for Yourself from the mono box set, and it sounds just so terribly fantastic. Kudos to all involved!

John, can you tell me what the stereo mixes of "Help!" and "Rubber Soul" are like on the mono set?

[kenposurf]

Bought the mono box today and have the stereo box coming via fleabay...broke now but happy