Anand, You have hit the nail on the head when it comes to multi layering. I did refer to specific sections of the soundtrack that had fewer layers that sounded crystal clear in my earlier mail to highlight this point. I think there are a few members who do not like the 'busy' flavor of the album which is perfectly justified.
Also for my untrained ear, it feels that AR moved away from the "Treble rich" digital sound of the 90s towards a more warm, bass friendly "analogish" sound in the 2000s. For example you do not hear the "sound" of En Swaasa Katrea or Kabhi Na Kabhi any more. There have been several posts on this forum lamenting that AR does not make music like he used to before. Now, a decade is a long time when it comes to technology, AR overhauled his studio equipment too and more importantly he always strives to innovate. Plus his programmers have been changing and they do contribute to the sound. Sometimes these changes may be to our personal preference aand sometimes they are not. I personally was not fully appreciative of his sound in the early 2000s including Yuva and right up to Rang De Basanti especially with his Rhythm section. It all changed for me with the vibrant and youthful guitar strumming of Kabhi Kabhi Aditi. >From the promos of Blue, one gets an impression that they are positioning this >film as a sophisticated and slick thriller. I think Blue spent a lot of time >in "Post production" if one can borrow that phrase and the umpteen vocoder >effects and distorted guitar sounds point in that direction. There are very >few sections of the soundtrack (Yaar Mila Tha) that are not heavily made up >and tweaked. Given the fact that this is AR's first release post academy awards and from his own rare liner notes about expectations, I'd find it extremely hard to imagine that AR would let shoddy and inferior recordings pass muster. If the sound is not likable that is another story... :-) :-) PV ________________________________ From: Anand Bharathan <an...@tmh.ae> To: arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, September 13, 2009 8:09:25 AM Subject: RE: [arr] Re: 'Blue' Sound/Audio Quality - "Dissapointed" Arun, I don’t post much but could not help here after noticing a slight unpleasantness in the tone of your mail. You are sounding as if ARR is doomed in the future if he does not take care of this sound aspect. I personally feel ARR is completely aware of what he and his team of sound engineers are doing because we know him to be that kind of person – a perfectionist to the core. And I think he has enormous clout with the production companies that all he has to do is just talk with them if he feels they are messing up with his music. I agree about the loudness (could be because of these so called loudness wars) and a lot of times where the orchestration is not clear but probably that is due to the massive amount of layering and the instrumentation he does than to do with any shortcomings on the part of his team or the mastering company. It is probably a nightmare for his sound engineers to highlight each and every instrument and the complex layering that he does in his music. I do agree with your observation about Dostana and Bacchna being clearer but that is probably due to the absence of any complex layering that you would find in a ARR song. Now given a choice between a straight forward album of other music MDs (which does not grow with every listening) or a slightly muddled up ARR album (as a result of his creativity), I would personally go for the latter because there is so much to discover in our boss’s music. Just my take. Am no technical expert like some of the others here. With every album and time, ARR is only seeming to go from strength to strength turning even his detractors into fans, so I feel (my personal opinion) this doomsday scenario is not warranted. thanks From:arrahmanfans@ yahoogroups. com [mailto:arrahmanfan s...@yahoogroups. com] On Behalf Of Arun KB Ganesh Sent: 13 September, 2009 12:50 AM To: arrahmanfans@ yahoogroups. com Subject: Re: [arr] Re: 'Blue' Sound/Audio Quality - "Dissapointed" Note - Dear ARR, If you are reading this - This mail is not intended to hurt you or your team. Nor is this any kind of advice.. it is a plea from a member of this group since 2000, I have reasons to say all these bluntly - I really wish you take note. You are the best judge when it comes to sound and to decide on the next steps if you see a problem. I am highlighting these so that these problems can be corrected, before it is too late. Sorry if I sound odd ! Sorry Chord, this discussion is back to Square 1. With all due respect - You are contradicting yourself when you acknowledge of 'maybe a highly processed electronic sounds, esp vocals', is bothering me. If a highly processed vocals is making a song sound hissy, whats so pleasant in hearing it? In other words, what you said may be true - only if ARR's sound engineers are re-inventing themselves when working with him, trying out new stuff on vocals which I think is not the case. I also disagree with you that AR's contemporaries are way of ahead of him in terms of sound quality. I listen to various CDs of different composers, and I find AR's albums to be as competent in terms of sound quality as theirs. > I had mentioned this point on another mail thread - About the sound quality of other MDs - give 'Dostana' and 'Bachna Ae Haseeno' a listen, compare the sound quality - they sound tight (if I call it in a studio language). I will still stand by my statement that as of today, ARR albums sound quality is not on par with other MDs .. to be precise, it all started with Rang De Basanti. Oh, by the way ... : RDB was not released by T-Series... It had a loudness issue Delhi-6 was by T-Series - it didnt have a loudness issue so how can loudness in BLUE be a problem from the music company's end? I feel it is not. As a musician & singer myself, I really really trust my ears when it comes to sound quality. On Sat, Sep 12, 2009 at 6:25 PM, ichord <purev...@yahoo. com> wrote: > >> > >> >> >> >There are sound issues in this album at times due >to loudness, which I concede, but that does not make the overall sound quality >mediocre. And being able to discern complex layering of music tracks clearly is >very relevant to the discussion of sound. What may be bothering you is the >highly processed electronic sounds in this album, esp, in the vocals, which I >can understand. > >>Trust me, I understand the difference between sound and music and a discussion >of one is relevant to the discussion of another, because without good sound >quality, I and many others would not be able to enjoy the distinct and complex >musical layers that he has gifted in this crafty album. > >>I also disagree with you that AR's contemporaries are way of ahead of him in >terms of sound quality. I listen to various CDs of different composers, and I >find AR's albums to be as competent in terms of sound quality as theirs. > >>Mean no disrespect to your opinions and hope we can continue to discuss and >maybe even disagree without being disagreeable. >> > >>--- In arrahmanfans@ yahoogroups. com, >Arun KB Ganesh <ergu...@...> wrote: >>> >> >> Surprising - A discussion >about the sound quality of this album, turned into >>> a music review ??? Guess some people don't seem to understand the >difference >>> between the 2 ?! >>> The music may have intricate layering & complicate complex chord >>> progressions etc etc ... , whatever be the case, the final sound quality >of >>> this album is *mediocre*. What matters is what the end-user gets to hear >.. >>> It may be the music company or it may be the studio master at fault - >>> whoever it may be, things HAS to be set right at some point. If not now, >it >>> may be too late. >>> >>> ARR revolutionised sound of Indian music, but as of today, others are way >>> ahead of him in terms of *"SOUND QUALITY" (Mind you, I am NOT >talking about >>> the music. ARR stands way ahead of others with respect to music & the >sounds >>> used (again, not the sound quality). * >>> >>> I am willing to explain it again, if people dont understand. >>> >> >> On Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 10:22 >PM, Arun KB Ganesh <ergu...@...> wrote: >>> >>> > *Clarification : ** >>> > * >>> > *After all the effort ARR has put in to create these songs, he (more >than >>> > all of us put together) certainly would not want the sound quality to >be >>> > mediocre. As a person who adores the person and his music, I felt it >was my >>> > duty to post my thoughts in the group - if ARR reads this, I would be >really >>> > glad.. so that he can look into the problems and fix the shortcomings. >>> > * >>> > **My intention was not to hurt ARR or his team by the below email. I >never >>> > said the songs are not good, nor the sounds used in the song - I am >in no >>> > way eligible to comment on that. Since I am so much used to an *ARR >sound*for years, I could certainly feel the difference here. I was only feeling >>> > bad about the 'sound quality' the album "Blue" has. >>> > >>> > Like Gomz pointed out, it is true each song in this album has a >different >>> > sound quality. Could be because each song are assigned to different >>> > programmers & engineers. That being said, in the past too, there >have been >>> > various programmers & engineers who have worked on his songs - >but the end >>> > result used to be tremendous. >>> > >>> > I don't know why the difference now. >>> > >>> > >> >> > On >Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 1:49 PM, Arun KB Ganesh <ergu...@...> wrote: >>> > >>> >> One of the reasons for me to appreciate AR's music *was* the >superb >>> >> quality his songs had - i am referring to the 'sound' quality. >>> >> Off late, I have felt that his songs were lacking the clarity it >had. One >>> >> of the most beautiful songs in a major album this year had an >error, which >>> >> was pointed out in this forum & was acknowledged by his team >too (not in >>> >> this forum). I am not sure if it is the Sound Engineers or the >programmers. >>> >> >>> >> The 'sound' of Blue in the *CD* is, in fact, pathetic. It more >sounds >>> >> like a studio version (work in progress) - unclear vocals, boomy >sounds for >>> >> chiggy wiggy (which is muffling the instrument before Sonu starts >singing). >>> >> The vocals are extremely bad.... >>> >> >>> >> Not sure if it is a problem in the final mix/mastering or a >problem @ >>> >> T-Series. >>> >> >>> >> I am disturbed because of this trend, and more worried coz things >are not >>> >> being set right. With every album, I have hoped the sound would >be 'better'. >>> >> but it has never been. >>> >> Is ARR not looking into the final product? I dont think so, 'coz >the >>> >> beauty of the sound is compromised on. >>> >> >>> >> And I am not in for a debate here. >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> > >>>
