What are the differences between remastering and mastering?

What are the differences between remastering and mastering?

Every record, CD and MP3 has to be mastered before it's distributed to the public. The master is the final, definitive version of each track that will be copied and printed on millions of CDs and downloaded from Web sites like iTunes. A master is created by a mastering engineer, a special breed of audio engineer who works in a dedicated mastering studio.

Consumers often buy remastered CDs or DVDs that feature classic movies or albums.

Mastering engineers are different than studio recording engineers. A recording engineer's job is to faithfully record every instrument and vocal track with as much clarity -- and as little signal processing -- as possible. In recording terminology, signal processing is any kind of compression, distortion or other effects that alter the sound of the recording.

Once the recording engineer has captured clean copies of every track, the music is handed over to a mixing engineer who is responsible for assembling the final mix. The mixing engineer takes each separate instrumental and vocal track -- perhaps dozens for a single song -- and tweaks their volume, stereo pan and other settings to achieve a balanced, satisfying whole. Even though this is called the final mix, nothing's final until it's passed through the hands of the mastering engineer.

A mastering session is called finishing, because this is where each song on a CD receives the final adjustments that make it sound great on vinyl, CD, MP3 or radio. Each different playback medium requires its own special equalizing, balancing and compression to make the music clear and powerful for the listener.

Vinyl records, for example, are usually played on home stereo systems with good speakers. MP3s, however, might be played on a pair of cheap computer speakers or through an iPod. It's the mastering engineer's job to know how to make the songs sound great wherever and however they're played. Mastering engineers usually have decades of experience in the recording business and an exquisitely trained ear.

Remastering is simply the process of taking an existing album and mastering it again. In the 1980s and 90s, many bands issued "digital remasters" of their original vinyl or tape cassette recordings. In this case, the albums were being remastered for playback on CDs. To do this, a mastering engineer would digitize the original analog version of the final mix and use a digital audio workstation (DAW) like Pro Tools to rebalance and equalize all of the tracks.

Remastering is usually reserved for box sets of a band's "greatest hits" or other special releases. The word has taken on a highly promotional significance, used to resell existing music to consumers with the promise of sharper sound clarity and even a totally new sound.

DVDs are remastered for many of the same reasons. The idea is to use modern digital editing technology to create the cleanest, most artistically authentic print of an existing movie. The editors go back to the original film stock and use special editing software to remove dust, fix damaged frames, improve color balance and greatly improve the clarity and quality of the audio.

These remastered DVDs are often reissued on high-definition discs with the director's originally intended aspect ratio (wide-screen, for example, instead of the 4:3 ratio favored by conventional TV screens) and with extras like behind-the-scenes documentaries and filmmaker interviews. Once again, remastering is an excellent way to breathe new life into an old product.

How do they remaster CDs and DVDs?

Digital technology has not only allowed filmmakers and musicians to create inspiring new works of art, but it's also given audio engineers and film editors the chance to reach back and restore classic albums and movies to their original grandeur.

Independent filmmakers like Spike Lee often release new remastered versions of their films.

Remastered CDs and DVDs promise consumers a crystal clear, artistically faithful reproduction of their favorite music and films. Led Zeppelin fans rush to the record store every time the band issues another "definitive" remastered collection of its pioneering rock albums of the 1960s and 70s. And companies like the Criterion Collection have created a market for painstakingly restored, high-definition DVD releases of classic, foreign and independent cinema from filmmakers like Jean-Luc Godard, Akira Kurosawa and Spike Lee.

But all of this digital wizardry is not without its detractors. Many listeners complain that remastering CDs, especially in the age of the MP3, is nothing but an excuse to make the music louder and overproduced. DVD remastering runs into the same problems. There are viewers who feel that film restoration can go too far, taking away the imperfections of the filmed image that make it unique and alive.

by Dave Roos