New Mastering Approach from Nine Inch Nails

[jacobmorrison]

Not wishing to re-open the debate over the advantages of hi res over a well mastered 16bit file but I thought this approach from Trent Reznor, Alan Moulder and Tom Baker (not that one!) to the mastering of the new NIN album captures the compromises made when going for volume over dynamic range.

http://nineinchnails.tumblr.com/post/59587808317/hesitation-marks-was-mastered-in-two-different

Personally I'd be surprised if anyone downloading from the NIN store both the 16bit lossless FLAC / ALAC version of the album and the 24 bit WAV version will be able to discern any substantial difference, particularly in a blind test, as you have here a guarantee that the master was the same. But, and it's a big but, you'll be able to tell the difference between the standard and audiophile versions of the album. As most hi res re-issues come from re-mastered files then I do believe that this is the difference most people hear.

But then, other opinions are available.

 

[The_Lhc]

Last week's news, there was a thread about it somewhere but as I don't like NIN I can't be bothered to look for it.

Or was it a tweet from Clare on Twitter, I forget now...

 

[spiny norman]

Artist in 'differents mastering for different formats' shocker! You mean just like they used to master differently for CD, vinyl, cassette, MiniDisc, radio play and so on?

 

[MakkaPakka]

It's a bit like buying vinyl and getting a download code or CD which has a very different dynamic range. Nothing new but at least it's highlighting the issue.

 

[richardw42]

Last week's news, there was a thread about it somewhere but as I don't like NIN I can't be bothered to look for it.

Or was it a tweet from Clare on Twitter, I forget now...

HDD ?