The day still disrupted by workmen, but managed relative productivity. Started by updating my album filing such that older 16-bit mastered albums now store the final files in CDMaster folders, and some clearer separation for the albums (all future ones I suspect) that have separate CD and Stream versions.
I then updated two tracks on Cycles & Shadows, to burn a new CD master for future replication. Gosh! The remaster is only 2 years old yet is sounds outdated and poor compared to my modern standards; but I'm being harsh. It is a huge amount better than the first version, and most of it is as good as ever. Since 2023 I've added a few crucially useful things to Prometheus; the Cathedral Limiter which perfectly (mathematically perfectly that is, the best it can be) limits audio, allowing them to get much louder with ease. Secondly, the Spectrum EQ features, which though present for this remaster were relatively new. I wasn't used to using them. I've also since added a (hardly ever used) 10-band graphic equaliser, and now the new per-track Spectrum, which is perhaps more useful in spotting where the mix is sticking out. For this album EQ was post applied, informed by the Spectrum. I don't do this now, but balance before the final output.
Now I tend to set CD volume at about -10 or -11 LUFS (when I started, I did this too, but gradually changed philosophy, only since about 2020 and my pop-ra have I reversed this). This isn't important on this album as it is more like classical music which is not limited like pop music.
My main critique of this remaster are vocals, which are rather quiet and a little muffly, these were pretty much unchanged since the first version. Today I've adjusted these for two tracks, so the forthcoming CD version will be a little different than the stream version. For me, that's always good. I still listen primarily on CD, and want the CD version (which is, after all more expensive) to be the best version. Mastering of any sort is a long term thing, it's good that I do so only after many years. In 5 years I'm sure to be that much better at everything than today.
In the afternoon, I scanned, framed, and photographed in frame the new small painting for Bickerton, Land Of Destiny:
After that, two more albums moved, 24 yet to go. I may finish before the end of the year. I have one small vocal part I'd like to do to complete the new album, then I can move into painting until winter. Next on my re-recording/remastering target is The Myth Of Sisyphus.
