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Do you judge tracks negatively if they "sound old?"

Judging by some of the things I've seen people say around here, it seems like the presence of "modern" mixing and mastering techniques in a track is almost as important to them as the track's musical composition and arrangement. It seems like if a track "sounds dated," a number of people will automatically have a strong negative bias against it.

How do you feel about this issue?

Personally, I don't care much at all whether a track "sounds old"...

If the track is good, it's good. It doesn't matter if it sounds "old" or not.

Funnily enough most of these good tracks seem to sound "old". Go figure.

Old how? As in the elements used in the track? The style? I personally really like tunes that have an old, rather, a timeless sound to them.

Re: Do you judge tracks negatively if they "sound old?"

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Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles Judging by some of the things I've seen people say around here, it seems like the presence of "modern" mixing and mastering techniques in a track is almost as important to them as the track's musical composition and arrangement. It seems like if a track "sounds dated," a number of people will automatically have a strong negative bias against it. How do you feel about this issue? Personally, I don't care much at all whether a track "sounds old"...

In general the feeling I get from an old track often is different then it was when I listened at the time. I compare it with an old car. A Porsche Carrera from 1970 back then was a super sports car. Nowadays a mid-class family car can beat it at almost all levels (often not the sound ). Many feelings and opinions change in time, just a few don't. Personally I like classic tracks which don't sound too much dated. Maybe it's different if you're younger and couldn't listen to the classics back then. Even an old track then could sound new to you and not really dated.

old or amatuerish?

quote:

Originally posted by Floorfiller old or amatuerish?

Really? I actually think it takes a more mature ear to make an older sounding track. I mean, unless it's simply because the producer is behind the times.

Re: Do you judge tracks negatively if they "sound old?"

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Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles Judging by some of the things I've seen people say around here, it seems like the presence of "good" mixing and mastering techniques in a track is almost as important to them as the track's musical composition and arrangement.

fixed

quote:

It seems like if a track "sounds dated," a number of people will automatically have a strong negative bias against it.

it's not so much a case of people disliking 'dated' music as a principle, but more the fact that older tracks (as a rule) possess characteristics they don't like. so when they say "i don't like this tune because it sounds dated", they really mean "i don't like this tune; it sounds similar to older tunes i didn't like either"

i say 'they', i really mean 'we' since i am one of those people


in a nutshell, the majority of dance music i listen to doesn't feature a great deal of musical composition nor creative arrangement; i listen to it because the sonic waves emitted from the final product have a pleasing & therapeutic effect on my brain. the finer aspects of a mixdown can play a pretty big role in that, such as the frequency range, stereo space, balance of layers, fx, or even something as trivial as the shape of the kick drum. the majority of early-days trance, regardless of its arguably superior musical ideologies, just doesn't make for comfortable listening imo.. taking the above aspects into account

i believe it's totally possible to create decent 'old' or nostalgic sounding tracks whilst maintaining the tight production standards of recent years, though.. i'd positively encourage it in fact

I personally don't care about "old" sounding or "new" sounding or anything like that. If i like the music, i like it, simple as that. Plus some of my favorite music is non-EDM and comes from the 70s and 80s, and i have to add that sometimes i prefer the "fat" 80s-production style. More organic and raw.

I think it was System-J who said something along the lines of "comparing trance from the early era with nowadays trance is like comparing raw diamonds to polished turd".

I don't think it can be said better. I prefer raw diamonds.

on the contrary, i have a bias towards new tracks. most of the older stuff I find I tend to like. can't say the same for the newer material

Some old tracks at the time blew off the roof when played at a club. When a DJ would play them nowadays they would throw him out or go to another club. Just a matter of taste IMO.

It can sometimes reduce my enjoyment for a couple of percents, but I'd never reject a dated track if it contains some interesting ideas. For example, there's some awesome, but badly mixed/mastered/pressed pre-90's Chicago house that would sound even more awesome if it was made with modern equipment/techniques

quote:

Originally posted by Unique2701 I think it was System-J who said something along the lines of "comparing trance from the early era with nowadays trance is like comparing raw diamonds to polished turd". I don't think it can be said better. I prefer raw diamonds.

Well I guess that covers my reply to this thread.

I really think someone should just update some older classic tracks that just sound muddy nowadays. Think how much better they would sound with modern mastering techniques and production technology. I don't mean a remix, just an update.

Re: Do you judge tracks negatively if they "sound old?"

quote:

Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles Judging by some of the things I've seen people say around here, it seems like the presence of "modern" mixing and mastering techniques in a track is almost as important to them as the track's musical composition and arrangement. It seems like if a track "sounds dated," a number of people will automatically have a strong negative bias against it. How do you feel about this issue? Personally, I don't care much at all whether a track "sounds old"...

Carl Craig remixes sound like they were made in '96 that doesnt stop everyone from buying them

quote:

Originally posted by the_gamemaster I really think someone should just update some older classic tracks that just sound muddy nowadays. Think how much better they would sound with modern mastering techniques and production technology. I don't mean a remix, just an update.

Often this is done by someone else and it will be called a remix. There are also examples where the year is added the track title, but I'm not sure the original producer made the update.

An example of a track where I think it has become more timeless is:

Speedy J - Pullover (Cavin Rotane RMX)

I think there are a lot of remixes made of this track and many I didn't hear.

I have been on a nostalgia run lately, listening to and mixing old tracks... and there's just so much more energy to them somehow. I'm not sure if I've come across a badly mastered track, does anyone have examples?

Re: Re: Do you judge tracks negatively if they "sound old?"

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Originally posted by isoterra fixed

It's hardly a given that "modern = good" in the mixing and mastering department.

Personally I find that the "everything stuffed full of frequencies and limited to the max" style can get very annoying and tiresome to listen to. There's no sense of space or breathing room.

quote:

Originally posted by whiskers I have been on a nostalgia run lately, listening to and mixing old tracks... and there's just so much more energy to them somehow. I'm not sure if I've come across a badly mastered track, does anyone have examples?

anything junior vasquez made around the year 2000. Really muddy compared to today's mastering standards

I used to care if something sounded 'old' or dated, but not anymore. In fact I now find that eight or nine times out of ten, older actually sounds better, if only because I don't get on well with the whole 'turn it up to eleven' ethic of recent years.

I used to come off with this sort of "too outdated-sounding" attitude before. The key here is to stay open minded, and listen to as much different styled music from most various time periods as possible. As the time passes by and you let all of the listened through material soak in, the snobbish judgement goes away. Or at least it did for me.

No. I don't particularly like, for example, the drums in most 80's music, but there's usually something that makes up for it. If it's good music.

no

Re: Re: Do you judge tracks negatively if they "sound old?"

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Originally posted by Mattsanity why even ask. the best edm came when I was getting milked on my face

Re: Do you judge tracks negatively if they "sound old?"

quote:

Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles Judging by some of the things I've seen people say around here, it seems like the presence of "modern" mixing and mastering techniques in a track is almost as important to them as the track's musical composition and arrangement. It seems like if a track "sounds dated," a number of people will automatically have a strong negative bias against it. How do you feel about this issue? Personally, I don't care much at all whether a track "sounds old"...

Here's the thing for me - there's a distinction between thinking negatively of a track and/or deciding not to play it. I will never, ever give up on giving something a chance because it "sounds old" - and many times some of my favorite tunes are indeed "old" or "old sounding."

Where the problem comes in is playing them out at clubs with less than perfect sound. Sometimes they'll work fine even if they're mastered poorly, but every once in a while you'll throw something in that's in the highest quality possible, and it still just sounds like arse when it's cranked up over a huge system. In that sense, I may deem a track "unplayable" from the point of view of a DJ, but I'll never deem something "unlistenable" or somehow less worthwhile solely for being/sounding old.

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