Introduction
This 2-minute clip explains the loudness war better than words ever could.
Since the 90s, music's been compressed heavily, sacrificing clarity and depth for loudness and distortion. Even pre-90s classics like Pink Floyd's DSOTM have suffered, the version you stream or buy isn't the original master.
It's grown much worse over time. If it's so bad, why do artists do it? The brain detects even a 0.2 dB difference, so it's a competition: the loudest music wins. The victim? Dynamic range. Depth is reduced to noise when loudness is pushed past its limit with compressors and limiters. This is why old CDs and vinyls are prized, old masters weren't as bad. But what if there's no good master, like with anything made after the 80s?
Remastera is the first viable solution. We deconstruct your uploads into individual samples. Our neural network maps the compression across each sample, then an elaborate four-stage process undoes it with fine-tuned algorithms. Pure math. No EQs, no filters, no subjective choices. Our pipeline preserves the artist's vision. Artists can deepen all their songs, even uncompressed masters. Listeners, your favorite album breathes again, noticeable even on phone speakers.
Don't lump us with other AI-based audiophile gimmicks. We don't mess with the feel. I invite you to do a vibe check - upload songs that use compression as an artistic choice.
Try it! Everyone gets a free trial. Upload a track and hear what you've been missing. Remastera's revolutionary for artists and fans alike. Give life back to music!
In the near future, Remastera will not only remaster, but also master your mixes. Artists can pick certain target profiles according to their genre and get a mastered version that sounds great. This is currently in a pre-alpha state and will be perfected over time.
Examples
Note: For a fair comparison of the dynamic range improvements, all examples are normalized to -14 dB LUFS - they have the same volume. Remastera's actual output will be the same but quieter.
The easiest way to tell the difference is to pay attention to heavy instruments like drums.
1. Purple Stain - Red Hot Chilli Peppers
One of the most notorious examples of loudness wars and bad mastering. Rick Rubin sure likes his compressors.
Original:
Remastera:
2. Aasa Kooda - Sai Abhyankar
Focus on the instruments. In the original, all the instruments "cut off" at a certain point. In Remastera, the instruments sound natural. The lost decay is recovered.
Original:
Remastera:
3. Style - Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift's discography is notorious for having very low dynamic range. It's loud and has bad separation of instruments. Remastera works wonders with her music.
Original:
Remastera:
4. No Love - Eminem ft. Lil Wayne
A classic. This clip in particular has a 2x PLR increase. Don't let me tell you though, just give it a listen.
Original:
Remastera:
FAQ
What is PLR?
PLR stands for Peak-to-Loudness Ratio. It compares the loudest parts of a track to the average loudness. PLR values correlate with dynamic range, but it's not a direct measure. Sometimes, PLR is higher/lower than the actual dynamic range. To measure dynamic range, you can use Foobar2000's Dynamic Range Meter component.
Which music player should I use?
Anything. One thing to keep in mind is ReplayGain. Remastera tags all the remastered files with EBU R128 ReplayGain tags. If you want loudness normalization, all you have to do is turn on ReplayGain in your music player.
I'm an artist, can I use Remastera to improve my masters?
Absolutely! If you're an artist, reach out to me for discounts. :D
Contact
Join my Discord server! I'm also very active on X/Twitter. Mail me at wadegrimridge@gmail.com.