Hello, I was curious if anyone has considered preserving the audio for Frankenstein (1931). For starters I am quite displeased with the audio mix on the BluRay since IMO it is a bit flat and muffled. Also theres portions of the sound track missing. This is also the mix used on every DVD release since 2004.
About two years ago I had sent someone the audio tracks from the VHS’ of Dracula and Frankenstein which he was going to sync up to the BD. I messaged him a few times and he said he was working on it and finally said it would be ready by Halloween 2014. As far as I know the project wasnt completed and I havent heard from him since (if you the one Im speaking of are reading this, understand Im not calling you out since I know people get sidetracked with other projects).
Which brings me to here. After doing some comparisons, I realized that my 1991 VHS copy while a bit hissy sounds crisper than the BD. However the VHS may not be the best source. The copy was only viewed once or twice by the time it was digitized so it still came out pretty good but some scenes may have some VHS crackle and there was one minor glitch in one scene which actually isnt all that noticeable but might stand out when trying to sync to the BD. I noticed that the VHS is actually going at a somewhat faster pace than the BD. The exact fps I do not know. I believe the guy who was working on this said he was having a bit difficulty with the syncing. Please keep in mind Im no expert when it comes to syncing audio tracks which is why I seek everyones help.
So perhaps another source is in order. Does anyone by any chance have the 1987 ‘restored’ Laserdisc and might consider digitizing it? Since the 1987 ‘restored’ VHS uses the same print as the 1991 VHS, maybe the Laserdisc would be the best source. A headsup though. This ‘restored’ print is missing the line ‘Now I know what it feels like to be God’, a line that was restored circa 1999 and hence on the BD. Whether to restore this line to the Laserdisc mix or just leave the line censored will have to be discussed.
Anyways below are two comparison videos I made some 2-3 years ago. The first I wanted to point out that I feel the VHS sounds crisper while the other points out the missing bits. Leave some comments and hopefully we can make something of this. Understand that I respect all opinions so lets be on the same page everyone.