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Info & Offer Of Help: Audio Assist

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First post here.

I am a professional audio engineer and big fan of the one and only Star Wars. The more I see of the tinkering and tampering with the original, the more I feel compelled to be involved in what, ironically seems to becoming “the rebellion against the Empire.”

As my specialty is in restoration and mastering, I would like to contribute my services to any and all involved in the creation of definitive DVD editions.

I would particularly enjoy the opportunity to work on a restoration of any mono track elements floating around, as I have yet to hear a decent version thus far. The Academy Mono screenings I attended sounded about as good as that format could render to my recollection, and the quality of the material on The Making of Star Wars LP gives one a general idea as to how good this track could sound. (I’m sure there is a mag master in existence that will likely never see the light of day.) Most of what’s currently out there seems to be culled from video sources and that may very well be all that is accessible.

Should anyone be interested, now or in the future with this or any endeavor with which I could provide assistance, please feel free to email me directly at phodgson@snet.net. The exchange of audio files is quite easy by email for smaller chunks and by CD/snail mail for large bits. Sampling rates and bit depths should be established and agreed upon at the outset to minimize any unnecessary conversion after the fact, and mp3 conversions should be avoided at all cost.

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Check your mail. XD

I've been working on such a project, the "Experience '77" version, but the thing that's really caused me the most trouble was getting the audio synch right - rather difficult to do this empirically on a computer with only 64 MB RAM.

I did manage to create a prototype version, XP77:4EB, which has an audio track created from an MP3 - I also have an audio track created from a lossless source. Both of these were sourced from a 1985 UK TV rip bootlegged on VHS. It's reasonable quality, not the best.

My plan was to create a DVD with a reconstructed original rollup, reconstructed original 1.0 mono mix and the original 2.0 stereo mix. I have both of these. The 2.0 mix is almost the same as what is on the newer releases, especially the 1993 Definitive set. Processing the video is not difficult, and I can even do it on this crate - the audio is the real trick.

Moll.

"Right now the coffees are doing their final work." (Airi, Masked Rider Den-o episode 1)

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It is also impossible to forget the original "EditDroid" ANH (NOT the commonly available second version) which also has a MONO soundtrack amongst others.

As stated somewhere in a previous post, neither of the known MONO sountracks are perfect but, in theory, both versions in the right hands could be combined to produce a single as near perfect as possible MONO mix.

The prototype MONO XP77:4EB, based on the video of the second "EditDroid" ANH with original crawl is certainly a massive step in the right direction.

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Thanks for the feedback - keep it coming!
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I must say it is encouraging to see an audio restoration specialist getting involved!

Here's the situation as I understand it:
There are two known sources that contain a recording of the mono mix.

1. Bootleg VHS copies of the pre-ANH telecine. Distributed at fan conventions and such, it is unknown how many generations down from the original these copies are. Some gaps exist in the audio at the reel changes. (The mono track on the EditDroid DVD is based on one of these bootlegs.) RevBeastly has lent his VHS copy to MeBeJedi to capture; hopefully we'll see some form of electronic copy available to download soon.

2. VHS recording of a UK TV broadcast from the '80s. I dug out a 1st generation recording of this; the tape is worn at the start and it is incomplete; the start and end are missing and there are gaps where the ad-breaks were. I sampled my tape and made it available in two versions: a 50MB MP3 and a 320MB lossless FLAC file.

Whereas it'd be nice to have a cleaner master available, I think you have to assume that this is all that's available at the moment.

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Welcome to the party!!!!!!!

It's GREAT to have another PRO in on all the fun!!!!!

“My skill are no longer as Mad as the once were” RiK

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I think the best plan at this stage is to acquire as many source versions of the mono track as are available, lay them up side by side and attempt to create a composite using the best elements of each.

Currently, I am in possession of one source - from a DVD boot, quite well crafted, with video sourced from the Definitive or "Faces" version and 3 soundtrack options: the 6-track fold down that accompanied the video source, Dolby Stereo matrixed version, and original mono.

Can anybody identify this DVD version for me and pin down which source the mono tracks were culled from?

Thanks

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Originally posted by: Belbucus
Can anybody identify this DVD version for me and pin down which source the mono tracks were culled from? That'll be the EditDroid DVD, version 1.

Brief details:
The first [version] has a recreated crawl and three sound mixes: mono (from a VHS boot), matrixed Dolby stereo (from the late 90's widescreen laserdisc), and the Definitive Edition mix, which we believe to be a mixdown of the 1977 six-track 70mm mix.

[responding to a comment re. the mono mix, "Thin as hell, of course.."]
Yup. And that's after lots of tinkering in Pro Tools and Sound Forge. Nth generation VHS, what can I say... Would love to find a better source someday.

That bootleg is missing material, sometimes a lot, at every reel change, too. So we filled the gaps with the stereo mix dumped to mono. We made no attempt to otherwise "dumb down" the patches, though, for we wanted anyone who cared to be able to tell what was true to the original mono mix and what was a replacement. Kinda like how art restorers use paints that can be easily removed should a future restorer need to redo the job.
Here's the full thread:
http://www.originaltrilogy.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=9&threadid=1703

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Originally posted by: Belbucus
I think the best plan at this stage is to acquire as many source versions of the mono track as are available, lay them up side by side and attempt to create a composite using the best elements of each.

Currently, I am in possession of one source - from a DVD boot, quite well crafted, with video sourced from the Definitive or "Faces" version and 3 soundtrack options: the 6-track fold down that accompanied the video source, Dolby Stereo matrixed version, and original mono.

Can anybody identify this DVD version for me and pin down which source the mono tracks were culled from?

Thanks

Sounds like the original EditDroid ANH disc from a few years ago. Some ways to tell are: Pre-ANH crawl, front cover says "The Original Edition" at the top, and back cover has a UPC code (sort of an Easter Egg, I'm told). As for the mono source, IIRC it's from the Pre-ANH mono VHS that most around here seem to know about, although it sounds like it's been cleaned up some.
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Possibly the same source as Edit Droid 1 but the menus on mine are different than the ones posted at the head of the EditDroid Trilogy DVD Info and Feedback Thread.
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Originally posted by: Belbucus
Possibly the same source as Edit Droid 1 but the menus on mine are different than the ones posted at the head of the EditDroid Trilogy DVD Info and Feedback Thread.


The ones I posted are from the second version of the EditDroid DVD. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that the original EditDroid SW disc is totally different from the one floating around right now, including the transfer and the menus.

BTW, Belbucus, I think there's a lot of us here who would LOVE to see that DVD you have, regardless of whether or not it actually is the original EditDroid disc (which I think it is).

I used to be very active on this forum. I’m not really anymore. Sometimes, people still want to get in touch with me about something, and that is great! If that describes you, please email me at [my username]ATgmailDOTcom.

Hi everybody. You’re all awesome. Keep up the good work.

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Yes Belbucus, I think ReverendB is right -- a few of us here would like to see it.

If you like to d/l Moth3r's FLAC file (or MP3), send me a PM. I've got his RAR's and PAR2's from usenet on my drive still.



AND

Don't forget to edit your user profile, to allow receiving PM's. They're off by default for new users.

However, in practice you must take into account the “fuckwit factor”. Just talk to Darth Mallwalker…
-Moth3r

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You can add me to that list of people too.........


Back to the MONO mix issue, you already have the dificult to find MONO mix on the DVD you have and I am sure that you can soon get Moth3r's MONO mix from one of many people around here.

I too have Moth3r's MONO file converted from FLAC to WAV but I do not have the original FLAC file.

I would struggle to upload it but I could snail-mail should you wish.

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At this stage I will take anything up for offer.

I would also be VERY interested in any information that could lead me closer to the original source for all the various file representations out there - hopefully, to get hold of the analogue source that the initial file came from so I could do the conversion and capture myself. The closer I can get to sourcing the raw analogue, the better the degree to which I can extract detail from it.
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In other words, you want the VHS tapes (the tecline and the TV broadcast) these were made from? I'm sure someone can help you out in that respect.
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A better edit of the mono mix? Now THIS is a worthwhile project! Look impatiently forward to it. Please do it! Do it! Do it now!
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Hi!
As a young audio professional as well(game audio, myself), I'd like to see what you do! Maybe you can make a few case studies of what you do and the techniques/equipment you use for the rough spots? I know I'd love to see a pro at work.
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I think this statement applies:
...this is not the theatrical mono mix. Rather, a mono-only presentation of the stereo mix.
(From http://www.davisdvd.com/misc/ep4.htm)

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what happened to belbucus effort to restore the mono mix for star wars?

It was a promising idea, taken all the disparate sources to make a cleaner sounding master.

“Always loved Vader’s wordless self sacrifice. Another shitty, clueless, revision like Greedo and young Anakin’s ghost. What a fucking shame.” -Simon Pegg.

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Originally posted by: skyjedi2005
what happened to belbucus effort to restore the mono mix for star wars?
I am in contact with him. His effort was delayed by several months waiting for me to get off my arse and send him some files.

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