We all want them!

Org Note me if you are one of them..... Hint! Hint! Hint!

I think it's time to put on my loafers

Hint! Hint!

I don't want them. I can listen to the same old version with EQ boosts on my mixer and it sounds like any other remastered album released so far.

You want more bass? Then add bass, goddamnit.

Novabreaker said:

But with re-masters you get better tonal balance. Plus if you are ripping for use with a iPod/MP3 player the levels and dynamics are much improved.

BlurredEye said:

Only to be sliced into the compressed nightmare that is MP3. No thanks.

Re-Masters? - not gonna happen.

Jestyr said:

Keeping it near the top.....

only 1 bite so far.....Mmmmmm

I can't be the only one who needed re-mastered material.

Org Note me if you are not happy with the sound quality of your official released CDs from the 80's and early 90's

The sound on the early CDs sucks royally. You're not the only one. High-end amplifiers don't even have EQs. Why? You shouldn't need 'em.

BlurredEye said:

Depends on the remastering technique. And the only way to any way properly improve the "tonal balance" of those recordings would be to work with the multi-track mixes, and somehow I don't see the scenario where someone would be forced to sit at the analog desk all through his twenty albums and get them all right.

asideorderofham said:

Because the folks who buy these high-end systems wouldn't know how to use them and fuck the sound anyway with their settings. A 70 disco-album is not supposed to sound like a trance record that came out two months ago.

asideorderofham said:

Too true my friend on both counts. Org Note me for more details OK.

Novabreaker said :Depends on the remastering technique. And the only way to any way properly improve the "tonal balance" of those recordings would be to work with the multi-track mixes, and somehow I don't see the scenario where someone would be forced to sit at the analog desk all through his twenty albums and get them all right

Not entirely true, using a multi-band compressor you can acheive great things. Trust me, I used one.
[Edited 8/18/05 7:56am]

I would love remasters, but the chances are somewhere between slim and none it will ever happen. Prince refused to sign off on a special edition remaster of PR last year, at a time when it would have finacially done quite well, so I really don't think you can count on him ever giving in and doing this.

JediMaster said:

What a nob!

Cloudbuster said:

Well, we all know that about him already! The main problem with the whole WB fued is that the real losers are the fans.

JediMaster said:

The sound on SOTT is particularly attrocious.


[Edited 8/18/05 9:35am]

BananaCologne said:

Wash your hands! They are leaving grubby marks all over your avatar!

JediMaster said:

However, it could also be that Prince is advised by his lawyers to refuse his permission, if he still wants his masters back.

As I see it, the most probable reason why there are no digital re-masters is because WB doesn't have the right to produce and release digital re-masters. Why don't they have that right? They "own" the masters, right? Well, they own almost all of the rights comprised under copyright in his sound recordings, but not any and all the rights, because at the time P. signed the disputed recording contracts digital re-masters didn't exist. Because digital remasters didn't exist at that time, P. couldn't have transferred the right to produce and release digital re-masters to WB at the time either. Therefore WB needs P.'s permission to produce and release digital remasters.

Besides by offering WB a lot of money, I think the only way P. can force WB to give him his masters is by continuing to try and obstruct any new thing, or big money making WB intends to do with his recordings, for example by continuing to refuse permission for digital remasters, unless they give him his masters back. Then, if P. would have granted them permission last year to release digital remasters of Purple Rain he would have less reason to refuse his permission for other digital remasters, such as SOTT or 1999. He could then perhabs be forced by a judge then to give permission for these other recordings as well, for example under the same conditions as the deal he would have struck for PR. And his already weak bargaining position to get his matsers back could be weakend further. So perhabs P. needs to do this so one day WB will give him back his masters? Maybe P. is willing to agree with a digital re-masters deal in return of full ownership of his masters and the bulk of the profits?

This is just a theory, there could very well be another reason why we aren't seeing any remasters. Some say P. only made "works for hire" for WB, but I disagree with that because the US copyright act doesn't include sound recordings as being possible "works for hire". Others say P. is in possesion of the original master tapes and won't give them to WB so they can't make digital remasters of them, but that's not how digital remsters technically have to be produced, plus it's not about being in possesion of certain tapes, but about the right to produce and release digital remasters. Too bad neither P. nor WB is willing to explain to us the real reason why and neither one of them seems to really care what the fans think of it and would want to see. It's probably the big ol' dispute roaring its ugly head again.

This is so sad. Prince, by not allowing WB to remaster his material, is cutting off his nose to spite his face . What's the point of having your work out there, in less than optimum condition ? I mean, would Steven Spelberg want "ET" shown in shitty prints ? And who loses out in all this : we the fans of course . I don't give a good goddamn about Prince's issues with Warner Bros . I want great music presented at the very best quality .

If you just want Prince CDs that sound better, buy the Japanese releases. I've been collecting them all during this past year and so far there hasn't been a single one that hasn't been an absolute revelation, sonically! It's like discovering these records for the very first time; especially with headphones. I'm hearing things I never would have known were part of the US CD recordings.

One of the best kept secrets in the music world of Prince.

Jestyr said:

Really? How much do they generally sell for?

Cloudbuster said:

Yeah

Jestyr said:

I have most of the albums on japanesse releases and I have said this for years. The japanese Gold Experience and Choas and Disorder are phenominal.

JediMaster said:

Here ya go, bud.

http://www.hmv.co.jp/sear...=000001482

Y 1,800 is equal to about 16.00 US. Shipping is another matter, however.

Jestyr said:

So, you've had good luck with ordering these, I take it?

JediMaster said:

So far so good. I've had to get a few from ebay (Black Album and The Gold Experience), but so far I've been able to get the whole catalog except for Controversy.

Back to the top of the forum..... click

Jestyr said:

Interesting that you say that. I'm not disputing your opinion, but I have Controversy, Dirty Mind and For You on Japanese CD, and there is very little difference, if any(compared to US/Euro pressed discs) as far as sound quality. Maybe it's just my ears, but I do consider myself to be pretty anal about digital audio.

The vinyl mastering blows away all the early Prince CDs anyway as far as depth and clarity. Of course, vinyl has it's own flaws as a format.