JoeyCococo said:

I hear on an audiophile site that the new vinyl releases of Musicology, 3121, and Planet Earth sound much better than the original cd releases. Can anyone confirm and are their digital (FLAC) rips of the vinyl out there?

I've confirmed it a few times on this thread: http://prince.org/msg/7/458241

The new vinyl releases sound LIGHT YEARS better than the original CDs, all of which were brickwalled to fuck and sounded like shit.

I have made lossless vinyl rips of them, but they are not out there...

[Edited 3/28/19 4:57am]

Rimshottbob said:

JoeyCococo said:

I hear on an audiophile site that the new vinyl releases of Musicology, 3121, and Planet Earth sound much better than the original cd releases. Can anyone confirm and are their digital (FLAC) rips of the vinyl out there?

I've confirmed it a few times on this thread: http://prince.org/msg/7/458241

The new vinyl releases sound LIGHT YEARS better than the original CDs, all of which were brickwalled to fuck and sounded like shit.

I have made lossless vinyl rips of them, but they are not out there...

[Edited 3/28/19 4:57am]

OK, so they sound better than the CDs but what about the newly released copy of His Majesty´s Pop Life? Does that sound great, too?

I´m asking because that was originally a Japanese vinyl and Japanese vinyl (and of course CDs) almost always sound much, much better than any other country´s releases, but we all know that this version of His Majesty´s Pop Life is not a Japanese pressing, so I´m wondering if it still sounds great. Maybe not as great as the original, but how does it compare?

.

And what software did you use for ripping the vinyl? Audacity?

I´m curious because I have never turned vinyls into a digital format before. Most of my vinyl rips were made for me by friends. I´m not even sure whether my turntable is capable of doing that.

KoolEaze said:

Rimshottbob said:

I've confirmed it a few times on this thread: http://prince.org/msg/7/458241

The new vinyl releases sound LIGHT YEARS better than the original CDs, all of which were brickwalled to fuck and sounded like shit.

I have made lossless vinyl rips of them, but they are not out there...

[Edited 3/28/19 4:57am]

OK, so they sound better than the CDs but what about the newly released copy of His Majesty´s Pop Life? Does that sound great, too?

I´m asking because that was originally a Japanese vinyl and Japanese vinyl (and of course CDs) almost always sound much, much better than any other country´s releases, but we all know that this version of His Majesty´s Pop Life is not a Japanese pressing, so I´m wondering if it still sounds great. Maybe not as great as the original, but how does it compare?

.

And what software did you use for ripping the vinyl? Audacity?

I´m curious because I have never turned vinyls into a digital format before. Most of my vinyl rips were made for me by friends. I´m not even sure whether my turntable is capable of doing that.

I don't know about the His Majesty's Pop Life vinyl. I have no interest in that since I have all the tracks elsewhere....

I don't use Audacity... my Technics 1210 turntable is connected directly to a Pioneer mixer.

I run a line out of the mixer into a Zoom H2 digital recorder, recording the vinyl signal as WAV (16bit/44khz) onto SD Card.

That SD card then goes into my computer, I edit the file down in Fission (a GREAT piece of software) and export as ALAC.

I tag the files (using The Tagger), chuck them into iTunes and then into iVolume (to regulate the volume without affecting the file itself or its quality).

I then make FLACs from the ALACs (using MediaHuman Audio Converter, again without affecting the quality of the files, everything remains lossless) and upload them to my Vox Loop account...

this way I have my records digitised in lossless format, and have them in iTunes for listening at home and in Vox to have them on the go whereever I am, in the car, on headphones, etc....

I rip all my records this way. Best of both worlds. Means I don't need streaming services like Spotify and I get to listen to MY ACTUAL COPY of the music, not whatever random edition Spotify wants to put up.... that's important to me. Control of my music is important to me.

Ultimately it means I can get the very best out of my records too, playing the vinyl at home on my 'big' speakers, and having access to all my music wherever I am in great quality.

[Edited 3/28/19 5:54am]

[Edited 3/28/19 6:00am]

[Edited 3/28/19 6:01am]

Thanks a lot, I´ll bookmark this.

Rimshottbob said:

KoolEaze said:

OK, so they sound better than the CDs but what about the newly released copy of His Majesty´s Pop Life? Does that sound great, too?

I´m asking because that was originally a Japanese vinyl and Japanese vinyl (and of course CDs) almost always sound much, much better than any other country´s releases, but we all know that this version of His Majesty´s Pop Life is not a Japanese pressing, so I´m wondering if it still sounds great. Maybe not as great as the original, but how does it compare?

.

And what software did you use for ripping the vinyl? Audacity?

I´m curious because I have never turned vinyls into a digital format before. Most of my vinyl rips were made for me by friends. I´m not even sure whether my turntable is capable of doing that.

I don't know about the His Majesty's Pop Life vinyl. I have no interest in that since I have all the tracks elsewhere....

I don't use Audacity... my Technics 1210 turntable is connected directly to a Pioneer mixer.

I run a line out of the mixer into a Zoom H2 digital recorder, recording the vinyl signal as WAV (16bit/44khz) onto SD Card.

That SD card then goes into my computer, I edit the file down in Fission (a GREAT piece of software) and export as ALAC.

I tag the files (using The Tagger), chuck them into iTunes and then into iVolume (to regulate the volume without affecting the file itself or its quality).

I then make FLACs from the ALACs (using MediaHuman Audio Converter, again without affecting the quality of the files, everything remains lossless) and upload them to my Vox Loop account...

this way I have my records digitised in lossless format, and have them in iTunes for listening at home and in Vox to have them on the go whereever I am, in the car, on headphones, etc....

I rip all my records this way. Best of both worlds. Means I don't need streaming services like Spotify and I get to listen to MY ACTUAL COPY of the music, not whatever random edition Spotify wants to put up.... that's important to me. Control of my music is important to me.

Ultimately it means I can get the very best out of my records too, playing the vinyl at home on my 'big' speakers, and having access to all my music wherever I am in great quality.

[Edited 3/28/19 5:54am]

[Edited 3/28/19 6:00am]

[Edited 3/28/19 6:01am]

yeah, but you have to listen on a record player lol

Rimshottbob said:

KoolEaze said:

OK, so they sound better than the CDs but what about the newly released copy of His Majesty´s Pop Life? Does that sound great, too?

I´m asking because that was originally a Japanese vinyl and Japanese vinyl (and of course CDs) almost always sound much, much better than any other country´s releases, but we all know that this version of His Majesty´s Pop Life is not a Japanese pressing, so I´m wondering if it still sounds great. Maybe not as great as the original, but how does it compare?

.

And what software did you use for ripping the vinyl? Audacity?

I´m curious because I have never turned vinyls into a digital format before. Most of my vinyl rips were made for me by friends. I´m not even sure whether my turntable is capable of doing that.

I don't know about the His Majesty's Pop Life vinyl. I have no interest in that since I have all the tracks elsewhere....

I don't use Audacity... my Technics 1210 turntable is connected directly to a Pioneer mixer.

I run a line out of the mixer into a Zoom H2 digital recorder, recording the vinyl signal as WAV (16bit/44khz) onto SD Card.

That SD card then goes into my computer, I edit the file down in Fission (a GREAT piece of software) and export as ALAC.

I tag the files (using The Tagger), chuck them into iTunes and then into iVolume (to regulate the volume without affecting the file itself or its quality).

I then make FLACs from the ALACs (using MediaHuman Audio Converter, again without affecting the quality of the files, everything remains lossless) and upload them to my Vox Loop account...

this way I have my records digitised in lossless format, and have them in iTunes for listening at home and in Vox to have them on the go whereever I am, in the car, on headphones, etc....

I rip all my records this way. Best of both worlds. Means I don't need streaming services like Spotify and I get to listen to MY ACTUAL COPY of the music, not whatever random edition Spotify wants to put up.... that's important to me. Control of my music is important to me.

Ultimately it means I can get the very best out of my records too, playing the vinyl at home on my 'big' speakers, and having access to all my music wherever I am in great quality.

.
There are so many issues with what you've described above. Of course it's up to you how you listen to your music, but in case you really want to achieve the best possible transfer, please bear in mind the follings:
– (not mentioned, but obviously the turntable arm should be properly set up and you should be using a high quality and perfect condition MC cartridge instead of an MM. This would mean you'd also need an MC transformer.)
– please do yourself a favour and forget both the Pioneer mixer and the Zoom H2. Get a good phono preamp and a good audio interface instead and record straight into your computer.
– record at least in 24bit/96kHz. This is crucial, if you want to make ANY modification to the file, and you obviously do, as you need to edit it. Contrary to popular belief, editing a digital audio file ALWAYS reduces its quality at least a little bit. With every single edit you make, no matter how insignificant it is, such as deleting a second of silence at the beginning or end of the file, or changing its level even just a tiny bit, the software you're using is recalculating the entire file for every single step, and there's always a bit of information that gets lost in the process with all the rounding errors. All these rounding errors add up and can significantly ruin the sound quality of the file, especially when you're working in 16bit resolution! That's why it's really important to work at least in 24bit/96kHz even if you will only want a 16bit/44.1kHz file in the end, and it's just as important to use a high quality dither algorithm when you're done with all the editing and ready to resample to 16bit.
– any volume-changes within iTunes (or in fact within any digital media player) degrade sound quality. Of course it doesn't mean that your audio file will be replaced/overwritten. But it means that during playback your file WILL be recalculated again, as adjusting the volume (either manually, or by using any plugins) is yet another recalculation process performed on the digital audio file. If you want to listen to your audio file in its original quality, ALWAYS LEAVE THE VOLUME AT 100% WITHIN YOUR MEDIA PLAYER and never use any "volume regulating" plugins or apps. In other words: never adjust the volume of an audio file while it's in the digital domain, only when it's already converted back to analog (on your amp, for example), if you want to avoid degrading its sound quality.
.

Lesson of this thread: they should include a download code with all vinyl, so you can listen to the digital copy on the go and to the vinyl as nature intended - at home.

(FWIW: I have ripped vinyl to digitize stuff that wasn't available in that format any other way. It is a colossal PITA.)

Genesia said:

coldasice said:

Genesia said:

Lesson of this thread: they should include a download code with all vinyl, so you can listen to the digital copy on the go and to the vinyl as nature intended - at home.

(FWIW: I have ripped vinyl to digitize stuff that wasn't available in that format any other way. It is a colossal PITA.)

They’d never do that. That would eliminate the possibility of a double sale.

Yeah? Well, the fact that they don't do it (unlike most of the acts that make vinyl available) means they aren't selling ANY to me.

JoeyCococo said:

I hear on an audiophile site that the new vinyl releases of Musicology, 3121, and Planet Earth sound much better than the original cd releases. Can anyone confirm and are their digital (FLAC) rips of the vinyl out there?

can you provide a link to the audiophile site please?

Kares said:

Rimshottbob said:

I don't know about the His Majesty's Pop Life vinyl. I have no interest in that since I have all the tracks elsewhere....

I don't use Audacity... my Technics 1210 turntable is connected directly to a Pioneer mixer.

I run a line out of the mixer into a Zoom H2 digital recorder, recording the vinyl signal as WAV (16bit/44khz) onto SD Card.

That SD card then goes into my computer, I edit the file down in Fission (a GREAT piece of software) and export as ALAC.

I tag the files (using The Tagger), chuck them into iTunes and then into iVolume (to regulate the volume without affecting the file itself or its quality).

I then make FLACs from the ALACs (using MediaHuman Audio Converter, again without affecting the quality of the files, everything remains lossless) and upload them to my Vox Loop account...

this way I have my records digitised in lossless format, and have them in iTunes for listening at home and in Vox to have them on the go whereever I am, in the car, on headphones, etc....

I rip all my records this way. Best of both worlds. Means I don't need streaming services like Spotify and I get to listen to MY ACTUAL COPY of the music, not whatever random edition Spotify wants to put up.... that's important to me. Control of my music is important to me.

Ultimately it means I can get the very best out of my records too, playing the vinyl at home on my 'big' speakers, and having access to all my music wherever I am in great quality.

.
There are so many issues with what you've described above. Of course it's up to you how you listen to your music, but in case you really want to achieve the best possible transfer, please bear in mind the follings:
– (not mentioned, but obviously the turntable arm should be properly set up and you should be using a high quality and perfect condition MC cartridge instead of an MM. This would mean you'd also need an MC transformer.)
– please do yourself a favour and forget both the Pioneer mixer and the Zoom H2. Get a good phono preamp and a good audio interface instead and record straight into your computer.
– record at least in 24bit/96kHz. This is crucial, if you want to make ANY modification to the file, and you obviously do, as you need to edit it. Contrary to popular belief, editing a digital audio file ALWAYS reduces its quality at least a little bit. With every single edit you make, no matter how insignificant it is, such as deleting a second of silence at the beginning or end of the file, or changing its level even just a tiny bit, the software you're using is recalculating the entire file for every single step, and there's always a bit of information that gets lost in the process with all the rounding errors. All these rounding errors add up and can significantly ruin the sound quality of the file, especially when you're working in 16bit resolution! That's why it's really important to work at least in 24bit/96kHz even if you will only want a 16bit/44.1kHz file in the end, and it's just as important to use a high quality dither algorithm when you're done with all the editing and ready to resample to 16bit.
– any volume-changes within iTunes (or in fact within any digital media player) degrade sound quality. Of course it doesn't mean that your audio file will be replaced/overwritten. But it means that during playback your file WILL be recalculated again, as adjusting the volume (either manually, or by using any plugins) is yet another recalculation process performed on the digital audio file. If you want to listen to your audio file in its original quality, ALWAYS LEAVE THE VOLUME AT 100% WITHIN YOUR MEDIA PLAYER and never use any "volume regulating" plugins or apps. In other words: never adjust the volume of an audio file while it's in the digital domain, only when it's already converted back to analog (on your amp, for example), if you want to avoid degrading its sound quality.
.

unauthorized duplication, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing.

I have no technical specs to back it up - just my trusty ears but Planet Earth has the most noticable sound improvment to me. The track itself, PE, sounds as if all the song components are level. I used to always skip the song because the vocals were so much louder than the music and it grated my nerves a bit. All the songs on this album just sound much more level and warmer.

Genesia said:

coldasice said:

Genesia said: They’d never do that. That would eliminate the possibility of a double sale.

Yeah? Well, the fact that they don't do it (unlike most of the acts that make vinyl available) means they aren't selling ANY to me.

There is a download code for everyone of these vinyls that I've received (3121, PE, & Musicology). I have had no issues with sound quality on my end. The vinyl and digital downloads both sound great.

[Edited 3/29/19 10:53am]

nosajd said:

There is a download code for everyone of these vinyls that I've received (3121, PE, & Musicology). I have had no issues with sound quality on my end. The vinyl and digital downloads both sound great.

[Edited 3/29/19 10:53am]

.
What is the file format and resolution of the files that you get the codes for?
.

partyup77 said:

I have no technical specs to back it up - just my trusty ears but Planet Earth has the most noticable sound improvment to me. The track itself, PE, sounds as if all the song components are level. I used to always skip the song because the vocals were so much louder than the music and it grated my nerves a bit. All the songs on this album just sound much more level and warmer.

Amazing that I share the same experiences...so many Prince albums sound so bad...brickwalled...just plain bad mixes that I find I don't even listen to his these albums on my stereo. I listen in the car b/c it all sounds the same in there.

Kares said:

nosajd said:

There is a download code for everyone of these vinyls that I've received (3121, PE, & Musicology). I have had no issues with sound quality on my end. The vinyl and digital downloads both sound great.

[Edited 3/29/19 10:53am]

.
What is the file format and resolution of the files that you get the codes for?
.

Downloads are mp3 and the sample rate is 44.1K

nosajd said:

Kares said:

.
What is the file format and resolution of the files that you get the codes for?
.

Downloads are mp3 and the sample rate is 44.1K

.

Oh, okay... LOL
(Thanks)

JoeyCococo said:

I hear on an audiophile site that the new vinyl releases of Musicology, 3121, and Planet Earth sound much better than the original cd releases. Can anyone confirm and are their digital (FLAC) rips of the vinyl out there?

Is this true? I just got a brand new record player... but was afraid to get these releases in case the mastering for a new records was shitty.

I just put on the 12" b-side Irresistible Bitch... and it's sounding amazing. The subwoofer is under the couch.

Yes, I agree!! On 3121, I heard licks and sounds that I had not heard before, even in headphones. It's a more enjoyable 'surround sound', for lack of a better term. This thread has talked me into getting the other 2 new releases in vinyl since it's obviolusly not just 3121. Bet Musicology is funnnnky on new vinyl

JoeyCococo said:

I hear on an audiophile site that the new vinyl releases of Musicology, 3121, and Planet Earth sound much better than the original cd releases. Can anyone confirm and are their digital (FLAC) rips of the vinyl out there?

ufoclub said:

I’m crossing my fingers they release all the CD only albums on vinyl going backwards.

One Nite Alone is an album that would really shine on vinyl if remastered right

ufoclub said:

I’m crossing my fingers they release all the CD only albums on vinyl going backwards.

.
How about releasing all the mp3-only albums and singles on CD and in HD first? That'd be far more important than all these stupid purple vinyl rereleases.

embmmusic said:

ufoclub said:

I’m crossing my fingers they release all the CD only albums on vinyl going backwards.

One Nite Alone is an album that would really shine on vinyl if remastered right

.
First of all, no vinyl will ever sound better than the 24bit/96kHz HD audio file it is most often SOURCED FROM (but even when it's sourced from the analog master, it simply cannot ever be an as faithful and transparent reproduction as a 24/96 digital file). It will, in many ways, sound worse, no matter how many hundred thousands you spend on your turntable and arm and MC cartridge and power supply and phono stage and preamp and power amp and cables and speakers.
.
Collecting and playing vinyl are cool and nostalgic rituals that I like too, but if you think it'll ever sound even nearly as good or better than HD digital audio you're fooling yourself.
.

Second: many albums, incl. 'One Nite Alone' were never issued on vinyl before, therefore original artwork in 12" size were never created for them and I hate seeing some vinyl-reissues with low resolution artwork because they've simply blew up the CD artwork file to 12".
I most certainly do not look forward to seeing something like 'Emancipation' reissued on vinyl – that artwork was already horrible enough in CD size and the price of a 6-LP box set would be absolutely ridiculous.
.

[Edited 4/8/19 1:56am]

JoeyCococo said:

I hear on an audiophile site that the new vinyl releases of Musicology, 3121, and Planet Earth sound much better than the original cd releases. Can anyone confirm and are their digital (FLAC) rips of the vinyl out there?

Thanks for the valuable information and insights you have so provided here.

Kares said:

embmmusic said:

One Nite Alone is an album that would really shine on vinyl if remastered right

.
First of all, no vinyl will ever sound better than the 24bit/96kHz HD audio file it is most often SOURCED FROM (but even when it's sourced from the analog master, it simply cannot ever be an as faithful and transparent reproduction as a 24/96 digital file). It will, in many ways, sound worse, no matter how many hundred thousands you spend on your turntable and arm and MC cartridge and power supply and phono stage and preamp and power amp and cables and speakers.
.
Collecting and playing vinyl are cool and nostalgic rituals that I like too, but if you think it'll ever sound even nearly as good or better than HD digital audio you're fooling yourself.
.

Second: many albums, incl. 'One Nite Alone' were never issued on vinyl before, therefore original artwork in 12" size were never created for them and I hate seeing some vinyl-reissues with low resolution artwork because they've simply blew up the CD artwork file to 12".
I most certainly do not look forward to seeing something like 'Emancipation' reissued on vinyl – that artwork was already horrible enough in CD size and the price of a 6-LP box set would be absolutely ridiculous.
.

[Edited 4/8/19 1:56am]

Of course it's not going to sound better than the source. I'm not an idiot, don't try to paint me as one. You say an analogue master won't sound as faithful and transparent as a 24/96 HD file - now that's just false.

Kares said:

– record at least in 24bit/96kHz. This is crucial, if you want to make ANY modification to the file, and you obviously do, as you need to edit it. Contrary to popular belief, editing a digital audio file ALWAYS reduces its quality at least a little bit. With every single edit you make, no matter how insignificant it is, such as deleting a second of silence at the beginning or end of the file, or changing its level even just a tiny bit, the software you're using is recalculating the entire file for every single step, and there's always a bit of information that gets lost in the process with all the rounding errors. All these rounding errors add up and can significantly ruin the sound quality of the file, especially when you're working in 16bit resolution! That's why it's really important to work at least in 24bit/96kHz even if you will only want a 16bit/44.1kHz file in the end, and it's just as important to use a high quality dither algorithm when you're done with all the editing and ready to resample to 16bit.

I'm not sure where you're getting your information but that is not true at all. What kind of crappy budget editing software are you using?

embmmusic said:

Kares said:

.
First of all, no vinyl will ever sound better than the 24bit/96kHz HD audio file it is most often SOURCED FROM (but even when it's sourced from the analog master, it simply cannot ever be an as faithful and transparent reproduction as a 24/96 digital file). It will, in many ways, sound worse, no matter how many hundred thousands you spend on your turntable and arm and MC cartridge and power supply and phono stage and preamp and power amp and cables and speakers.
.
Collecting and playing vinyl are cool and nostalgic rituals that I like too, but if you think it'll ever sound even nearly as good or better than HD digital audio you're fooling yourself.
.

Second: many albums, incl. 'One Nite Alone' were never issued on vinyl before, therefore original artwork in 12" size were never created for them and I hate seeing some vinyl-reissues with low resolution artwork because they've simply blew up the CD artwork file to 12".
I most certainly do not look forward to seeing something like 'Emancipation' reissued on vinyl – that artwork was already horrible enough in CD size and the price of a 6-LP box set would be absolutely ridiculous.
.

[Edited 4/8/19 1:56am]

Of course it's not going to sound better than the source. I'm not an idiot, don't try to paint me as one. You say an analogue master won't sound as faithful and transparent as a 24/96 HD file - now that's just false.

.
What I actually said is that a REPRODUCTION OF an analog master on vinyl will never be as faithful and transparent as a 24/96 digital transfer. And like it or not, these are facts. Read about vinyl mastering and the anatomy of turntables and what tricks and compromises are needed to try to reproduce the sound of the source program as closely as possible, if you wish, I don't want to write a book here.
.

embmmusic said:

Kares said:

– record at least in 24bit/96kHz. This is crucial, if you want to make ANY modification to the file, and you obviously do, as you need to edit it. Contrary to popular belief, editing a digital audio file ALWAYS reduces its quality at least a little bit. With every single edit you make, no matter how insignificant it is, such as deleting a second of silence at the beginning or end of the file, or changing its level even just a tiny bit, the software you're using is recalculating the entire file for every single step, and there's always a bit of information that gets lost in the process with all the rounding errors. All these rounding errors add up and can significantly ruin the sound quality of the file, especially when you're working in 16bit resolution! That's why it's really important to work at least in 24bit/96kHz even if you will only want a 16bit/44.1kHz file in the end, and it's just as important to use a high quality dither algorithm when you're done with all the editing and ready to resample to 16bit.

I'm not sure where you're getting your information but that is not true at all. What kind of crappy budget editing software are you using?

.
Like it or not, it is true.

.

I know it can be difficult to understand, as most people think that as long as something (an audio recording or a photo etc) is digital, you can do almost anything to it, it will remain perfect quality, while of course nothing can be further from the truth.
Most people don't even understand that you cannot even rotate a photo by anything other than 90 degrees without a drop in resolution...

.
Anyway, there are tons of great books and courses out there if you want to learn about digital audio, especially about the process called 'dither' and why it is necessary. But in a nutshell: everything in DSP is a result of calculations and with every calculation you are adding to the wordlength and those extra numbers will have to be discarded or rounded up to the original wordlength so there are always some errors that will add up when performing several processes and those will result in distortion.
.

[Edited 4/8/19 6:56am]