djfine said:

Has there been any discussion on the beginning of track two? On CD, download and streaming it begins with a 1999-style explosion (basically the end of 1999) before the LRC beat fades in.

This seems like a new ending to the album version of 1999, a new beginning to LRC and a strange point to split the tracks. Or is this just me?

That's the first thing I did; re-edit the beginning of LRC to the point where I think it ought to begin.

You can't have LRC start with the end of 1999, that's just weird.

My set arrived yesterday after being backordered, immediately popped in the remastered album...

.

In a word: sumptuous. THIS is an absolutely smashing remaster. I initially planned to spot check each track for an overall sense of the remastering before moving onto the other discs.

.

COULD. NOT. STOP. LISTENING. Became fully engrossed in the album, just had to hear it all.

.

To my ears, this is akin to the earlier CD being in "2-D" and the remaster being in "3-D." After becoming cynical over the years about various highly-touted "remastering" jobs, only to find egregious compression (or simply remasters that didn't sound appreciably improved from prior releases), it is refreshing to hear something so tastefully and respectfully done.

.

Rounder bass, harder-thumping kick drum, and layers of instrumentation that now cut through like never before. The guitar on "All the Critics," various subtleties of rhythm track changes in "Automatic," there are details throughout the album that - while always there, of course - have added body and dimension.

.

All the while, there is an analog-oriented warmth (for lack of a better word - maybe "organic" is what I'm looking for) to the sound, rather than a harsh, overly-bright, sonic sheen.

LoveGalore said:

dualboot said:

Do many people here know these versions and comparisons? I heard it earlier from a friend of mine.

Somebody here mentioned the Automatic fade out and strange mix decisions.

I REALLY think we need separate threads to investigate the differences in the remaster. For ex- a thread comparing the audio channel swaps, a thread testing the brickwalling people claim, etc.

There have been a lot of random call outs of issues with very very very little actual presentation around them. The remaster sounds incredible to me, but if you read the comments it is a very mixed bag. I want the receipts.

For the reciepts I would say the best way to listen for the swapped audio is to compare your different versions of them - for me with my HD Tracks download the channels are 100 percent swapped compared to the remaster

CAL3 said:

My set arrived yesterday after being backordered, immediately popped in the remastered album...

.

In a word: sumptuous. THIS is an absolutely smashing remaster. I initially planned to spot check each track for an overall sense of the remastering before moving onto the other discs.

.

COULD. NOT. STOP. LISTENING. Became fully engrossed in the album, just had to hear it all.

.

To my ears, this is akin to the earlier CD being in "2-D" and the remaster being in "3-D." After becoming cynical over the years about various highly-touted "remastering" jobs, only to find egregious compression (or simply remasters that didn't sound appreciably improved from prior releases), it is refreshing to hear something so tastefully and respectfully done.

.

Rounder bass, harder-thumping kick drum, and layers of instrumentation that now cut through like never before. The guitar on "All the Critics," various subtleties of rhythm track changes in "Automatic," there are details throughout the album that - while always there, of course - have added body and dimension.

.

All the while, there is an analog-oriented warmth (for lack of a better word - maybe "organic" is what I'm looking for) to the sound, rather than a harsh, overly-bright, sonic sheen.

I totally agree.This remastering is superb!

The remaster does sound loads better than the horrible Purple Rain remaster in my opinion. This 1999 remaster may have less dynamic range, however there is no clipping present and sounds dynamic enough to be enjoyable - there seems to be a more tame high end and a more prominent low end which helps make the album sound less thin and more full bodied

ForceofNature said:

there is no clipping present

Wrong.

FunkyStrange said:

ForceofNature said:

there is no clipping present

Wrong.

I will post below the DR reading I had on my download of the 44.1/24 download

[Edited 12/17/19 0:32am]

DR, Peak, RMS, Filename

----------------------------------------------------------

DR9 -0.10 dB -12.02 dB 8. Free (2019 Remaster).wav

DR8 -0.10 dB -9.86 dB 1. 1999 (2019 Remaster).wav

DR7 -0.10 dB -9.63 dB 2. Little Red Corvette (2019 Remaster).wav

DR7 -0.10 dB -9.85 dB 6. Automatic (2019 Remaster).wav

DR8 -0.10 dB -10.16 dB 3. Delirious (2019 Remaster).wav

DR10 -0.10 dB -11.74 dB 9. Lady Cab Driver (2019 Remaster).wav

DR7 -0.10 dB -8.97 dB 5. D.M.S.R. (2019 Remaster).wav

DR11 -0.10 dB -12.76 dB 10. All The Critics Love U In New York (2019 Remaster).wav

DR8 -0.10 dB -11.68 dB 11. International Lover (2019 Remaster).wav

DR8 -0.10 dB -9.69 dB 4. Let's Pretend We're Married (2019 Remaster).wav

DR9 -0.10 dB -12.27 dB 7. Something In The Water (Does Not Compute) (2019 Remaster).wav

[Edited 12/17/19 0:41am]

Gave the album a listen through again, and heard no audible examples of any clipping - although the dynamic range is lessened it is neither clipping or brickwalled. Overall while the HD Tracks mastering is good, the full bodied low-end filled remaster sounds more complete to my ears, the dynamic range is suprisingly decent when you listen to it despite what numbers may pop up

ForceofNature said:

LoveGalore said:

ForceofNature said:

Gave the album a listen through again, and heard no audible examples of any clipping - although the dynamic range is lessened it is neither clipping or brickwalled. Overall while the HD Tracks mastering is good, the full bodied low-end filled remaster sounds more complete to my ears, the dynamic range is suprisingly decent when you listen to it despite what numbers may pop up

I do not hear any clipping either and the screenshots of the tracks pulled up in (I believe) Audacity show it isn't brickwalled. People have some soft ears up on the org.

Agreed. I always say before anything else, trust your ears above looking at data, even though data can be useful to look at. The latest Tool album is a DR9 and sounds fantastic and dynamic as well. Based on both my waveform analysis and my ears, I do not hear any clipping or any distortion that didn't already exist on the previous masterings (unlike the Josh Welton mastered PR which adds clipping and distortion to it - example would be the synth stabs during the instrumental break of Darling Nikki)

ForceofNature said:

DR, Peak, RMS, Filename

----------------------------------------------------------

.

What do DR, Peak, RMS or filename say about clipping?

udo said:

ForceofNature said:

DR, Peak, RMS, Filename

----------------------------------------------------------

.

What do DR, Peak, RMS or filename say about clipping?

DR is essentially to compare and see the amount of compression used, and you use the peak as well as looking at the waveform to assess whether clipping occurs

ForceofNature said:

udo said:

.

What do DR, Peak, RMS or filename say about clipping?

DR is essentially to compare and see the amount of compression used, and you use the peak as well as looking at the waveform to assess whether clipping occurs

.

I'd say that looking at the wave itself is the only way to actually see clipping if present at all.

These numbers indicate nothing.

udo said:

ForceofNature said:

DR is essentially to compare and see the amount of compression used, and you use the peak as well as looking at the waveform to assess whether clipping occurs

.

I'd say that looking at the wave itself is the only way to actually see clipping if present at all.

These numbers indicate nothing.

The numbers are the waves. The waves are the numbers. You look at the waves to see the representation of what the numbers say, either one says the same thing. The peak will tell you if it is clipping.

ForceofNature said:

udo said:

.

I'd say that looking at the wave itself is the only way to actually see clipping if present at all.

These numbers indicate nothing.

The numbers are the waves. The waves are the numbers. You look at the waves to see the representation of what the numbers say, either one says the same thing. The peak will tell you if it is clipping.

.

Peak can be zero without clipping.

And peak can be below zero with clipping-like flatness on the waves.

That all depends on the compressors, limiters, etc, and how they were employed.

udo said:

ForceofNature said:

The numbers are the waves. The waves are the numbers. You look at the waves to see the representation of what the numbers say, either one says the same thing. The peak will tell you if it is clipping.

.

Peak can be zero without clipping.

And peak can be below zero with clipping-like flatness on the waves.

That all depends on the compressors, limiters, etc, and how they were employed.

In this case that data + ears is an easy judge. I have listened to it many times and there is definitely no clipping present unlike the PR remaster which had tons of audible distortion unfortunately. Glad it was done right for this release

[Edited 12/21/19 22:38pm]

i can finally listen to this album on CD..it was way too low before..sounds excellent

Still loving this remaster. Miles ahead of the existing mid-80s CD master, and unlike the Purple Rain remaster you can tell that it was done with painstaking attention to detail. For an album of this magnitude it was absolutely necessary.

PurpleCreme said:

Still loving this remaster. Miles ahead of the existing mid-80s CD master, and unlike the Purple Rain remaster you can tell that it was done with painstaking attention to detail. For an album of this magnitude it was absolutely necessary.

I totally agree. It is even better than the HDTracks version from a few years back too, Bernie Grundman did a great job in emphasizing the bass and rolling off the high end a tad so that the recording as a whole is fuller bodied and warm