HDTracks News (part 6)

I got the JB 24/192 last night too. Sound good -- I'm happy.

For some reason, I don't have any of my CDs on hand to compare... but I think it sounds about on par "mastering-wise" as what I remember. Gritty, dirty 60s soul, not hi-fi stuff for sure. But the hi-res allows you to hear everything. Reverb, horns, the snap of the snare sounds really good.

 

Don't rule out the stereo mix until you've heard the SACD. The HDTracks version didn't do much for me either.

 

Thanks. I've been considering that one as well!

 

Yes. The APO SACD (mastered by Kevin Gray) of Dusty in Memphis is perfect. That's my stereo version, no contest.

I do think like the mono mix better -- at the moment anyway! The density adds to the ambience. It sounds more concentrated. It sounds older (in a good way) with more feeling. I would bet its a dedicated mix, but that's merely a hunch.

Strangely I don't mind the HDtracks version's brightness on the mono -- whereas it was too much on the stereo.

 

Dusty in mono sounds fantastic. The stereo versions I've had include the Rhino (IIRC) CD reissue with the bonus tracks, the Australia CD from 1990 or thereabouts (very nice sounding!) and the Kevin Gray AP remaster, on vinyl. And I think I prefer the mono mix to all of them.

 

Upcoming releases this week on HDtracks...

Eric Clapton& Friends - The Breeze (An Appreciation of JJ Cale)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Hypnotic Eye
Shabazz Palaces - Lese Majesty
Theory of a Deadman - Savages
The Young Rascals - Groovin' (Mono)
James Brown - Get On Up - The James Brown Story (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
ADELITAS WAY - Stuck
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Mardi Gras
Stevie Wonder - Music Of My Mind
Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela & Gustavo Dudamel - The Liberator / Libertador (Original Soundtrack)
Maria Joao Pires, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra & Daniel Harding - Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 4
Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra - Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherezade, Op. 35
Ralph Sharon Trio - The Ralph Sharon Trio (Remastered 2014)

And more!

 

Still hoping the Allman Bros show up tomorrow...

 

Has "Music of My Mind" ever had a HiRes release of any kind?

 

None that I'm aware of. I've got the Motown remaster from a decade or so back and think it sounds great for the vintage - better than Talking Book in some ways. I've never fully gotten into the album as much as I have his later works, so I don't know if I'm in the market for this or not.

 

There's the Audio Fidelity gold CD, but no hi-rez that I know of.

 

Note: La Roux is available at 96/24. Electronic/Dance Grammy winners last year. I am thinking of getting it just because ...

I will get "Music of My Mind" whenever there is a sale. I have always liked this a bit more than "Talking Book".

 

I'm up for Music of My Mind as well. I also see that Pro Studio Masters now has Secret Life of Plants which probably means that HDTracks will get it soon. It will be the first record I ever was involved with to have a hi-res release. I'll get it for sure and compare it to my studio tapes from those sessions.

OTOH, I was at a session for Songs In The Key of Life, which did have a hd release, but I was just a visitor so it doesn't really count.

 

Anyone been able to find Groovin' on the site?

 

Oooh. I had a friend 20 years ago who said I'd love Secret Life Of Plants, but I've never picked it up. It was an early digital recording wasn't it? Are these "high-res" releases taken from analog safeties or something? Or did they use the original deck to play back the master, then re-digitize it as high-def audio? A lot of those old decks had linearity issues with their A/D converters - which they compensated for by having matching D/A converters for each channel - so that would likely be the best option, even if it introduces a single analog "generation".

 

Disappointing that Hypnotic Eye is only 48/24 ...

 

Still pretty good and much better than redbook. I might have expected higher resolution from Mr. Petty though.

 

The resolution isn't the selling feature....the fact the DR is vastly superior is the important difference from the redbook.

 

IIRC, Mojo was 24/48, too.

 

I agree DR is more important but still it's disappointing that we can't have both DR and resolution. This is a new album so why not go all the way and give us the best possible SQ?

 

Isn't it 15% off right now?

 

Ask Ryan the producer...he's in the Tom Petty- Hypnotic Eye thread all the time. Try to ask nicely though...a few members don't know how to ask him a challenging question without being a butt about it.

 

The Tom Petty sounds very good, and it's a real treat to have access to a properly mastered version, even if it isn't at 96 or 192.

 

Weird. I've noticed quite a few "new albums" being only available in 24/48k. I suspect there's either a commonly used studio or a mastering facility that is setup with these specs. Time for an update fellas!!

That said, 24/48 is much, much better than 16/44k. No question.

 

Yes, Music of My Mind is 15% with the code. I almost got it last last night -- the samples sounded soooo good. Still might. But my Audio Fidelity gold disc is more than likely better mastered (as has been the case with the other Stevie titles offered by both retailers). But the deep n' wide resolution of 24/192 would be really cool.

trying to hold out...

 

It's most definitely not a digital recording. I can't say about the mix, but I have a few analog mixes for sure which were made from analog 2" tape.

In some ways I prefer my rough mixes to the 192k HDTracks versions, though they're sparser and missing a few mix elements that made it to the final mix. That said, they also contain some mix elements that didn't make the final mix.

Oddly, my files are only 48k-24b, yet they seem to have more depth and a more homogenized sound. I guess part of that is that they're not eq'd like the final mix. I haven't listened to much more than the first 3 songs, since those are the only three I have rough mixes of, but so far I'm a tad disappointed. It's possible that it is a digital mix and that might explain my impressions.

I'll listen more and firm up my impressions at another listening session.