Fremer is very sure they are digital. The top end ceiling he talks about is a consistent artifact of high res digital vs analog mastering - what a pity.
If these are indeed digital, why not just give us the actual high res files? Why do I need to listen through a piece of plastic?
Any transfer made in 2011 (or by that time) will be used now, I'm 99,9% sure. They don't just play with master tapes all the time... But people should keep in mind that the transfer of the tapes to digital is NOT mastering. Using the 2011 transfers is NOT using the 2011 mastering for the new vinyl releases. Those are two different things, two different steps in the chain
This thread is starting to descend into complaining about "digital transfers" before anyone on this forum has heard a thing. This is my biggest pet peeve of this place. At least the Radiohead thread didn't really start complaining about DR values until the files were available...
The reason people are complaining is that vinyl is gradually being degraded by using digital files 90-odd percent of the time and many of us who have invested heavily in our analog setup feel short-changed. Its an analog format for christ sake so why not create an analog product for once?!
A lot of us complain or better yet raise a hand of concern because we can usually tell the benefits of a fully analog cut as opposed to a cut from a digital file. Expectations are always hoping for the best. Yes, agree with you not to fully judge until listening but concerns about sources naturally exist. Let's be real (or try to be). If there were two releases by the same team, let's say U.S. or Europe and one was from a digital cut and the other was full analog which would people most likely go out of their way to get? The same folks doing the mastering/cutting. I would go for the analog. Why? My listening and buying experience tells me that version would be better. If I am wrong then shame on me.
Reading his article, i felt he was inferring that he knew as with the Bowie reissues. He also gave it 8, which i think is a pretty average score..
The last time Piper was reissued was....what, 20 years ago or something. Surely they could run the tape to cut this new reissue? EDIT: Digital can sound good but analog often has a better chance of sounding better. The 2011 WYWH was fantastic imo, but the others were pretty bang average sounding and this is often the case!
I guess at least in Fremer's opinion they sound decent and have nice covers. Probably the best we could have hoped for considering it was fairly obvious these were going to be cut from digital.
I have a UK Nice Pair, and I will check this tonight, if nobody else does before then. I got this copy because it was pretty much the cheapest way to get these two albums on vinyl for many years, as it has the original UK Piper tracks.
I don't read Fremer's reviews religiously, but it seems to me that anything 8 or under, by his standard, is seriously lacking something to his ears. If he really likes something, it's a 10 all the way. I think I've seen him give something an 11, but I may be misremenbering. But hey, I'll take an 8 from anybody. I was afraid he'd mark it a 6 or something.
Or Island duck egg inner sleeves that actually aren't but images of same imposed on an actual inner sleeve.
The mind boggles. Here you guys are mulling over what Fremer really meant when he gave it an 8, when he specifically said: "Still, considering the improvement in dynamics, bass response and the overall improved tonal balance, plus great packaging, this is an easy to recommend reissue..."
Is he admitting? He could point it out for completely other reasons, then you think. Plus he is a blogger and have to follow some rules. After I've read the article, I am - to the contrary - absolutely sure, that they are mastered digitally. Besides: there are pretty good pressing out there, all mastered digital. However, NONE of them is able to keep up with a GOOD (I'd say properbly) analog mastering (imo). This is a huge project, with serious money involved (and for sure expected to make some) with the material of one of the biggest bands ever. How f..... u.. is an industry, that doesn't make that little extra effort (compared to the dimension of the whole) in this case. I just don't get it... Hopefully we get it maybe with a later Mono project. Sorry for my clumsy english, but I think, I made my point ;-)
And he's talking about The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, an album not usually associated with great dynamics. That's a huge improvement right there.
Honest question... would Fremer give a 10 out of 10 to something that was not an audiophile/great recording to begin with... but that the best that could be done with the tapes was done? If Piper was never an audiophile recording... which I suspect it wasn't... perhaps a 9 is as high as he ever might have gone anyway....
