I think content-wise they are great. I think Dr. Toby Mountain just killed them with bad EQ decisions. They sound pretty thin to me.
Anybody try something like this on a RYKO? http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...cter-to-the-ryko-bowie-cds.31021/#post-562844 Forum lesson in EQ NUMBER ONE: You do not add EQ, you subtract the bad EQ already there, first! Try removing 2 db at 8K, 1 at 6k. Add a db at 80 cycles and one at 250 and see if this does it for you.. I haven't heard these CD's in a very long time. Some of that Bowie "sound" is that Trident console doing it's usual solid state thing....The rest is a mastering choice. Anyone know of a inexpensive parametric computer software equalizer that sounds okay?
I've never tried those specific eq suggestions... I just adjust the bass and treble knobs and they sound pretty good to me. The Rykos were the first CDs I got for Bowie and I'll never get rid of them. I have a few RCAs for my favs and they do sound better and no need for any knob twists.
I roughly followed those instructions using Audacity - it did improve the overall EQ on the two Rykos I have (well in my case UK EMIs from 1990) - Hunky Dory and Aladdin Sane.
I've tried boosting bass and cutting treble with tone controls. I made them sound better to me, but not really good enough to satisfy me. (Tone controls vary so much between devices that one would have at least somewhat different results than I have.) I'm very happy with the RCA CDs (mostly the "for Europe" ones) that I have. Some, for example Low and Heroes, could sound better to me - enjoyable to listen to but kind of dark compared to my LPs. I keep thinking that one day I'll try Steve Hoffman's EQ recommendations but never seem to get around to it.
I want 1/4 speed AAA mastering, 1 inch thick covers and heavy duty anti-static sleeves please. Plus a full size blow-up Bowie for the wife. Any announcements yet?
While I don't doubt that some of the RCA CDs do indeed come from EQ'd dub tapes (the slightly compressed WG Hunky Dory for example), quite a few of them show signs of being from the actual masters (Man Who Sold The World for example). For those ones there's none of the added tape hiss, stereo image smearing or other distortions associated with EQ'd production masters and such. The later Ryko/EMI/Virgin CDs for those titles don't show any signs of being sourced from better tapes.
I'd have to respectfully disagree, but each to his/her own. I find the 1990/91 UK EMIs (some Rykos are different masterings) the best of the lot overall, BUT with EQ applied. Listened to 'flat', I can see why people would prefer the RCAs. I have complete sets of both, and prefer the UK EMIs. Neither are ideal though - I'm crossing my fingers for this new set, but have a feeling they'll be compressed like the 'recent' Ziggy & Aladdin Sane releases).
Dammit. $199 was an ideal price point, since I'm kind of indifferent about the live stuff they're using to jack up the price.
Not at all...undoubtedly much closer to the masters in generation than the RCAs. The primary criticism around here of the Rykos is that they are trebly, but I can't really imagine the late 70s masters having less treble.
Amazon.fr has it up for 130 euro, which works out almost equal to the US dollar at present and includes shipping.
I created a price tracker thread in the Coupon and Deals forum for the vinyl box. Currently $191 shipped to the US from amazon.it.
