Dire Straits: Remastered CDs vs originals ?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by mhw58, Jan 19, 2008.

  1. shaboo

    shaboo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bonn, Germany
    IIRC the recommended version ist the SHM-SACD, while the SHM-CD is just a 100% clone of the 96 remaster.
     
  2. PROG U.K.

    PROG U.K. Audiophile-Anglophile

    Location:
    New England
    The Platinum SHM disc is not a clone of the 96 remaster.
     
  3. stillrockin

    stillrockin Forum Resident

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    Among a few recent acquisitions I got an unremastered US copy of the self titled cd for the longer versions. I have say that I was pretty disappointed with the sonics they are not as good as the West German swirl cd. So not all originals are necessarily better imho.
     
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  4. SteveS1

    SteveS1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Weald, England, UK
    Not correct. The 2013 SHM CD/Platinum SHM CDs share a new flat transfer mastering. Easily the best this album has sounded on CD and nothing like the 96.
     
  5. shaboo

    shaboo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bonn, Germany
    I stand corrected. There are simply too many releases and re-releases of the DS catalogue. Obviously I confused the 2010 SHM-CDs with the 2013 ones.
     
  6. testikoff

    testikoff Seasoned n00b

    I think WB CD of DS - DS is not bad at all (perhaps a tad less bright than early Vertigo CD & 2011 SHM-SACD). It, however, has polarity reversed compared to other digital releases of the album (including 2013 Pt/non-Pt SHM-CD).
     
  7. SteveS1

    SteveS1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Weald, England, UK
    Ah yes quite possibly, I didn't bother with the 2010 luckily.
     
  8. ranasakawa

    ranasakawa Forum Resident

    I own all the original 1980s CDs. They sound great to me. I did get the SACD of Brothers In Arms and it isn't any better than the original 1985 CD.
     
    princesskiki and mdm08033 like this.
  9. mdm08033

    mdm08033 Senior Member

    I agree. I started out with the 1996 remasters, checked out the originals and slowly traded towards originals. Based on extensive listening to original USA, West German and Japanese issues they all sound wonderful. If you have the disposable cash and SACD capability you are welcome to experiment with the SHM-SACD issues, but dollar for dollar common original issues are the best.

    Cheers, Michael
     
  10. The 2013 SHM-CDs (not SACDs) from Japan are the best sounding editions of the Dire Straits albums. They are DSD transfers which were then transferred to 24bit/174.6kHz. Making Movies and On Every Street are included in this series, but they carry the same 1996 remasters that are on the main remastered editions. The 1996 remasters were done by Bob Ludwig. The 2013 SHM-CDs that carry the new DSD sourced mastering were done by Japanese engineers. I have these so I have the liner notes to hand.

    The SHM-CD 2013 version of Brothers In Arms (digitally recorded and mixed) was transferred to DSD from an analogue EQd master that was used for the original vinyl pressings.
     
    Last edited: Feb 3, 2015
    Linger63 likes this.
  11. PROG U.K.

    PROG U.K. Audiophile-Anglophile

    Location:
    New England
    First batch of DS SHM SACDs was botched by Universal. Stick with the WG swirls for the first 4.
     
  12. Botched in what way?
     
  13. PROG U.K.

    PROG U.K. Audiophile-Anglophile

    Location:
    New England
    Inferior sources and questionable EQ.
     
  14. bmoregnr

    bmoregnr Forum Rezident

    Location:
    1060 W. Addison
    I had never heard that. Assuming you are talking about the s/t of course, I just got the shm-sacd 100 release [we are assuming at this point it is the same 2011 shm-sacd mastering] and I was kind of thrown off that it was well different than the WB in ways I did not expect. It was not eq or anything, I could use algebra to account for that, and it seemed to be something beyond a hi res explanation, maybe the modern transfer was throwing me off vs. the version that I have known for so long, say like perhaps the recent Led Zeps or even the two Steely Dan shm-sacds last year. I was not ready to determine which one I liked yet because I was thrown off by it so much. Now that you say that, I will listen if it could be more of the explanation.
     
  15. If you're referring to the 2013 SHM-CDs, they were sourced from the original analogue masters in London, according to the liner notes. The rest of the work was done by Japanese engineers.

    Do you mean that's false information? It wouldn't be the first time for Universal.

    The 2013 SHM-CDs of Making Movies and On Every Street use the 1996 remaster instead which is stated in the liner notes.
     
    SteveS1 likes this.
  16. SteveS1

    SteveS1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Weald, England, UK
    Folks we are getting some conflicting information here.

    The first four DS albums are all absolutely fine in original form. Whether US WB or WG and Japan Targets or WG Red and Blue Swirls. There are some differences in running times (sultans of swing for example) where the Japan Target and US let the closing guitar solo run and others cut it short. But mastering wise none of these should disappoint.

    There then followed re-masters from 96 that were not as good, but certainly not as bad as some. A little added compression and a bit bright were the main criticisms YMMV etc.

    Fast forward to 2010 SHM CD and SHM SACD, the first issues used the same tapes as the 96 remasters, as far as I can tell. Certainly nothing special.

    Then came the 2013 Platinum SHM CD and non Platinum SHM CDs. Two of these, the S/T and LOG were remastered from the analogue tapes. Whether or not you buy the Platinum version depends on whether you believe the disc material makes it sound better on physical playback or you like the packaging. The source is the same.

    The 2013 SHM CDs of Dire Straits and Love Over Gold are, imo the best digital versions out there. The S/T by quite a margin, Love Over Gold is much closer. The original LOG red and blue swirls are fantastic discs for peanuts. The Dire Straits S/T 2013 SHM or Platinum SHM, is well worth the extra.

    I was hoping against hope that Communique and MM would get the same treatment but alas, not so far.
     
    Last edited: Feb 4, 2015
  17. Limopard

    Limopard National Dex #143

    Location:
    Leipzig, Germany
    The only Dire Straits CD that sounds really bad to me is the 2005 SACD of Brothers In Arms. Both stereo versions (DSD and Red Book) are almost unlistenable.

    The 1996 remasters are quite nice, the originals are not bad either. Original s/t (at least the European one) has early fades on "Sultans" and "Lions", the original "Making Movies" has some early fades too.

    I don't bother much for "Communique", the album itself is quite boring for me and the sound is somewhat muffled.

    Both version of "Love Over Gold" are very good. It depends on someones taste, which one is preferable.

    The original "Brothers In Arms" sounds somewhat thin, the 1996 remaster is beefier, but can be slightly fatiguing in the upper frequency ranges. The MFSL is my preference for listening in quiet environments, for mobile listening I prefer the 1996 version. Nevertheless I keep my 1985 original as a prime example of early DDD produced CDs.

    I think, the sound of the original 1991 "On Every Street" is perfect. No need for the remaster, which isn't bad itself. But the added brightness removes some of the smooth, relaxed feel of the album.
     
  18. Plan9

    Plan9 Mastering Engineer

    Location:
    Toulouse, France
    No, the 2010 SHM-CDs used the '96 remasters, while the 2011 SHM-SACDs were new DSD transfers from Japanese copy tapes.
     
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  19. Plan9

    Plan9 Mastering Engineer

    Location:
    Toulouse, France
    No, he's referring to the 2011 SHM-SACDs. See my post above.
     
  20. Plan9

    Plan9 Mastering Engineer

    Location:
    Toulouse, France
    What is unclear to me is that Communiqué was reissued in 2014 on Plat. SHM-CD with a DSD flat transfer from "US original analogue master tapes": is it the same mastering as the 2011 SHM-SACD?
    I thought it was from a Japanese copy tape but I can remember it wrong.
     
  21. Lucidae

    Lucidae AAD

    Location:
    Australia
    If I recall correctly it was a reissue and not a remaster.
     
    Plan9 likes this.
  22. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    So where do the 2000 remasters fit in? Or are these re-presses of the 96's?
     
  23. Limopard

    Limopard National Dex #143

    Location:
    Leipzig, Germany
    Re-presses of the 1996 remasters, afaik.
     
    c-eling likes this.
  24. ROLO46

    ROLO46 Forum Resident

    My originals all sound good except Making Movies which is slightly flawed from inception
    The US recording just doesn't sound as good as the previous UK studios
    Love over Gold always got stick for being a bit noisy,low level piano tracks
    Brothers in Arms was the answer to that criticism, like Avalon ,the sound of a wonderful Neve desk
     
  25. PROG U.K.

    PROG U.K. Audiophile-Anglophile

    Location:
    New England
    I am referring to the first batch of SHM SACDS which were from Japanese copy tapes.
     

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