I haven't made a comparison, other than to a reissued vinyl copy I have. It sounds good in its own right.
Updated list with additional information for mastering 3: Mastering #1 EAC peak levels: 85.8% / 100.0% (no pre-emphasis) DR Peak RMS Duration: n.a. Japan Virgin VDP-64 pressing with matrix "VDP 64 1 2B13 (JVC)" Mastering #2 EAC peak levels: 93.0% / 100.0% (pre-emphasis) DR Peak RMS Duration: n.a. 32VD-1010 Japan pressing - matrix "32VD-1010 3A1 TO" or "32VD-1010 11+++++ (Sony)" Mastering #3 EAC peak levels: 80.3% / 74.0% (pre-emphasis) DR Peak RMS Duration (de-emphasized): DR13 -4.10 dB -22.33 dB 25:34 / DR15 -3.49 dB -23.37 dB 23:18 CDV 2001 - no barcode, light blue face, black text on CD, West German PolyGram pressing - matrix "CDV 2001 2891087 01" Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells CDV 2001 - silver face, black text on CD - matrix "CDV 2001 2891087 01" Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells Mastering #4 EAC peak levels: 100% / 100% (no pre-emphasis) DR Peak RMS Duration: DR13 0.00 dB -18.30 dB 25:33 / DR15 0.00 dB -19.27 dB 23:22 CDV2001 - no barcode, silver face, red text on CD - matrix "CDV 2001 :.: MASTERED BY NIMBUS" Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells Mastering #5 EAC peak levels: 100% / 99.7% (no pre-emphasis) DR Peak RMS Duration: DR15 0.00 dB -19.58 dB 25:30 / DR15 -0.03 dB -20.51 dB 23:20 CDV2001 0777 7 86007 2 5 - barcode, silver face, red text on CD, manufactured in Holland - matrix "786007 @ 4 1-1-12-NL" Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells Mastering #6 EAC peal levels: 93.1 % / 95.3 % DR Peak RMS Duration: n.a. V2 0777 7 86007 2 5 (Short version: V2 86007) - Made in Canada - matrix: "Disque Americ V5W1<113>V286007" Mastering #7 EAC peak levels 98.7% / 100.0%. DR Peak RMS Duration: DR12 -0.11 dB -16.68 dB 25:37 / DR11 0.00 dB -15.44 dB 23:20 CDVX2001 7243 8 45658 2 4 - "25th Anniversary Edition" - matrix "EMI UDEN 845682 @ 3" Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells Mastering #8 EAC peak levels 97.2% / 97.2% 0777 7 86007 2 5 V2-86007 (Short version: V2-86007) - 1973 Virgin Records Ltd. Issued Under License in the United States by Virgin Records America, Inc. - Manufactured by Capitol Records, Inc. - matrix: "Mastered by EMI Mfg. IFPI LO43 86007 ifpi 1603" Mastering #9 EAC peak levels: 100% / 100% (no pre-emphasis) DR Peak RMS Duration: DR15 0.00 dB -20.0 dB 25:30 / DR15 -0.03 dB -21.1 dB 23:20 CDV2001 0777 7 86007 2 5 - 5 012981 200121 barcode, silver face, red text on CD, matrix 786007 3 : 1 : 10 EMI SWINDON Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells
I ended up with three of these now, only because the CDV 2001 Light Blue Face I found not too long ago ripped ok and deemphasized fine, but was beat to hell so I was worried about it on my player long term; then in one store I found a CDV 2001 Red Text Nimbus, and also this one which I didn’t see mentioned here yet a US Club edition https://www.discogs.com/Mike-Oldfield-Tubular-Bells/release/1196501 I understand the Red Text Nimbus doesn’t need deemphasis, and it sounds like it didn’t, and that seems the same for the US Club, although XLD doesn’t seem to ever detect it, so only going by my experience with the Blue Face before and after. The US Club has 100% peaks for both tracks, but it sounds different than the Red Text Nimbus. Now I should say I was on my office system, no level matching, and frankly I am not going to beat my head trying to find differences as in my book the music doesn’t lend itself to that or it will drive you bonkers trying depending on your perspective; but the first thing I noticed when Part Two starts is how much more hiss is on the US Club, while not sounding quite as full range as the Red Text Nimbus, also 100% peaks.
XLD will detect pre-emphasis but you have to configure it to show it. Also it's a bit awkward, because you have to force XLD to create a .cue file, and look in the cue file for the PRE flag. I don't have the exact settings for you, but they are in another thread on this forum.
Thanks, it is creating cue files already but I didn't think of looking there; and I will research the detection settings as well. Also I notice DR is being used in this thread to track the different masterings so I will run that tonight.
Per the cue files below, it looks like the US Club BMG is flagged Pre. I deemphasized it with xAct and these were the peak levels of the subsequent file with XLD. TOC of the selected file Track | Start | Length | Start sector | End sector --------------------------------------------------------- 1 | 00:00:00 | 25:33:38 | 0 | 115012 2 | 25:33:38 | 23:20:52 | 115013 | 220064 All Tracks Album gain : 1.53 dB Peak : 0.939056 CRC32 hash : 1D9DAEE8 CRC32 hash (skip zero) : 09DC994F Track 01 Track gain : 1.21 dB Peak : 0.823181 CRC32 hash : 4F391445 CRC32 hash (skip zero) : F942616B Track 02 Track gain : 2.01 dB Peak : 0.939056 CRC32 hash : 091A5A43 CRC32 hash (skip zero) : C0D3A046 End of status report And here were the DR numbers, DR....... Peak....... RMS....... Filename ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR13 -1.83 dB -19.97 dB.... 01 - Part One.m4a DR15 -0.70 dB -21.21 dB.... 02 - Part Two.m4a ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I am not sure if one tracks the original rip with pre-emphasis but that was again 100% peaks in both cases. Here were the DR numbers for that DR....... Peak........ RMS....... Filename ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR15 over -19.64 dB...... 01 - Part One.m4a DR16 -0.34 dB -20.90 dB.... 02 - Part Two.m4a
Sticking my neck out, is everyone absolutely positive that Mastering #5 is not a pre-emphasis transfer without any flags? Pre (Vanilla Rip) DR15 0.00 dB -19.58 dB DR15 -0.03 dB -20.51 dB De (Foobar2000 de-emphasis rip) DR13 -1.83 dB -19.86 dB DR15 -0.90 dB -20.76 dB I can post samples if you feel they need to be posted, to also evaluate the de rip of Foobar2000 also. EDIT; Images are of Part One Now where is that chair...
It seems weird to me. It should have been pressed at the Uden plant way after pre-emphasis masters stopped being used. Does it have the tipycal sound of wrong PE discs? (too trebly, no bass?)
This appears to be the actual cd in question as listed on discogs; Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells Silver disc – clear hub – red print Barcode: 5 012981200121 Matrix: 786007 3 EMI Swindon 1-1-1 NL Samples: 01 start at 05.50mins, 02 start at 14.31mins, 03 start at 22.24mins dropcanvas - instant drag and drop sharing Pre = Vanilla Rip De = Foobar2000 de-emphasis rip. If you have many sources to compare with then the ‘Pre’ samples are probably more or only useful. Look forward to reading your evaluation.
Out of town now, can't do any significant comparison. Anyway, maybe we should start collecting samples for a blind listening test, guys? Also: Matrix: 786007 3 EMI Swindon 1-1-1 NL Are you sure? Mastering#5 in the list above is said to be manufactured in Holland: Swindon is in the UK
My intention was not to pressurize you in any way, so I apologize for that. Swindon + NL does seem unusual although there are many releases listed at Discogs (1990 +), I have tried to scan the centre but with each attempt the 1-1-1 NL is not visible. Guess I need to pick up a pre edition from the list posted by Andreas to compare. Waveforms of Part One from the 2009 Deluxe Edition Original Mix (CD2). Part One: DR12 -0.10 -15.82 dB Part Two: DR12 -0.10 -16.68 dB
Yes maybe I assume too much with the track durations and levels being consistent with #5. Oh well, managed to image the matrix;
Interesting that Matrix 786007 3 has two variants; Whether EMI Swindon (Nimbus equivalent?) or EMI Swindon – NL Then another NL Matrix 786007 @ 4 with values as EMI Swindon – NL 786007 3.
Mastering #2 is for a Japanese Black Triangle, pressed by CBS/Sony. There’s also a BT pressed by Toshiba. Does anybody know if the TO version has the same mastering as the CBS/Sony???
Never mind, I found the answer in an earlier post, Most appreciated Mike Oldfield Tubular Bells CD version?
Swindon UK and Uden NL are both EMI pressing plants. I think that Uden just got the Swindon stampers in this case. The “1-1-1-NL” bit is definitely an Uden indication. I also suspect that master #5 and #9 are the same. Mostly the EMI Swindon sand EMI Uden ones are.
They can sound very similar (for example one has more clipping) but if they don't have the same values, they can't sound the same. Heck, there's people here swearing that same values sound different... go figure different ones! btw. Samples could easily answer the question. I have a Swindon, we just need an Uden.
Just to confirm listed Mastering #4 for the non-barcode edition with; Matrix: CDV 2001 : (2 dots) NIMBUS ENGLAND 100 / 100 DR13......0.00 dB......-18.30 dB.....25:33 DR15......0.00 dB......-19.27 dB.....23:22 Areas of the nimbus although inverted appear more inline with the de-emphasized NL waveforms (?). Most appreciated Mike Oldfield Tubular Bells CD version?
Samples from the Nimbus and NL I did intent to upload more samples then realising these two of 38s duration are probably sufficient; Dropbox - Tubular Bells Samples - Simplify your life
