Porcupine Tree - Best CD Masters

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Runicen, Nov 4, 2016.

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  1. Runicen

    Runicen Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I've been working through my collection and getting bands I've had in my collection for years added digitally. What can I say - the newest shiny thing tends to jump to the head of the line and I'm trying to restore the balance.

    Anyway, I made a point of upgrading a lot of my Porcupine Tree CDs as reissues came out, but some are the jewel case with cardboard sleeve reissues. I've been reading that the "recent" remasters are heavily compressed, but aside from knowing I want to eventually track down a copy of the original box for Stars Die, I wasn't aware of specific offenders in this category.

    Can anyone set me straight on which issues to avoid, how to avoid them and which to opt for instead?

    Many thanks!
     
  2. Rodney Toady

    Rodney Toady Waste of cyberspace

    Location:
    Finland
    These are the titles I remember having compared with the later issues and in all cases I stuck with the original CDs:

    On the Sunday of Life…
    (DELEC CD 008), 1992
    Voyage 34 (DELEC CD EP 010), 1992
    Up the Downstair (DELEC CD 020), 1993
    The Sky Moves Sideways (DELEC CD 028), 1995
    Signify (DELEC CD 045), 1996

    Sunday and Downstair were first remastered in 1997, but I prefer the original 1992 and 1993 issues to those. I recall the original Stars Die feature the 1997 mastering for titles taken from these albums. I don't remember whether the 1997 issue of Sideways was remastered or not; I should think it was, but I'm not sure - I don't think I have heard it. Of course, the 21st century versions of Downstair and Sideways have some of the programmed drum parts replaced with a real kit, overdubbed by Gavin Harrison.
     
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  3. Simon_LDT

    Simon_LDT Forum Resident

    Location:
    England, UK
    I would sit tight as SW is eventually releasing all the older PT albums with better 'dynamic' mastering. I believe so far only Signify has been released on CD (2016 Kscope, which comes in a mini-lp sleeve). The Sky Moves Sideways and Coma Divine have also been remastered but those have only appeared on LP so far.

    To be fair, the 2004 remasters are not terrible at all but these new ones will be definitive (Signify sounds glorious!).
     
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  4. Rodney Toady

    Rodney Toady Waste of cyberspace

    Location:
    Finland
    Thanks for the thumbs-up! I may well check these out some day, even though I've been wholly satisfied with the 1996 Signify. Nothing wrong with dynamics there, I'd say.
     
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  5. Simon_LDT

    Simon_LDT Forum Resident

    Location:
    England, UK
    I have the 1996 Signify which is also excellent. The new one just edges it for me but nothing wrong with the original CD.
     
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  6. Rodney Toady

    Rodney Toady Waste of cyberspace

    Location:
    Finland
    I guess it's not wrong to assume that the forthcoming Up the Downstair and The Sky Moves Sideways will feature the overdubbed drums. What do you think, Simon?
     
  7. Simon_LDT

    Simon_LDT Forum Resident

    Location:
    England, UK
    ^^ I'd say it would be pretty much certain to.
     
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  8. opiumden

    opiumden Forum Resident

    Location:
    US
    You mean the Japanese sleevepac reissues? I knew the new remasters created for The Delerium Years set were coming out on CDs soon but never realized those were it.
    At least Insurgentes specified it was featuring a new 2016 remaster. The product description on burningshed just says '2016 reissue'. If what you're saying is true, it can be misleading.
     
  9. Simon_LDT

    Simon_LDT Forum Resident

    Location:
    England, UK
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  10. opiumden

    opiumden Forum Resident

    Location:
    US
    Ordered instantly. Thank you for pointing this out!
     
  11. Runicen

    Runicen Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I find myself hoping that, if the trend is to see new compression-free (or compression lite) remastering of the old PT catalog but on single discs sans bonus content, that there ends up being some sort of comp that rounds up all of the off-cuts that were included in each wave of prior remasters...
     
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  12. tlake6659

    tlake6659 Senior Member

    Location:
    NJ
    What do you like better about the new one? Looks like the original CD has even more dynamic range than the new one albeit it is only a slight difference per the DR database.
     
  13. DaverJ

    DaverJ Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Tennessee
    I see that Fear Of A Blank Planet is getting a new vinyl and CD release from K-scope. I'm probably in for the vinyl.

    But question about the CD - it says these versions have been re-mastered by Steven Wilson from the 2012 mastertapes. I understand SW didn't remix the album for this edition, but I'm wondering if anyone thinks this version will sound much different than the K-scope 2012 CD?
     
  14. JediJoker

    JediJoker Audio Engineer/Enthusiast

    Location:
    Portland, OR, USA
    I didn't even know there was a 2012 Kscope edition; did it have better DR than the original Roadrunner/WB CD? Was it the same as the DVD-A stereo (also available as a download at Burning Shed)? It's not listed in the database. If someone has it: please, measure and upload it!
     
  15. Simon_LDT

    Simon_LDT Forum Resident

    Location:
    England, UK
    I didn't know there was a 2012 master either (and what exactly are the 2012 mastertapes? Shouldn't that be 2007 mastertapes?) I'm actually finding the info on this a bit ''off''. Cut at 33 and a third rpm for superior sound quality, shouldn't that be 45rpm for superior sound quality? Doesn't make sense.

    I'd be interested to know how this new CD compares to the 2007 one as I find that to sound good already, and while the mastering could be better, it's certainly far from being bad to need doing again.

    Saying that, the new vinyl master is superb and there is no distortion to be found (unlike the tonefloat press, which something clearly went wrong with when it was cut).
     
  16. DaverJ

    DaverJ Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Tennessee
    My guess is Anesthetize is too long to fit on an album side at 45rpm, so the entire double album is a loose groove 33 1/3.

    I assume the song order won't change, which would put the 7 1/2 minutes Sleep Together alone on side 4...?

    Anyway, the vinyl talk is OT for this thread, sorry. I'll rip my 2012 K-scope CD version and upload to the Dynamic Range Database this weekend, and put the log in this thread. I have a feeling it's identical to the current 24/48 download on Burning Shed.
     
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  17. DaverJ

    DaverJ Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Tennessee
    Alas, it looks like the 2012 Kscope CD version is pretty much identical to the 2007 Roadrunner version:
    Album details - Dynamic Range Database

    This is the version that SW Remastered for the upcoming 2017 vinyl/CD re-release, so I doubt we will get better numbers. But one can hope!
     
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  18. Instant Dharma

    Instant Dharma Dude/man

    Location:
    CoCoCo, Ca
    Seems to me this is currently not available. Hopefully these soon chance tack. I really want Signify and and Stars Move Sideways in this format.
     
  19. JediJoker

    JediJoker Audio Engineer/Enthusiast

    Location:
    Portland, OR, USA
    Thanks for measuring and uploading! Good information to have. Looks like the DVD-A/Burning Shed 24/48 download is the way to go for this album in stereo.
     
  20. nsmith1002

    nsmith1002 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Monticello, IN USA
    I just got the recent Kscope release of Fear of a Blank Planet via Burning Shed mail order.

    I EAC ripped it and my copy of the Atlantic disc (purchased new back in 2007) to .wav image files and analyzed them with Cool Edit pro:


    original Atlantic 2-115900:
    Left Right
    Peak Amplitude: 0 dB 0 dB
    Possibly Clipped: 2723 2800
    DC Offset: .017 .016
    Minimum RMS Power: -78.06 dB -76.98 dB
    Maximum RMS Power: -5.91 dB -5.82 dB
    Average RMS Power: -15.6 dB -15.7 dB
    Total RMS Power: -14.59 dB -14.64 dB


    Kscope 229:
    Left Right
    Peak Amplitude: 0 dB 0 dB
    Possibly Clipped: 1879 2027
    DC Offset: .032 .031
    Minimum RMS Power: -69.82 dB -70.18 dB
    Maximum RMS Power: -5.77 dB -5.64 dB
    Average RMS Power: -15.51 dB -15.6 dB
    Total RMS Power: -14.53 dB -14.57 dB

    Not much difference, sorry to say...

     
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  21. JediJoker

    JediJoker Audio Engineer/Enthusiast

    Location:
    Portland, OR, USA
    In fact, the RMS values would be indicative of the Kscope being less dynamic. It is good to see fewer possibly clipped samples, though.
     
  22. seasonsinthesky

    seasonsinthesky orphan coal, sleep, etc.

    Location:
    Canada
    There were no problems with the original FOABP master anyway, besides the vinyl press. So there shouldn't be a massive difference anyway – why screw up what was already good?
     
  23. danielbravo

    danielbravo Senior Member

    Location:
    Caracas. DC
    I have been interested in two albums in particular:
    1-Stupid Dream
    2-Lightbub Sun
    With the rest of the albums that I already have so far I am satisfied. I see that now they come in "digipack or mini-lp" and I'm not really excited about this presentation for the cds
    What is the opinion of those who have bought these new editions on CD? I imagine they include some kind of Inner CD Sleeves
    There's nothing more pathetic than a new scratched CD

    audio quality? Better than the previous ones?
     
  24. JediJoker

    JediJoker Audio Engineer/Enthusiast

    Location:
    Portland, OR, USA
    As far as I'm aware, there are two CD masters of those albums: 1) the original releases containing the original mixes and 2) the "remasters" containing new mixes by Steven Wilson. All CD rereleases subsequent to the remasters contain the same masters of the new mixes. Chances are that if you have the remasters already, there's nothing to gain from a more recent repackaging. If you have the originals, that's probably a matter of taste.
     
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  25. krimson

    krimson Forum Resident

    I thought the latest Signify is a different mastering than the last release of it?
     
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