Comparison head to head of the vinyl Exile from this box vs the 2011 shm Japanese sacd mastered from analogue master tapes by McKenna and Whittaker at the FX Copyroom on tracks Sweet Virginia, Torn and Frayed, Sweet Black Angel, and particularly on Loving Cup reveals a tighter bass and cleaner sound on the sacd. It pains me to say that since i only have Sticky Fingers and Exile in the shm sacd format for albums after 1971; curious if anyone else made this comparison . However, the boxset is a thing of beauty and look forward to getting into the rest of the vinyl
I am a big fan of the 2011 shm sacds of the Sticky Fingers and onwards albums. The sacds were reissued in 2014 along with Platinum cds and High Res (HR) cutting cds. They all use the "mastered from analogue master tapes by McKenna and Whittaker at the FX Copyroom" sources and sound great to me. The Platinum and HR cds are just red book cds (possibly a bit like blu-spec) and play on all cd players.
Mr. Fremmer's review. Very nice indeed. Righting a Rolling Stones Catalogue Wrong: The New Rolling Stones "Studio Album Collection 1971-2016" Box Set
Anyone listen to their download of "Exile On Main St"? While importing this into my iTunes I randomly clicked on "Loving Cup" and lo and behold it's the outtake version from the "Deluxe Edition". I got my download by sending an email to that address a few posts back. I did not get a download card.
Just listened to mine and it is the same outtake version. I had a download card but it the end they all just links to the same set of files. I bet if we saw this famed hard drive with all the files on it we would be shocked at how badly labelled and organised it was for mistakes like this to happen.
Was that the WAV’s or MP3’s? Not sure I can be bothered with the hassle if they are not the original albums with the downloads.
Just going through the downloads from this set. No Mp3's included, just WAV files which are better anyway but adding the tags and artwork, etc. was time consuming to say the least. I obsess over this **** but this is nuts for anyone that can't be bothered. They don't even have any track numbers, so the songs are just listed in alphabetical order and obviously will play that way if you don't tag them. Crazy. As expected, these are the previous digital remasters and not anything Miles mastered for this set. For those, you gotta play the records. Anyway, thought I'd list the bit rate on these for anyone interested that hasn't got them yet and was wondering. Sorry if this info was already posted. Sticky Fingers 16/44.1 Exile On Main St. 16/44.1 except for Loving Cup which is the outtake and is 24/44.1 Goats Head Soup 24/44.1 It's Only Rock 'n Roll 24/44.1 Black and Blue 16/44.1 Some Girls 24/44.1 Emotional Rescue 24/44.1 Tattoo You 24/44.1 Undercover 16/44.1 Dirty Work 24/44.1 Steel Wheels 16/44.1 Voodoo Lounge 24/44.1 Bridges To Babylon 16/44.1 A Bigger Bang 16/44.1 Blue & Lonesome 24/88.2
Just as a side note, seeing as the download for Exile On Main St. contains the alternate take of Loving Cup instead of the original album version, I compared this download to both the 2010 remaster and the 1994 remaster and it matches the 1994 both in sound and Dynamic Range values, so you could just copy the correct version of Loving Cup from there, although there's really no reason to bother if you have the 1994 remaster already, as I believe that's what the rest of this download is sourced from. Anyway, enough about the downloads. They're fine for on the go but the real deal is the records in this box and that's what I'll be reaching for when I'm home.
Are you sure about 1994 remaster? They gave us something that is pretty close (if not identical to) 2009 remaster for all albums. As I mentioned before for Voodoo Lounge Voodoo Lounge 2009 remaster (CD made in Argentina) DR Peak RMS Duration Track -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR6 -0.11 dB -7.75 dB 3:50 01-Love Is Strong DR5 -0.11 dB -6.11 dB 3:36 02-You Got Me Rocking DR6 -0.11 dB -7.46 dB 3:16 03-Sparks Will Fly DR9 -1.11 dB -12.90 dB 2:25 04-The Worst DR10 -1.03 dB -12.81 dB 2:52 05-New Faces DR8 -0.11 dB -9.51 dB 3:42 06-Moon Is Up DR7 -0.11 dB -9.76 dB 5:28 07-Out Of Tears DR5 -0.11 dB -6.54 dB 4:24 08-I Go Wild DR7 -0.11 dB -9.06 dB 4:15 09-Brand New Car DR8 -0.11 dB -9.68 dB 4:46 10-Sweethearts Together DR8 -0.11 dB -9.81 dB 4:28 11-Suck On The Jugular DR7 -0.11 dB -10.09 dB 4:34 12-Blinded By Rainbows DR7 -0.11 dB -8.96 dB 4:09 13-Baby Break It Down DR7 -0.11 dB -12.05 dB 6:15 14-Thru And Thru DR7 -0.11 dB -8.27 dB 4:09 15-Mean Disposition Official DR value: DR7 Voodoo Lounge (digital download from the LP box). I add tags to the tracks manually to put them in the proper order. DR Peak RMS Duration Track -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR6 -0.60 dB -8.24 dB 3:50 ?-01 - Love Is Strong DR5 -0.60 dB -6.60 dB 3:36 ?-02 - You Got Me Rocking DR6 -0.60 dB -7.95 dB 3:16 ?-03 - Sparks Will Fly DR9 -1.60 dB -13.39 dB 2:25 ?-04 - The Worst DR10 -1.52 dB -13.30 dB 2:52 ?-05 - New Faces DR8 -0.60 dB -10.00 dB 3:42 ?-06 - Moon Is Up DR7 -0.60 dB -10.25 dB 5:28 ?-07 - Out Of Tears DR5 -0.60 dB -7.03 dB 4:24 ?-08 - I Go Wild DR7 -0.60 dB -9.55 dB 4:15 ?-09 - Brand New Car DR8 -0.60 dB -10.17 dB 4:46 ?-10 - Sweethearts Together DR8 -0.60 dB -10.30 dB 4:28 ?-11 - Suck On The Jugular DR7 -0.60 dB -10.58 dB 4:34 ?-12 - Blinded By Rainbows DR7 -0.60 dB -9.45 dB 4:09 ?-13 - Baby Break It Down DR7 -0.60 dB -12.40 dB 6:01 ?-14 - Thru And Thru DR7 -0.60 dB -8.76 dB 4:08 ?-15 - Mean Disposition Official DR value: DR7 And here is Voodoo Lounge Virgin 1994 (CD made in Holland) DR Peak RMS Duration Track -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR9 -0.12 dB -10.38 dB 3:51 01-Love Is Strong DR7 -0.58 dB -8.67 dB 3:36 02-You Got Me Rocking DR8 0.00 dB -9.99 dB 3:16 03-Sparks Will Fly DR10 -3.73 dB -15.75 dB 2:25 04-The Worst DR10 -3.84 dB -16.17 dB 2:52 05-New Faces DR9 -2.23 dB -12.35 dB 3:42 06-Moon Is Up DR9 -0.58 dB -12.34 dB 5:27 07-Out Of Tears DR7 -0.73 dB -9.07 dB 4:24 08-I Go Wild DR10 -0.10 dB -11.68 dB 4:16 09-Brand New Car DR10 -0.90 dB -12.42 dB 4:45 10-Sweethearts Together DR11 -0.27 dB -12.52 dB 4:28 11-Suck On The Jugular DR10 -0.13 dB -12.80 dB 4:34 12-Blinded By Rainbows DR10 0.00 dB -11.66 dB 4:09 13-Baby Break It Down DR10 0.00 dB -14.61 dB 6:15 14-Thru And Thru DR10 -0.26 dB -10.97 dB 4:08 15-Mean Disposition Official DR value: DR9 As you see from the numbers - 2009 and digital download differs by level shift of 0.49 dB only.
OK. Digital downloads are more screwed than I thought. EOMS apart of Loving Cup indeed is Virgin remaster. Sticky Fingers 16/44.1 - 2009 remaster Exile On Main St. 16/44.1 except for Loving Cup which is the outtake and is 24/44.1 - 1994 Virgin remaster apart of Loving Cup Goats Head Soup 24/44.1 - Level shifted 2009 remaster with uncensored Star, Star It's Only Rock 'n Roll 24/44.1 - Level shifted 2009 remaster Black and Blue 16/44.1 - 2009 remaster Some Girls 24/44.1 - Level shifted 2009 remaster Emotional Rescue 24/44.1 - Level shifted 2009 remaster Tattoo You 24/44.1 - Level shifted 2009 remaster Undercover 16/44.1 - 2009 remaster Dirty Work 24/44.1 - Level shifted 2009 remaster Steel Wheels 16/44.1 - 2009 remaster Voodoo Lounge 24/44.1 - Level shifted 2009 remaster Bridges To Babylon 16/44.1 - original Virgin version 1997 A Bigger Bang 16/44.1 - 2009 remaster (which is marginally different from original 2005) Blue & Lonesome 24/88.2 - HD tracks version with 0.01 dB shift
Would it make any difference quality wise if you were to take the MP3 of loving cup (studio version) from the download set of the 71-05 box (2011 or 2010) and add it to exile from this download set. Seems a shame not to do it for one song and I already have the MP3 of exile from the 71-05 set. Would someone mind comparing if they have the downloads of 71-05 box ? Was wondering if it would make any difference as the downloads seem to be all over the place for the new set anyway.
Question is how come FX Copyroom got hold of tapes when Stones management will only supply a digital copy to Abbey Road?
There are 4 different versions of EOMS in digital format. It is not about mp3 or wav. It is about mastering, i.e. volume, compression, equalizing etc. 1 - CBS version from 1986 mastered by Greg Calbi 2 - Virgin version from 1994 mastered by Bob Ludwig 3 - UM version from 2009 mastered by Stephen Marcussen 4 - Japanese flat transfers from 2011 (or 2012) Apparently, to recover EOMS for this download you'll need to find 1994 Virgin version. The 71-05 box contains 2009 UM version.
Presumably the Stones had FX Copyroom transfer the tapes for archival purposes and future use. Once that was done, no reason to send all the tapes to Abbey Road.
Thanks for the information, one of the previous posts said the downloads where from all different sources so does it matter ?
Short answer - yes. Long answer. You should distinguish digital source and mastering. There are 3 types of digital files of different resolution for this download: 16 bit/44.1 kHz (CD quality), 24 bit/44.1 kHz (call it Hi-Res if you want) and 24 bit /88.2 kHz (High Resolution). On the other hand all but EOMS (minus Loving Cup), Bridges to Babylon (both Virgin masters) and Blue and Lonesome (original master from 2016) represent essentially 2009 remaster. That one is brickwalled (loud, compressed, low DR). It is no ear candy in any digital format. No matter what Hi-Res you will use. Damage was done on mastering level. Regarding EOMS. EOMS = Virgin CD (16 bit/44.1 kHz) from 1994 but Loving Cup is alternative take from bonus CD. It came in different resolution (24 bit/44.1 kHz) but from 2010 re-master (brickwalled) which is shifted in level (volume) by 0.49 dB with respect to CD.
All I can say is thank God Keith is still around. This happened awhile ago, but we are lucky he pulled through.
This is why this place is great. I wasn’t even going to copy Exile to my iTunes because I assumed it was the 2010 version that I already have. Thank you for the detective work!
I have no idea and maybe there is some artistic license in the description on the cds from Japan! They do in my opinion sound good and are different to the Virgin 94s which are also great. Good question and the answer would be interesting.
Thanks. This is also my understanding for Exile and I think is the same for all the Sticky Fingers onwards albums up to and including Dirty Work. Is that correct? Just as an aside I have the 71-05 box of vinyl albums but do not remember any download for that set.
Regarding the outtake of loving cup that is included in the downloads, was that recorded at the time of recording the album does anyone know ? I have the deluxe version but was just wondering when I listened to it as I know Mick went back to re record some of the songs on there that where unreleased.
