Rush Atlantic Studio Albums 7CD Box

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Futurecity, May 17, 2016.

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  1. Futurecity

    Futurecity Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Nevada
    I finally picked this up...the Made in the EU version from Amazon.uk. I've only heard the first three albums so far - Presto and Roll The Bones sound very good IMO...you can still hear the original DDD recording process but these albums now have some beefed up tone as well which helps eliminate some of the original thinness.

    However, I feel that the Counterparts remaster is not so good...it's a bit too compressed and my original 1993 CD sounds much better and more normal. I'm hoping that Test For Echo doesn't sound too compressed like Counterparts does?

    I don't own any of the 2004 Rush Atlantic remasters, but are those better than these 2013 remasters or are some of these 2013's better?
     
  2. Scottb

    Scottb Senior Member

    Location:
    Nanuet, NY, USA
    Yes are the 2004 Rush remasters the same as what's in this box set or are they newer remasters and who remastered them?

    Thanks
     
  3. Futurecity

    Futurecity Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Nevada
    I believe the box contains all-new 2013 remasters, done by Andy VanDette, but I am curious to find out if the 2004 Atlantic Remasters sound better or worse than what's in this box?
     
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  4. Futurecity

    Futurecity Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Nevada
    I think the Test For Echo remaster is a little better than Counterparts...it's still compressed, but not as much. I just played Feedback though (their covers album) and this remaster is loud...it's not brickwalled but it's very loud and so far this is the loudest disc in the set.

    Would anyone know if the original Feedback CD sounds better and if it has a lower volume also?
     
  5. DiabloG

    DiabloG City Pop, Rock, and anything 80s til I die

    Location:
    United States
    I used to have the Studio Albums box, and I thought that the Feedback remaster was a bit better than the original. The remaster is slightly less compressed than the standard '04 disc, which I think sounds just as bad as the original Vapor Trails. The EQ was better on the remaster, IMHO. On the Rush CD Mastering Thread, I made some EQ graphs comparing several versions of the Atlantic albums featured in the box set:

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  6. DiabloG

    DiabloG City Pop, Rock, and anything 80s til I die

    Location:
    United States
    [​IMG]
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  7. The Hud

    The Hud Breath of the Kingdom, Tears of the Wild

    I like this box set, but the Audio Fidelity Counterparts is the only way I listen to it now.
     
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  8. Futurecity

    Futurecity Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Nevada
    Thanks for the information and graphics. A friend of mine sampled the original Feedback CD on iTunes and told me the songs were very loud, but thanks for mentioning that the Feedback remaster is probably better...now I feel better about owning the remaster. It's a shame that both Feedback CDs are loud and compressed though...the performances are fantastic, but the SQ is all messed up.

    Is there a reason you no longer own the Studio Albums box...was it the sound quality you had issues with or something else like the minimal packaging perhaps?
     
  9. Futurecity

    Futurecity Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Nevada
    I never heard the AF Counterparts, but my original 1993 U.S. CD sounds excellent to me...completely normal. Unfortunately, the 2013 remaster is a disappointing one IMO...way too compressed.
     
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  10. DiabloG

    DiabloG City Pop, Rock, and anything 80s til I die

    Location:
    United States
    I sold the box because I didn't think the improvements on Feedback and Snakes were worth the $40 I paid for it. I eventually did get the money back, so all I lost was some spare time. As for the packaging, I didn't mind it. Sure, the sleeves were a tad flimsy compared to the Sector sets, but at least a lyric booklet was included.
     
  11. Futurecity

    Futurecity Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Nevada
    I've listened to all of the 2013 CDs except for Snakes & Arrows. So far the star attraction in terms of SQ is the Vapor Trails Remix...that sounds great to be honest and the next two that sound really good are Presto and Roll The Bones, but there seems to be audio issues with Counterparts, Test For Echo and Feedback.

    Do you own any of the 2004 Atlantic Remasters on CD? I am very curious to find out how those compare to the 2013 versions?
     
  12. The Hud

    The Hud Breath of the Kingdom, Tears of the Wild

    Depending on how big a fan of Counterparts you are, you owe it to yourself to hear the Audio Fidelity version, especially if you have an SACD player. Kevin Gray really worked his magic on it.
     
  13. Endymion

    Endymion Forum Resident

    Location:
    Germany
    I second that. Even if you only listen to the redbook layer like me this mastering is fantastic. I've sold my original CD and I certainly won't listen to the terrible Atlantic box set CD again.
     
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  14. DiabloG

    DiabloG City Pop, Rock, and anything 80s til I die

    Location:
    United States
    The only '04 remasters that I still own are Presto and Roll the Bones, and I think they were tastefully done. There's only a mild amount of compression and the EQ isn't overly thin and harsh like the '97 remasters. IIRC, the Studio Albums masterings of these 2 albums were way more compressed and had many instances of clipping on each track.
     
  15. DiabloG

    DiabloG City Pop, Rock, and anything 80s til I die

    Location:
    United States
    And whaddya know? I actually just bought the Studio Albums set for a whopping $10.65 on eBay! For that price, I just couldn't pass up owning it again!
     
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  16. Futurecity

    Futurecity Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Nevada
    Great, I'm glad you have the '04 Presto remaster. Does it have noticeable beefed up tone and bass like the 2013 CD has or is the SQ thinner?

    The 2013 CD is a drop loud but I like it much more than the original '89 CD which was pale thin, but are you saying the '04 beats the new remaster or is it a close call?

    If the '04 Presto has bass that I can hear and it's less compressed, I might pick this up.
     
  17. Futurecity

    Futurecity Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Nevada
    Great job, that's a great price. I only paid $17 total for mine from Amazon.uk but you paid next to nothing.
     
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  18. Futurecity

    Futurecity Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Nevada
    I don't have an SACD player, but obviously this AF Counterparts CD sounds like a winner though...I'm sure it sounds super.
     
  19. boboquisp

    boboquisp Magic Prism Eyes

    Location:
    NE Ohio
    I just scored this set new for $6.59 with free shipping! That's crazy.
     
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  20. The Hud

    The Hud Breath of the Kingdom, Tears of the Wild

    It is a hybrid SACD/CD, so if you see it for a good price, I still recommend picking it up.
     
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  21. DiabloG

    DiabloG City Pop, Rock, and anything 80s til I die

    Location:
    United States
    Judging from the graph that I posted abover, the '04 remaster has similar EQ to the box set version. The only major difference between the 2 masterings seems to be the loudness, but I'll do a comparison when I receive the box.
     
  22. ModernDayWarrior

    ModernDayWarrior Senior Member

    IMO the best version of Counterparts is the AF. But the original is the way to go if you don't wanna spend the money. I also have have the German import (where the nut and bolt of the cover is actually embossed on the jewel case) that also sounds great but that one will be tough to find.

    I think Counterparts is their last really great sounding album before they started congesting their albums with way to many overdubs. The instruments stand out great on this release. Geddy had a great bass tone again and Neil's drums sounded clear and crisp. Alex had a nice biting guitar tone again.
     
  23. yescool2002

    yescool2002 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Miami
    So did I, thanks to you.

    I wonder if they are legit or russian counterfeits
     
  24. DiabloG

    DiabloG City Pop, Rock, and anything 80s til I die

    Location:
    United States
    Aside from Rush, I splurged on a few more of these insanely cheap Studio Albums sets from multiple bands yesterday; including UFO, Eagles, Madonna, and America. 35 albums for $37? Not bad. It's odd that they would all pop up around the same time, so this could be a too good to be true scenario. Still, I feel that for the price of admission, it was worth taking a chance. I'll let everyone know whether the sets are legit or not once I get them. I already have the ZZ Top box, so at least I know what to look for quality-wise.
     
  25. Futurecity

    Futurecity Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Nevada
    Well you also mentioned that you experienced clipping when you had the boxed set the last time...does this mean that the tracks on the Presto and Roll The Bone 2013 CDs had distortion when you turned the volume up high enough..or was your clipping reference referring to something else?

    In the meantime, if you can quickly throw on your '04 Presto CD and let me know if it does have some beefy tone and bass...that there is at least a noticeable difference and improvement from the original '89 CD...this alone might get me to buy it?
     
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