Santana's Lotus-- Secret Remaster?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Logan S, Jul 30, 2015.

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  1. Logan S

    Logan S Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    Hey all. I've just been digging into Santana lately, and I noticed that the CD I own of the Lotus album is just terrible! It's got DR ratings in the single digits all across the board. The weirdest part is that it appears to be a reissue of the 1991 edition (Same packaging, Joe Gastwirt credited for mastering), but I just can't believe that a 1991 mastering by Gastwirt could be this compressed. Was there a secret remaster were they added a bunch of limiting to the disc somewhere down the line? Are the earlier pressings uncompressed? I'm really at a loss for words here, this is really strange.
     
  2. John Buchanan

    John Buchanan I'm just a headphone kind of fellow. Stax Sigma

    Could anyone replying please include the DR numbers for the Japanese mini-LP version also?
     
    Logan S likes this.
  3. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    Looking at EAC peak levels, I find all tracks of disc one on the CD I bought in 2006 are 98.8% except for track 13 which is 100%. FWIW, I never noticed it sounding different from the cassette of that same reissue I bought in 1991.
     
  4. Stephen Murphy

    Stephen Murphy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Edmonton Alberta
    CBS Japan MHCP 1002-4

    foobar2000 1.2.9 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Analyzed: Santana / Lotus (Japan) (Disc 1)
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DR Peak RMS Duration Track
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    DR17 -2.75 dB -33.56 dB 1:40 01-Meditation
    DR12 -0.30 dB -16.21 dB 2:53 02-Going Home
    DR11 -0.11 dB -13.36 dB 3:13 03-A-1 Funk
    DR9 -0.11 dB -10.81 dB 11:30 04-Every Step Of The Way
    DR12 -0.11 dB -13.57 dB 3:38 05-Black Magic Woman
    DR10 -0.11 dB -11.15 dB 3:58 06-Gypsy Queen
    DR11 -0.11 dB -12.98 dB 5:46 07-Oye Como Va
    DR11 -0.11 dB -13.72 dB 5:30 08-Yours Is The Light
    DR13 -0.11 dB -15.16 dB 0:54 09-Batuka
    DR10 -0.11 dB -12.18 dB 4:25 10-Xibaba (She-Ba-Ba)
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Number of tracks: 10
    Official DR value: DR12

    Samplerate: 44100 Hz
    Channels: 2
    Bits per sample: 16
    Bitrate: 961 kbps
    Codec: FLAC
    ================================================================================

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Analyzed: Santana / Lotus (Japan) (Disc 2)
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DR Peak RMS Duration Track
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    DR10 -0.40 dB -13.62 dB 1:19 01-Stone Flower
    DR11 -0.11 dB -13.35 dB 4:14 02-Waiting
    DR10 -0.11 dB -10.87 dB 2:51 03-Castillos De Arena, Part 1 (Sand Castle)
    DR11 -0.11 dB -13.62 dB 4:26 04-Free Angela
    DR10 -0.11 dB -11.62 dB 3:52 05-Samba De Sausalito
    DR11 -0.11 dB -14.08 dB 7:19 06-Mantra
    DR12 -0.11 dB -15.93 dB 9:57 07-Kyoto
    DR10 -0.11 dB -10.94 dB 1:12 08-Castillos De Arena, Part 2 (Sand Castle)
    DR10 -0.11 dB -12.03 dB 5:28 09-Se A Cabo
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Number of tracks: 9
    Official DR value: DR11

    Samplerate: 44100 Hz
    Channels: 2
    Bits per sample: 16
    Bitrate: 967 kbps
    Codec: FLAC
    ================================================================================

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Analyzed: Santana / Lotus (Japan) (Disc 3)
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DR Peak RMS Duration Track
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    DR10 -0.11 dB -13.26 dB 9:34 01-Samba Pa Ti
    DR13 -0.11 dB -14.94 dB 3:07 02-Mr. Udo
    DR10 -0.11 dB -11.78 dB 8:04 03-Toussaint L'Overture
    DR10 -0.11 dB -12.44 dB 16:23 04-Incident At Neshabur
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Number of tracks: 4
    Official DR value: DR11

    Samplerate: 44100 Hz
    Channels: 2
    Bits per sample: 16
    Bitrate: 943 kbps
    Codec: FLAC
    ================================================================================
     
    Logan S likes this.
  5. eelkiller

    eelkiller One of the great unwashed

    Location:
    Northern Ontario
    The packaging on that Mini LP is so nice it almost makes me want to go back to vinyls. Almost!
     
    Terry likes this.
  6. Stone Turntable

    Stone Turntable Independent Head

    Location:
    New Mexico USA
    Cool, but there’s no such thing as vinyls.
     
  7. Logan S

    Logan S Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    I'm sure the mini-LP is fantastic, and I appreciate those DR values, but before I track one of 'em down, we've got to find out if there was an un-brickwalled version issued in the states. I still find it hard to believe that it was always that way, and the idea of a brickwalled cassette tape seems kinda ridiculous, although I'm certain that they exist. For the record, I purchased this on CD in 2013. I'll post the cat. no later.
     
  8. tribby2001

    tribby2001 Forum Resident

    Last edited: Jul 30, 2015
    rstamberg likes this.
  9. rstamberg

    rstamberg Senior Member

    Location:
    Riverside, CT
    Funny, I recently played my Japanese 3-CD cardboard sleeved version of LOTUS ...
     
  10. agentalbert

    agentalbert Senior Member

    Location:
    San Antonio, TX
    I've wondered this myself. I presume you have the same 2CD set I do, with the C2K 46764 cat # on the spine, and then the discs themselves have C2k 46764 CK 46980 (CD1) and CK 46970 (CD2) but then go one with a DIDP sequence. If you look at this one on Ebay, you can see there was a pressing without the DIDP and I think that is what indicates the second pressing and possible secret rematers. The UPC code is the same. Would have to see an EAC log or DR report from one of these earlier pressings to figure out if they are actually different, but with the upcoming Audio Fidelity release, I'm not going to worry about it too much and just get the AF.
     
  11. ultron9

    ultron9 The quest for perspicuity and grace continues...

    Location:
    USA
    I have the Gastwirt 2 disk version in the fatboy case...it's terribly bright, quite loud with very little low end, The Japan 3 disk mini lp is superior, more balanced and less loud and compressed...the DR values are good and reflect the listening experience.
     
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