Yup. If there's room for duplicate live albums, and Gousters and Maslins, there's room for a box of lightly treated 192/24 snapshots of the master tapes for hardcores. Give it to me warts and all. If I regret it, that's on me, not the retailer. It's what I asked for.
Let's suppose the explanation is true and that in fact "a high-frequency automation (in the region of +- 6dB) has been added". Anyway, what my ears simply cannot believe is the "then returns to normal and the track continues to the end at a level consistent to the start" part. That's it, it's somewhat annoying, etc. etc., but I can live with it. I respect those who are returning their boxes, though.
Good points. The thing is, wasn't the heavy compression on the Blackstar CD dramatically reduced for the vinyl LP? I only have the latter, but it sounded remarkably good for a new rock LP, and have read that it was used to prove that the horrible sound of the CD was in fact due to mastering, rather than being built into the mix. While I don't think it's right to foist compressed and limited masterings on those with only CD capability, at least there is some choice involved. Why they would do this to the vinyl versions of such a set is beyond me (again, since we know the mixes here are dynamic, the compression could simply have not been applied to the vinyl). As you say, Mr. Visconti (or someone at the label) must actually like the sound of dynamic compression. So frustrating!
I want to like this post a thousand times. The +-6dB thing sounds like someone just rattling off terms in hopes that your eyes will glaze over and you’ll go away. It makes literally zero sense from a technical perspective.
Had Visconti always secretly intended to put huge orchestral overdubs across this batch of albums, someone would have stopped him, right? Heroes fix is a very poor job and the official statement sounds like a poor and rather rude excuse. V. didn't work from the original tapes but from 192kHz digital transfers of them, so there was no need to get the razor blade out. There are fantastic tools for restoration in the digital domain. Then the whole mastering for this set is plenty louder than the other 2 box sets, actually very much in line with the new wave of loudness-war-is-over, yet-not-completely folks. The only difference between ANCIANT and any recent R'n'B Grammy winning work is that Ray Staff had set the limiter in a way so digital clipping will not occur. New Beyonce, Radiohead, you name them recent works are full on digitally clipped and yes, they may work for Spotify via wireless earbuds. On a halfway decent stereo they sound like a fat audio blob and IMO this 2017 set is not much different. I'm new here, but since this is Steve Hoffman related and not the iTunes discussion forum an honest critique towards an obviously mediocre mastering job should be allowed without coming across as an ungrateful snob. People with personal preferences can always use EQ presets (ie. Jazz Club, Rock, More Bass, Classical) or sound enhancers to tweak a production to their liking.
Kind of like the many, many before and after featurettes on many restored DVDs / Blu Rays. I probably wouldn't be interested, but it's not a bad idea, and CD manufacture is not expensive (around a dollar a disc), so after the cost of transfer, minimal additional outlay for a major artist super deluxe or something.
How do you not understand that it is somehow impossible to believe that anyone wants "Heroes" to sound like that? Even if it is a defect in the present mastertape that still makes it a defect, because the first pressing and the past mastertape does not have that defect, or does it?And that defect has been handled badly since the song does not sound the way it use to sound. And that the song finishes at the same level of volume it started with, to me is just a plain lie.
I’m still holding out hope for more single album sets like STS got. Give us analog masterings, the old RCA masterings, some live material from the period, unreleased demos or outtakes, and some physical goodies. If it sounds good I’ll pay premium prices for each album from Space Oddity through Tonight (and then I’d buy the rest from BTWN through Blackstar).
Surely they realised that technically highly informed people (not like me) are going to read their words, as well as the merely appalled (like me) ?
Among my desert-island/take-to-my grave albums are "Station", "Diamond Dogs", and "Scary Monsters". Fortunately, I spent the bucks to get the core DVD of the giant STS box, because without that, this Parlophone project would have left me 1 for 3. (I like the Parlophone "Diamond Dogs" very much. Highly satisfied with no reservations.) So overall, not great numbers for me.
Well, you see the fact he went for that sound for Bowie's last albums, and Bowie approved them/liked them, is the crux of the matter here. Just like Bowie liked reverb on his vocals, Bowie obviously likes that "compressed sound", and therefore it is entirely possible he would have liked everything that Visconti has done with these releases. When Visconti says this was done for artistic reasons, we shouldn't just assume or accuse him of sheer personal indulgence, or incompetence. If we want to sleep better at night just accept that whether you like it or prefer it, what we have now is (closer to) what Bowie wanted and would have had done. I understand the explanation for the Heroes "drop", it seems a stupid decision to go with it and not bend the artistic integrity (of only using what is there on the master tapes) for the sake of a couple of seconds, but that's what they have done. Maybe the complaints and reviews will mean any similar scenario for future sets will be dealt with differently.
Yeah, I like the new DD too, as a CD (never heard the vinyl as I have old ones I love). I acknowledge its imperfections noticed by others at the time, but it sounds good.
I actually think they did try some high frequency automation in the region of +-6db to compensate and after feeding the information into the computer it just froze the **** up, trying to comprehend what it was being asked to do - resulting it briefly lifting the volume before shrugging it's shoulders and going slinking off into the corner at a lower volume, but somehow with different dynamic range to the start of the song.
Welp, my main problem with the vinyl set is physical defects. Hopefully with the replacement set coming from Amazon, I can Frankenstein together a good set.
has anyone got the dynamic range of the two seperate sections of the song just to see what the difference is - i haven't seen anyone post that information yet, it would be interesting to see what the difference is.
no, that it unfair - we just perceived a loss in energy around page 150 and added some high frequency automation in the region of +-6db to compensate, everything you have read after that is actually exactly the same in tone as that which went before it.
For what it's worth, I haven't found a single physical defect in my set so far (though I have yet to listen to the live and singles compilation albums). Hopefully you just got unlucky and your replacement set will be solid!
I'm sorry, but the Heroes album has been released in many formats over the years without the volume issue. Are you telling me they did not have access to a source without volume issues? Just not buying it.
