New Order - Substance 1987: Remastered?

I see that Substance 1987 was added to Qobuz and HDTracks today, but only in 16/44.

Album Substance, New Order | Qobuz: download and streaming in high quality
HDtracks

Anyone know whether this is a remaster or just a rip of the CD release? I don't recall seeing any hype about it.

I guess I will give it a listen on Tidal and see if it sounds different than the original CD.

 

The Tidal version is 24/44 MQA, according to Roon, but I don't see a 24-bit version for sale anywhere.

 

Well, it does seem to be a new master. DR values are different and yet surprisingly still very good on the new digital release.

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Analyzed folder: 1987 CD Disc 1
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DR Peak RMS Filename
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DR12 -0.26 dB -14.82 dB 1-01 Ceremony.m4a
DR13 -1.16 dB -16.85 dB 1-02 Everything's Gone Green.m4a
DR12 -1.63 dB -14.97 dB 1-03 Temptation.m4a
DR15 -0.21 dB -17.25 dB 1-04 Blue Monday.m4a
DR11 -2.23 dB -15.54 dB 1-05 Confusion.m4a
DR13 -2.04 dB -16.78 dB 1-06 Thieves Like Us.m4a
DR12 -1.82 dB -16.13 dB 1-07 Perfect Kiss.m4a
DR14 -1.92 dB -17.26 dB 1-08 Subculture.m4a
DR14 -1.12 dB -17.47 dB 1-09 Shellshock.m4a
DR12 -0.92 dB -15.57 dB 1-10 State Of The Nation.m4a
DR15 -0.83 dB -18.09 dB 1-11 Bizarre Love Triangle.m4a
DR12 -0.92 dB -15.13 dB 1-12 True Faith.m4a
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Number of files: 12
Official DR value: DR13

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Analyzed folder: 2020 Digital Release Disc 1
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR Peak RMS Filename
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DR12 -0.74 dB -15.55 dB 01 - Ceremony.aiff
DR13 -0.83 dB -16.35 dB 02 - Everything's Gone Green.aiff
DR11 -0.77 dB -13.60 dB 03 - Temptation.aiff
DR14 -0.03 dB -15.91 dB 04 - Blue Monday.aiff
DR11 -1.80 dB -14.54 dB 05 - Confusion.aiff
DR12 -1.32 dB -15.47 dB 06 - Thieves like Us (12- Extended).aiff
DR12 -1.42 dB -15.37 dB 07 - The Perfect Kiss (Substance Edit).aiff
DR14 -1.64 dB -17.44 dB 08 - Sub-culture (Substance Edit).aiff
DR14 -1.26 dB -16.97 dB 09 - Shellshock (John Robie Remix) [Substance Edit].aiff
DR13 -0.05 dB -14.87 dB 10 - State of the Nation.aiff
DR14 -0.47 dB -16.40 dB 11 - Bizarre Love Triangle (Extended Dance Mix).aiff
DR12 -2.01 dB -15.91 dB 12 - True Faith.aiff
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Number of files: 12
Official DR value: DR13

==============================================================================================

 

Interesting; thanks for the post. I’ve been looking to buy this on CD for the first time (!) but past threads seem to indicate that despite the good DR the sound is a bit meh.

 

M4a and AIFF I'm not sure give accurate DR results when scanned.
US SRC-
DR12 -0.01 dB -14.82 dB 4:24 01-Ceremony
DR14 -0.94 dB -16.85 dB 5:31 02-Everything's Gone Green
DR12 -1.09 dB -14.97 dB 6:59 03-Temptation
DR15 -0.06 dB -17.25 dB 7:29 04-Blue Monday
DR11 -1.87 dB -15.55 dB 4:43 05-Confusion
DR13 -2.00 dB -16.79 dB 6:37 06-Thieves Like Us
DR12 -1.58 dB -16.13 dB 8:02 07-Perfect Kiss
DR14 -1.44 dB -17.21 dB 4:48 08-Subculture
DR14 -0.66 dB -17.46 dB 6:29 09-Shellshock
DR12 -0.75 dB -15.58 dB 6:32 10-State of The Nation
DR15 -0.37 dB -18.10 dB 6:45 11-Bizarre Love Triangle
DR12 -0.91 dB -15.14 dB 5:52 12-True Faith
Euro Rough Trade-
DR12 -0.23 dB -15.53 dB 4:23 01-Ceremony
DR13 -0.59 dB -16.32 dB 5:31 02-Everything's Gone Green
DR11 -0.42 dB -13.57 dB 6:59 03-Temptation
DR14 0.00 dB -15.89 dB 7:29 04-Blue Monday
DR11 -1.16 dB -14.52 dB 4:43 05-Confusion
DR12 -1.04 dB -15.43 dB 6:37 06-Thieves Like Us
DR12 -1.66 dB -15.36 dB 8:02 07-Perfect Kiss
DR14 -1.29 dB -17.35 dB 4:48 08-Subculture
DR13 -0.82 dB -16.95 dB 6:29 09-Shellshock
DR13 0.00 dB -14.84 dB 6:32 10-State of the Nation
DR14 -0.26 dB -16.37 dB 6:45 11-Bizarre Love Triangle
DR12 -1.87 dB -15.85 dB 5:53 12-True Faith

Nice to see that download not succumbed to Frank's mastering.
Thinking it's probably going to be the same as the oldie.
24 Bit for the MQA garbage is my guess.
If this was a full blown remaster I'd think we'd see the full length The Perfect Kiss as used on the LP.

 

I'd grab the old fat boy. These mastering's represent some of the best on digital (that can easily/cheaply be found)

 

Yeah, looks like the download is pretty close to the Rough Trade. Maybe that is the same mastering.

 

I hope Substance is included in current NO super deluxe series in about 5 years.

 

And the bonus tracks would be the full length Shellshock and it's B-Shellcock

 

I think the sound is good on the old cd also, I'm not sure why it got a bad reputation. I think in the old ~1997 allmusic guide or maybe the ~1990 trouser press they said it had "harsh sound", so maybe that has something to do with it. Also: I think that the rerecorded versions of Temptation and Confusion on this set actually do sound harsh, but that might not have anything to do with the mastering??

 

Could be the recording's, who knows. Looking at them they are pretty dense (compression). I never found this comp offensive, but it's not going to win any audiophile awards-either format

 

How long has Substance been on Tidal? Didn’t see it until today.

 

to me, it's not a regular album, its just a compilation with extra tracks.
also, almost all the singles are being re-released on vinyl currently.

later
-1

 

But why? At that point 85% of its content will already be covered. I love Substance too as a relic of their pop moment but it's not an artistic step in their career. Personally I think they missed the boat not doing one of those mini-replica singles packages on CD years ago.

The 12" singles for "True Faith" and "Touched by the Hand of God" will likely get reissued along with "State of the Nation" and "Bizarre Love Triangle," provided the series gets that far.

Didn't the 1987 version of "Temptation" pop up on another hits compilation since then? There have been so many...

 

None that I have Rich.
It is included on the DVD 'Collection' and the Touched cd single.

 

As of a few weeks ago, it wasn’t on any streaming service. That struck me as really weird. I wonder what made them add it now

 

See I thought the CD wasn’t even in print, not that a lot are anyway. I had thought I heard it was deleted from the catalog. I have an OG vinyl but would take a new one. 4 LP please...

 

Fair enough, but I'd like a proper vinyl reissue of this classic so I can retire my Brazilian bootleg and get Cory to stop yanking my chain...

 

Popped up for sale on Qobuz and HDtracks on Friday, so I assume it was just added to Tidal this week as well. I also thought they had deleted it from their catalog, so I was surprised to see it.

Speaking of the fat boy CD, I'm pretty sure that when I first bought Substance in 1987, it didn't come in a fat boy case; it was in a long box with 2 separate jewel cases. I'm now on my third CD copy because I've had disc 1 stolen twice.

 

I picked up the fat boy case for 5.99 at Half Price and the cassette from a cassette vending machine here in Austin. Not kidding.

 

I got the old "fat boy" CD box (1990) and it sounds fine.

 

So on this 'remaster', is the Mesh/Cries And Whispers error finally corrected?

 

Just checked on Spotify, it's corrected as far as I can tell.

 

yes spotted this on friday on streaming sites...good to have some of these tracks on streaming services finally

 

Yeah, I bought the Qwest CD set the week of release here in the US and it was two separate jewel cases and came in a long box. Then a few years later I got the Factory UK version and that one was in a fat boy.

So I suppose that means the jury is out hahaha.