Dire Straits: Remastered CDs vs originals ?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by mhw58, Jan 19, 2008.

  1. Buzzz

    Buzzz Forum Resident

    Location:
    back here on Earth
    .
     
  2. Buzzz

    Buzzz Forum Resident

    Location:
    back here on Earth
    save for the high-pitched tv monitor whine running through the background... :shake:


    For what it's worth, the remaster isn't great either, although the aforementioned noise is thankfully absent.
     
  3. ricks

    ricks Senior Member

    Location:
    127.0.0.1:443
    Exactly. I remember when it was released reading an interview with those involved with the SACD 5.1 mixing stating proudly how they were sending the tapes out for [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] "final mastering, EQ and compression"[/FONT] Go figure. Of course it's still better than the vile 2.0 layer.
     
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  4. detroit muscle

    detroit muscle MIA

    Location:
    UK
    There is a remastered Alchemy coming in May
     
  5. Dave

    Dave Esoteric Audio Research Specialist™

    Location:
    B.C.
    :thumbsup: My own personal preference and it does sound much better than the W. German pressing not including the reversed channels.
     
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  6. ricks

    ricks Senior Member

    Location:
    127.0.0.1:443
    Any other issues with the reversed channel's?

    The original early DADC served me well for many years. I picked up a nice Made in Japan (9 25264-2) cheap last year and did a compare. Heard no difference myself. Is this disc the overall first pressing?
     
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  7. steeler1979

    steeler1979 Darren from Nashville

    Location:
    Nashville,Tn. USA
    Correct! I'm with you too!
     
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  8. Dam

    Dam Forum Resident

    Location:
    Australia
    Mea culpa, Dave!
    I am actually quoting you from some time back.
     
  9. jlc76

    jlc76 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin, TX, U.S.A.
    I am slowly ripping all of our CDs to FLAC and made it past the Dire Straits section the other day. Now most of these were bought used by my wife and in the past ten years so quite a few are remasters (she could care less about pressings). Anyway, I found an interesting copy of Communique. It is in a smooth-sided case, has a barcode, reads Made in the U.S.A. by Laser Video on the disc. Around the edge of the disc it reads 1 3330-2 SRC-01. Here are the levels from EAC:

    Track 1

    Filename C:\Documents and Settings\Jason\My Documents\My Music\Dire Straits\Communiqué\01 - Once Upon a Time in the West.wav

    Peak level 89.8 %
    Track quality 100.0 %
    Copy CRC 93B8608C
    Accurately ripped (confidence 11) [42C9F411]
    Copy OK

    Track 2

    Filename C:\Documents and Settings\Jason\My Documents\My Music\Dire Straits\Communiqué\02 - News.wav

    Peak level 87.3 %
    Track quality 100.0 %
    Copy CRC 2321458C
    Accurately ripped (confidence 11) [45D9F15B]
    Copy OK

    Track 3

    Filename C:\Documents and Settings\Jason\My Documents\My Music\Dire Straits\Communiqué\03 - Where Do You Think You're Going .wav

    Peak level 77.8 %
    Track quality 100.0 %
    Copy CRC CEE4EE8C
    Accurately ripped (confidence 11) [8EC8AB01]
    Copy OK

    Track 4

    Filename C:\Documents and Settings\Jason\My Documents\My Music\Dire Straits\Communiqué\04 - Communiqué.wav

    Peak level 84.4 %
    Track quality 100.0 %
    Copy CRC DE4A053C
    Accurately ripped (confidence 10) [37CCCAFE]
    Copy OK

    Track 5

    Filename C:\Documents and Settings\Jason\My Documents\My Music\Dire Straits\Communiqué\05 - Lady Writer.wav

    Peak level 91.6 %
    Track quality 100.0 %
    Copy CRC B2484D58
    Accurately ripped (confidence 11) [73FC85ED]
    Copy OK

    Track 6

    Filename C:\Documents and Settings\Jason\My Documents\My Music\Dire Straits\Communiqué\06 - Angel of Mercy.wav

    Peak level 80.7 %
    Track quality 100.0 %
    Copy CRC 159ED27F
    Accurately ripped (confidence 10) [75035E85]
    Copy OK

    Track 7

    Filename C:\Documents and Settings\Jason\My Documents\My Music\Dire Straits\Communiqué\07 - Portobello Belle.wav

    Peak level 83.4 %
    Track quality 100.0 %
    Copy CRC EABA711B
    Accurately ripped (confidence 10) [752705F2]
    Copy OK

    Track 8

    Filename C:\Documents and Settings\Jason\My Documents\My Music\Dire Straits\Communiqué\08 - Single-Handed Sailor.wav

    Peak level 82.7 %
    Track quality 100.0 %
    Copy CRC 1D9215CC
    Accurately ripped (confidence 10) [1952A4EE]
    Copy OK

    Track 9

    Filename C:\Documents and Settings\Jason\My Documents\My Music\Dire Straits\Communiqué\09 - Follow Me Home.wav

    Peak level 68.2 %
    Track quality 99.9 %
    Copy CRC 8BCD2DA7
    Accurately ripped (confidence 10) [F0A28C77]
    Copy OK

    If anyone knows anything about this pressing, please let me know. It sounds pretty good to me, but not sure how it compares to the Vertigo holy grails.
     
  10. rstamberg

    rstamberg Senior Member

    Location:
    Riverside, CT
    Got the ALCHEMY Blu-Ray Disc from the U.K. the other day but haven't played it yet. I noticed there's a download of the new remaster available if you pop the disc into your computer. Anyone heard either yet?
     
  11. Taylan

    Taylan Forum Resident

    Is there any reason i should upgrade the discs i own? I have listed them below:

    Dire Straits (1978) cat. # W2 3266-2, imo this disc sounds wonderful, here's a pic of the CD:
    [​IMG]

    Communiqué (1979) cat. # Vertigo 800 052-2:
    [​IMG]

    Making Movies (1980) cat. # Vertigo 800 050-2:
    [​IMG]

    Love over Gold (1982) cat. # Vertigo 800 088-2:
    [​IMG]

    Brothers in Arms (1985) cat. # Vertigo 824 499-2:
    [​IMG]

    On Every Street (1991) cat. # Vertigo 510 160-2:
    [​IMG]

    Thanks to whoever helps me out!:wave:
     
  12. PROG U.K.

    PROG U.K. Audiophile-Anglophile

    Location:
    New England
    Personally, I feel these pressings are great! I have owned the remasters and sold them, I have since collected all of the WG Vertigo discs.

    I have yet to hear the S/T Dire Straits Japanese target, I am happy with the WG Vertigo pressing of this title.
     
  13. curbach

    curbach Some guy on the internet

    Location:
    The ATX
    I prefer the Japan for U.S. Warner Bros cd for Making Movies, but I don't think the difference is big enough that you need to go out of your way to seek it out. As long as you don't have remasters you are fine.
     
  14. WestGrooving

    WestGrooving Forum Resident

    Location:
    California, U.S.A
    That Dire Straits Japan Target is my preferred retail CD version. I also have the West Germany Target which sounds good with a bit different EQ.

    That Communique sounds good to me. I also have the Japan Target but think I prefer the Vertigo. Foobar shows the total playing time on the Japan Target almost a minute longer...

    My Making Movies is the Blue colored Vertigo. I used to have the Silver Made In Japan for USA version, but, sold it. I probably compared the two and kept the one I preferred.

    Love Over Gold. I have the West Germany/Japan Target CDs and the silver Made In Japan for USA. I never bothered to look for the Vertigo. I tend to listen to the Vinyl LP.

    Brothers In Arms. I have Made In West Germany & Japan. I prefer to listen to the Masterdisk RL Vinyl LP.

    On Every Street. I have this on new retail cassette which sounds pretty good on my Nakamichi CR-1A.

    I also have the Alchemy West Germany Target... haven't listened to that in a long time.


    I'd say you have good sounding versions! You can probably pick up a remaster pretty cheaply and compare the sound for yourself. I'd be curious if you found them better sounding, crispier sounding... etc.
     
  15. DrJ

    DrJ Senior Member

    Location:
    Davis, CA, USA
    So I found a different Vertigo "red swirl" COMMUNIQUE CD today in the used bins that has different peak levels than the ones listed above. Here's the pertinent info:

    Catalog number: on the spine it says P2 00052 and on the disc face it has P2 52 (CRC). Then on the booklet artwork it has 800 052-2 (which is I think the non-CRC pressing catalog number). Tray card has 747493 T in a separate box under the bar code (again has the 800 052-2 number).

    Disc hub has "MFG BY CINRAM" #920812L 80052-2 etched. There is also the following embossed in the clear plastic hub: 1FP16000

    Also this disc does NOT have the additional red circle near the hub that some Vertigo "red swirl" discs do - just the swirls on "main" part of the disc face.

    Peak levels:
    Track 1 94.6 %
    Track 2 94.1 %
    Track 3 92.4 %
    Track 4 94.6 %
    Track 5 94.6 %
    Track 6 93.8 %
    Track 7 94.6 %
    Track 8 94.6 %
    Track 9 78.0 %

    So clearly not the same mastering as the French Vertigo pressing, but I wonder if it is the same as any other Vertigos (German, UK?). Anyone willing to post peak levels for any of the other COMMUNIQUE Vertigos?

    It sounds pretty nice to me.
     
  16. Todd W.

    Todd W. It's a Puggle

    Location:
    Maryland
    I have zero problem with any of the Dire Straits remasters.
     
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  17. DrJ

    DrJ Senior Member

    Location:
    Davis, CA, USA
    Well that's cool but it is interesting to look at the wave forms posted by some folks earlier in this thread, which clearly demonstrate compression and digital clipping on some of the remasters (which many have reported has audible consequences - distortion etc). I picked up the remasters of MAKING MOVIES and S/T and unloaded both of them due to a similar impression.

    Just out of curiosity have you heard any of the early Vertigos? They're not that hard to find (I've tracked down all of them through LOVE OVER GOLD in the used bins at record stores over the past 2 years, all for $10 or less) and I think they sound great, and they have preserved dynamic range.
     
  18. PROG U.K.

    PROG U.K. Audiophile-Anglophile

    Location:
    New England

    :agree:
     
  19. That disc was made by LaserVideo later called Disctronics USA/Disc Mfg, etc. probably around 1987 or 1988.

    I used to own the first WEA Mfg pressing from 1987 and it looks like they used the matrix code. WEA pressed tons of this disc, so I would guess it was a spot fill.
     
  20. steeler1979

    steeler1979 Darren from Nashville

    Location:
    Nashville,Tn. USA
    I didn't really either until several years ago I compared directly BIA with an original version. One of the most dynamic recordings of all time was ruined by the mastering on the remaster. No quiet passages. No exploding guitars. Just a continuous wall of noise in a straight line.

    The broader point however is it's all in the "ears of the beholder". After all, it's music for crying out loud, which is the most important thing. Whatever version you prefer, wear it out :cheers:
     
    dav-here likes this.
  21. The only first pressings are the Veritgo and WB PolyGram WG made discs. All the others came after. Not surprising, as Veritgo was a PolyGram label and owned by Philips, and Philips was using the CD to promote CD players, and PolyGram was WEA/WB largest CD presser at the time.

    I got my Matsushita Electric pressed disc and the WG discs were already in the stores. It was likely the first plant after PolyGrams came out, but they used others too in Japan.

    This title was so popular in the USA on CD, that I have seen more pressing plants of this title used and new than any other title released ever in the USA market.

    I have seen at least 10 different plants for the US WB version.
     
    dav-here likes this.
  22. jjay

    jjay Forum Resident

    Location:
    MN United States
    I just received the remaster of Dire Straits - On Every Street - and it is one of the best sounding cds I own. The S/T, Communique, Love over Gold are superior remastered cds. If you don't like these remasters, you won't like anything remastered. JMHO.
    Some on this forum (you know who you are) don't like anything remastered but comment in every thread that the remastered cd is worse, terrible, etc. I suppose I will get flak for saying that but this is your preference. Not everyone prefers duller softer sounding cds. again JMHO and I do not wish to offend anyone.
     
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  23. chriss71

    chriss71 Active Member

    Location:
    Austria
    Sorry, but I can not go along with your opinions.

    I must say that the Dire Straits are one of my favorite bands. So I have every CD at minimum 3 times.

    In this case I think the Bob Ludwig Remaster sucks (normally I appreciate Mr. Ludwig).

    The clearness of the original Brothers in Arms (German Version mastered by Bob Ludwig - and this is just funny) is unequaled. I have the Original Version 2 times (mastered by Bob Ludwig and John Dent), the 1996 SBM Remaster, the XRCD2, the 2008 Japan SHM-CD and the DVD Audio.

    So, in case of Brothers in Arms i stuck with the original 1st West German Press (Bob Ludwig). In case of the very first CD I stuck with the SHM-SACD.
    Making Moves, Love over Gold and Alchemy the German Target is my preferred one.

    But I think you cannot make so much wrong that any Dire Straits CD sounds bad.

    Just my 2 cents.

    Bye
     
  24. jh901

    jh901 Forum Resident

    Location:
    PARRISH FL USA
    What is your point? If you favor the brickwalling, loudness wars era stuff, then at least provide examples so that we know what you are hearing. Do you really think members prefer dull sound? Maybe you're missing the dynamics and realism!?

    If On Every Street is one of the best sounding CDs you own then that should tell members where you are coming from from. There are several dozen remastered CDs from DCC or MFSL that have far more stunning sound quality. Nevermind the original Japan market discs in many, many instances. LOL. There are bunches of those with super realistic sonics.

    Remastered CDs are only bad when they are poorly executed. Unfortunately, there are very few in the grand scheme of things that can touch or exceed the sonics of the originals (prior to loudness wars).
     
  25. jh901

    jh901 Forum Resident

    Location:
    PARRISH FL USA
    Do you recommend those CDs over the originals pressed in WG in the mid-80s?
     

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