Dream Theater "Distance Over Time" (2019) album

Thanks Alan, much appreciated!

 

I left this message on the band's Facebook page:

Great album! Except...it's too damn compressed!!! UGH!!!

Are there any versions of it that have actual dynamic range?

I'm sure it won't make a difference since we're the minority (folks that actually care about sound quality) but maybe it's worth leaving a comment or two?

Dream Theater

 

I have sent a reply to 7Digital to investigate from their side on whether they received the incorrect files. I also sent an email to Inside Out Music to which Dream Theater is signed to requesting for more details on why there is a difference between the files provided on the Blu Ray release and the ones sent out to Hi Res Vendors.

 

I've got the artbook set and have ripped the 24/96 audio, will put it through the DR log when I get home. I'm skeptical about that existing log though because it still sounds compressed to me (much better than the CD though). I did notice when I listened that it needed cranking way more than usual.

 

Maybe I'm being dumb but how the hell can you test the DR on 24 bit tracks? The DR Meter 1.4 which I use only supports 16/44.1 and the foobar component just crashes with these files...

 

Got it working now via foobar. Can report the log posted already on the dr.loudness website is correct!

foobar2000 1.3.16 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1
log date: 2019-02-28 15:15:28

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analyzed: ? / ?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DR Peak RMS Duration Track
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR11 0.00 dB -13.63 dB 6:16 ?-01 Untethered Angel
DR11 -0.15 dB -13.61 dB 4:17 ?-02 Paralyzed
DR12 0.00 dB -14.09 dB 7:05 ?-03 Fall into the Light
DR11 -0.42 dB -13.54 dB 6:44 ?-04 Barstool Warrior
DR11 -0.58 dB -13.52 dB 4:22 ?-05 Room 137
DR11 0.00 dB -12.53 dB 6:21 ?-06 S2N
DR12 0.00 dB -15.26 dB 9:22 ?-07 At Wit's End
DR11 -1.27 dB -16.94 dB 4:05 ?-08 Out of Reach
DR12 0.00 dB -14.09 dB 8:26 ?-09 Pale Blue Dot
DR12 -0.51 dB -14.21 dB 4:01 ?-10 Viper King
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of tracks: 10
Official DR value: DR11

Samplerate: 96000 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 24
Bitrate: 4608 kbps
Codec: PCM
================================================================================

 

Maybe if we all comment on this tweet, they'll do something about it:

Dream Theater on Twitter

 

I just use JRiver, it can natively log DR on everything from mp3 to 192kHz PCM to DSD.

Thanks so much for sharing your DR log, that makes me feel much better about ordering the big box.

 

Here's the waveform for Untethered Angel:

 

No wonder it sounded very crankable when I played it yesterday. I do still hear some compression, mainly in the drums but I would suspect they were recorded like that and its in the mix.

 

That looks much better, I guess I am going to have to pony out $80 to get a listenable version of this album. No response yet from 7Digital or Inside Out Music on what is going on with the downloadable Hi Res Files elsewhere. I suggest more people jump in and contact other vendors like HDTracks and maybe even Sony Music to press the same issue. I doubt bombarding the band will help matters as they probably don't get involved in the issuing process.

 

See, I don't get this. The Astonishing was quite the departure for them, and now the new one is very different from that. If you aren't digging the albums, that is one thing, but it is hard for me to get on board with them being stuck in a rut stylistically when the styles have not been the same on each album, relatively speaking since they all still fall under the prog banner.

 

The Astonishing was different in terms of format and approach, I meant more of how the songs are written and the band's sound. Within the first two minutes of the opener on the new album it sounded just like almost every other song they've done the last decade. Again, just my $0.02. I still liked the album, but it didn't wow me.

 

Unreal. So the only way to get a decent sounding version of it is to fork over 50-bucks for the Blu-ray.

And people wonder why folks seek "alternative" channels to get music.

 

Done:

I'd happily buy a copy if it wasn't so damn compressed...Great tunes - bad mastering. I've heard the Blu-ray is better, but that's 50-bucks. Ugh.

 

I am happy to be the non-audiophile because this album sounds good to me, both stylistically and in SQ

 

You're like most people then. Thing is, this site is generally populated by people who care about music AND sound quality.

 

Looks like even the instrumental tracks have a better dynamic range than the album itself (on CD).

 

I did get a reply back from 7Digital last night politely stating that the 96/24 files they received were the only batch given to them by the label and I would have to raise the issue with them. At that I am still waiting for a reply from Inside Out Music on what happened to the files... I'll give another update if there is one. Other than that I begrudgingly picked up the $80 BluRay as I get the sinking feeling that this issue will not be investigated by the label.

 

Completely agree. He’s been the biggest turnoff for me since Six Degree. Where he plays more in the background on his on and some of ADTOE I enjoy it

 

I'm planning to listen to this later on tonight. Unfortunately the drums are what they are in the mix. They sound like triggered samples, horribly eq'ed and compressed with way too much reverb/effects.

 

Last night I had the opportunity to compare the high res download, the bluray audio and the cd.
In short, if you can play bluray audio, return every other possible medium you have this as and get the bluray. My guess is that the bluray is an error and they used a non mastered version for that. Everything missing on the cd and high res is present on the bluray.
The mix still isn't grand though...

 

Oh, man. Thanks for the investigation, folks. Really appreciate it.

Now to decide if it's worth plunking down $50 for an instrumental mix I'll never listen to, and an art book that will gather dust on a shelf.

It's a bit maddening, really. These labels usually refuse to individually sell the hi-res/surround components of all of these massive boxsets , most likely because they are capitalizing on an artist's most dedicated fans, or at least the ones who are willing to invest the most, and, yet, they bemoan piracy.

Sorry, Rush, as a middle-aged man, I refuse to buy a box full of needless trinkets for $100 just to get Steven Wilson's mix of one album, beautiful though it may be! Charge me $25 for the blu-ray already, geez. You'd still be able to get $25 from me and a lot of others, I'm sure!

 

The last few Portnoy albums, as much as I enjoy them, often had them sounding like desperate trend-chasers, in my opinion. Sure, everything was filtered through the DT lens, but, you could pinpoint the main influence in almost every song; many were simply pastiches.

I can see your point, to a certain degree, but, I feel like, as an aging band, it's cool to see them get closer to the essence of what they are.

 

Yep, I'm going to pass too. Didn't get the first Aqualung SW 5.1 mix because it only came in a box. Fortunately, it came out again 5 years later. Same thing with first Roxy album and Chris Squire - passed on those too.

It's also very annoying to pay more an HD version, when it's really no better than the CD. I really don't want physical product, but that's what I should have done.