Hi-Res Download News (HDTracks, ProStudioMasters, Pono, etc.) & Software/Mastering Part 12**

Curious where you got that info? The mix & mastering engineer (Andy, I don't remember his last name) was posting to this thread at one time & I don't remember him mentioning that?

Either way, the dl box is a steal compared to the cd's!

 

Look at the files in an audio editor...

 

Odd, my understanding is this is a remix (that was EH's excuse for not allowing the Hendrix to be used) & the originals were obviously analog.

 

It was $800 actually. Of course, when it sold it, it started spiking quite a bit. The highest "sold" price I heard was $3,200.

 

Ouch. I'm quite happy with my files, which I think I also got for $360, even if some are upsampled.

 

I'm a physical media guy all the way, but there's no doubt that that price differential is pretty steep. I'm just glad they offered a less expensive alternative (note how I avoided saying "reasonable" ).

 

So upsampling aside, can someone remind me again why the 38-CD set has the Hendrix songs (on discs 37 and 38) but the 24/96 download excludes them. A remix was mentioned above - does the remix apply to other artists as well (that are included in both collections)?

 

The Hendrix estate didn't allow the performance to be remixed like the others on the box set. It is the same CD mastering as the Experience Hendrix release.

 

Bowie's Toy:Box available in mixed bit rate on highresaudio's site.
24-48 and 24-96

01. I Dig Everything (5:04)
02. You've Got A Habit of Leaving (4:49)
03. The London Boys (3:47)
04. Karma Man (3:47)
05. Conversation Piece (3:53)
06. Shadow Man (4:40)
07. Let Me Sleep Beside You (3:15)
08. Hole In The Ground (3:33)
09. Baby Loves That Way (4:37)
10. Can't Help Thinking About Me (3:25)
11. Silly Boy Blue (5:35)
12. Toy (Your Turn To Drive) (4:16)

13. Liza Jane (Alternative Mix) (4:47)
14. You've Got A Habit of Leaving (Alternative Mix, 2021 Remaster 96kHz) (4:49)
15. Baby Loves That Way (Alternative Mix, 2021 Remaster 96kHz) (4:44)
16. Can't Help Thinking About Me (Alternative Mix 96kHz) (3:26)
17. I Dig Everything (Alternative Mix 96kHz) (5:05)
18. The London Boys (Alternative Version 96kHz) (3:49)
19. Silly Boy Blue (Tibet Version 96kHz) (5:12)
20. Let Me Sleep Beside You (Alternative Mix, 2021 Remaster 96kHz) (3:15)
21. In The Heat Of The Morning (Alternative Mix) (3:53)
22. Conversation Piece (Alternative Mix, 2021 Remaster 96kHz) (3:52)
23. Hole In The Ground (Alternative Mix 96kHz) (3:55)
24. Shadow Man (Alternative Mix, 2021 Remaster 96kHz) (4:50)
25. Toy (Your Turn To Drive) (Alternative Mix, 2021 Remix 96kHz) (4:51)

26. In The Heat Of The Morning (Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix) (3:52)
27. I Dig Everything (Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix) (4:59)
28. You've Got A Habit of Leaving (Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix) (3:45)
29. The London Boys (Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix) (3:45)
30. Karma Man (Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix) (3:44)
31. Conversation Piece (Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix) (3:51)
32. Shadow Man (Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix) (4:19)
33. Let Me Sleep Beside You (Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix) (3:05)
34. Hole In The Ground (Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix) (3:18)
35. Baby Loves That Way (Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix) (4:34)
36. Can't Help Thinking About Me (Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix) (3:30)
37. Silly Boy Blue (Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix) (5:29)
38. Toy (Your Turn To Drive) (Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix) (3:53)

Toy (Toy:Box) | HIGHRESAUDIO

 

Ha, this and Bad Animals. They're two of the very few albums I have on tape, vinyl and CD. Had the tapes as a kid and loved them, bought the CD double-pack as an adult and it was unspeakably awful. Got the vinyls for $5 ea recently, and also pretty bad! Fantastic albums though; A-grade 80s bombast personified!

 

Remind me if you can, which are the tracks where single remixes were subbed on some releases of the album? It's "Never" and "Nothing At All", right?

* - I really need to make some reference for myself with a link to a post that details all this. I'm sure there is one on the forum somewhere that gives exact track times for the original and remixes, and which versions are on what pressing, etc.

 

The new Elvis Costello is out, but 24/44.1. Are artists like him actually recording at that or are the studios/labels just refusing to let out full resolution on many new recordings? Even if Elvis recorded the whole album digitally, doesn't it seem likely it would be at 24/96 or so?

 

Never is virtually the same, but with an "ooh" at the beginning of the single version, but Nothing At All is quite different instrumentally. Apparently there's no telling which versions turn up on an album. I think my cd and vinyl have the single version of Nothing At All, but all three have the ooh-less Never. But they're all as good as each other. Should say, obviously the ones on the videos are the single mixes.

 

Could be either. I am continually surprised at well known artists, engineers and studios who are content to work at 44.1 or 48kHz. They honestly feel that there is little benefit sonically, space wise or processing wise to work beyond that.

Having said that, almost every mastering engineer I know works at minimum of 96kHz when they master (no, not disingenuously upsampling), recapturing at 96 once the music passes through the analog chain.

And then on the other hand, I do think that many labels and even artists are tired of releasing their music at 96 and above because the minute it is released it is pirated within hours.

A fourth consideration is that with all of the remote, personal studio and at home recording taking place during the pandemic most folks are using entry level affordable interfaces and are probably content with lower rates because many don’t have the horsepower to work higher. Some may not even know how to change the settings.

In general all of this comes down to: We have zero concrete idea why so many new releases from big name artists come out at 44.1 or 48kHz and short of emailing the audio engineer, it’s ALL (even what I typed here) just internet/arm chair speculating.

 

All good points. As to them actually recording at less than 96khz, I would think that even if they know it will be released (now anyway) at only 44.1khz, they'd want to have higher-res source for future releases.

 

“If Looks Could Kill” has an extra guitar fill or whatever towards the beginning of the song along with what was already mentioned.

 

One would think, and I agree, however a lot of folks just don’t care. This is no different than how studios in the past would record over/re-use multitrack tape and even throw away older tapes.

 

I'm assuming the studios are still mastering for CD, and 44.1/16kHz might be considered the "final" digital master, hence the one that gets released...even if it's just a downsample of a higher-res working copy. Maybe that's the only one they're even delivered.

 

My GUESS is with Covid a lot of artists are using their laptop at 44/24 rather than going to a studio.

 

Just did some listening. For both "Never" and "Nothin' At All", the remix have an extra Ann vocal part early on.

Never
remix - high pitched "ooooh" about 4 seconds in
original - no "ooooh"

Nothin' At All
remix - has an "oh-oh-oh-woh-oh ohhh" about 8-9 seconds in
original no "oh-oh-oh..."

Easy place to hear the orignal versions is on 2002 The Essential Heart comp.

I'm still working on what the key is with any difference on "If Looks Could Kill".

 

Today's home computers, even laptops, are perfectly capable of working at 192 kHz with a good USB audio interface.

 

Do the over 40 YO artists know this; & does that require an expensive laptop?

 

It’s at about 1:05 in or so. After the chorus. Essential has it. Greatest Hits 1985-95 does not. HD tracks does not. U.K. Nimbus CD has the extra guitar, etc.

 

I've got Essential & HDT so I should be covered?

 

Yup except the U.K. Nimbus cd sounds better than Essential. At least to me.

To me Nothing At All sounds like a awesome demo on the original release. Vocals are different, different guitar and mix etc. Remix has more color and punch.