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

Randy Leasure (PonoMusic)
Hi,
We wanted to share with the Community that PonoMusic was at the Music Business Association conference last week in Nashville to share with the labels everything that we've been up to these past few months and present the PonoRevealer. We had an overwhelming response to the success we've seen in the market so far to help grown the High Resolution business. Sharing the PonoRevealer with everyone got folks even more excited about the ability to make studio quality masters available and we feel that over the next few months we'll be seeing more and more albums available in 24bit resolution. Additionally we've got some new independent label partners coming onboard in the next few months to help grow our catalog of music. We'll keep you posted as we add more albums and features. Thanks
http://musicbiz.org/events/music-biz-2015/

 

It has been a month or so since I have purchased any HDTracks downloads.

I have had two different albums re-download - completely - twice. On one, it overwrote the original download files. I could tell by looking at the Date Modified field in Windows Explorer. On the other I had added the date of release to the original folder name. It downloaded another complete set of files. I compared the file sizes of the original download to the re-download. They were identical

On both of these, it occurred when I was downloading a new order. These just showed up in the HDTracks Downloader, along with the newly ordered files. No harm done, but it took me by surprise.

(I was not charged again.)

 

This video is about a year old but gives some good insight from the industry on lots of topics about Hi-Res:

 

My initial downloads from HD and Acoustic sounds were all slow and or bad.

Once I decided to upgrade everything it all flies now. I did a new Router, Modem, direct wire, all cat 6 wire, no Wifi, and moved up one more level of service from my provider.

I now have zero issues ANYTIME, and can even process more than the standard 3 songs at a time per download.

 

Bruce GOS (PonoMusic)
Hi, Last week in Nashville Tennessee we spent a fabulous three days at the Music Business Association Conference, NARM, with all the major and independent music labels on the planet and others orbiting around it. At every meeting, with their marketing and A&R managers, all the labels showed their excitement for their music in High Resolution Audio, and especially our Pono Player and in our Pono MusicStore. One of the biggest highlights was the introduction of the Pono Revealer that we used to demonstrate the differences in resolutions which everybody easily heard and felt. So many people wanted to hear the player that after a High Resolution panel, we setup an impromptu table outside of a conference room and had a line of folks waiting to hear and feel the music. The big takeaway is that music is the medium of emotion and the PonoPlayer delivers accurately what the artists hear while in the studio. Many professional recording engineers and producers were there and the common saying from them was that they have been waiting for the PonoPlayer for over 30 years. For them to be able to bring to their home, car or personal studio a totally accurate version of what they heard while recording and mixing is finally a reality. We came away very excited that there is great enthusiasm and optimism for music, especially in High Resolution.

There’s been some controversy lately over versions of albums that weren’t what they were cracked up to be and those albums are being looked at very seriously by both the labels and Pono. We confirmed that a major portion of albums recorded in the 80’s through the 90’s were mixed and mastered in CD quality of 44.1/16 bit and are the only versions available. But, that isn’t the end of the world, because the Pono Player plays back these albums better than people have ever heard them before. To ask an artist to go back into the studio and remix for High Resolution wouldn’t be possible, especially since the artists and their producers and engineers have a great deal of miles between them and the album, and couldn’t possibly feel the music exactly the same way. These recordings are a snapshot of history and will still bring you great amounts of pleasure.

Many of the things that have popped up on the community were discussed with all the labels, compression, provenance, liner notes, extended metadata, photographs of tape boxes, the complete history of a recording that enhances the listening experience. These enhancements won’t happen overnight but are right at the top of the labels and Pono’s wish list and you’ll see some of these come to pass as we go through the Summer months into the Fall.

Remember God invented the volume control, use it.

Aloha, Bruce

 

Excellent and eye opening. Everyone should take a peek.

 

Incredibly irritating to me that Little Games is the original 10 song album... There was no artistic thought involved in choosing those 10 songs, that was a purely commercial decision based on the thinking at the time that 10-12 songs and/or 30 minutes was the most you could or should put on a pop LP.

 

Yup. The 2 disc anthology is a far superior offering.

 

Billy Parham (Member)
Digital 45. I would buy more if they were available in a higher res. Any plans for that? Really enjoyed the hidden instrumental track in White Rabbit (mono) by J.P.

Randy Leasure (PonoMusic)
Hi - The labels don't have any current plans for the digital 45 series as they are focusing on making more album titles available. Thanks

Doug Adams (Member)
@Randy Leasure (PonoMusic) I like Digital 45's, but hi res albums are even better. LONG LIVE PONO!

Surreal Stereosound (Member)
@Randy Leasure (PonoMusic) Could you at least put Pronce's When Doves Cry Digital 45 back up at the Pono Store as well as his 1999 and Purple Rain Albums that were originally available before Pono started messing with it's software and list those titles.

Surreal Stereosound (Member)
Prince's

Surreal Stereosound (Member)
https://www.ponomusic.com/ccrz__CCPage?pageKey=search&searchText=Digital 45

Surreal Stereosound (Member)
@Randy Leasure (PonoMusic) Let me rephrase my post as autocorrect screwed it up. Could you at least put Prince's When Doves Cry Digital 45 and his 1999 and Purple Rain albums back up on the Pono Music Store as they were there when the store first opened but have now vanished as Pono was messing with it's software trying to tweak it so that only the highest resolution of a given album was listed as well as removing duplicates unless they were of a deluxe version of the same album. As there was no reason to remove the Prince titles I think they accidentally got hidden/removed. You know people would buy these titles and that will only help Pono. Please put them back up. Thanks.

Randy Leasure (PonoMusic)
Hi,
@Surreal Stereosound (Member) We'd love to make those albums available but the label removed those Prince titles from the catalog of HiRes titles as they are preparing to re release re mastered versions of his catalog in HiRes later this year. Thanks

 

The usual behaviour as soon as you move downloaded files from the HDTracks download folder into another directory. The software scans the HDT download folder and if the files you have bought are not within this folder downloads them again. Just close the app.

 

Has anyone heard the Roy Orbison "Oh, Pretty Woman" album on HDTracks? I was under the impression it is a new, exclusive mastering. "Mastered by Vic Anesini at Battery Studios directly from the original Monument tapes."

 

I assumed it was the same mastering as the vinyl they made for Record Store Day about a year ago. Anyone know for sure?

 

I'd like to see the review on that. I have (and love) the SACD. Wondering if I need to get this DL.

 

Those are the only ones one would need anyway (ducks in the event someone throws a shoe).

 

If I'm reading it correctly, the OP is asking which vendor. In which case, the answer is HD Tracks. Current code for them is HDHERO15 for 15% off all releases in the "guitar hero" and "new" categories.

 

Wrong! DUCK!!!

 

I bought a few of the Digital 45's from Pono. Wish they had more and they were easier to find. I get different search results when I put in "Digital 45". It does not always come up with the same amount of tittles.

Pat

 

Agree. Though they usually show up under an artists search if they are available. Look what happens when you search for Ed Sullivan. https://www.ponomusic.com/ccrz__CCPage?pageKey=search&searchText=Ed sullivan

 

Gotcha, I thought all hd tracks codes usually started with 'hd'.

 

Hang on - new remasters of Prince forthcoming this year?!!! Isn;t this news?

 

For fans of George Duke's early work "The Aura Will Prevail" is available (88/24) at ProStudio.

 

Anyone know what happened to the dedicated Rush 2015 releases thread? I can't seem to find it. How is the Hemispheres compared to the SACD?

 

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...-hi-res-reissues-thread-part-2.432219/page-16

 

From Pono about the new Phil Collins remasters:
Randy Leasure (PonoMusic)
Hi, Yes these albums are on schedule for a 10/23 release as of right now. (all subject to change with the labels scheduling etc) Thanks

 

Man I hope those PC releases will be done well...
Need some Genesis and PG releases as well...