Madonna HDTracks

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Terry, Apr 19, 2012.

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  1. bferr1

    bferr1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    MA
    There's a 15% off sale right now thru 4/30 if you use the coupon code legends15.
     
  2. Terry

    Terry Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Milwaukee
    Downloaded True Blue, 24/96: hmm. Wish I were knocked out. Not sure if this sounds any better than the CD. Will have to do some serious comparisons Sunday morning.
     
  3. dlb99

    dlb99 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Australia
    I purchased the 24/96 version of "True Blue" and gave it a good listen.

    Balance is the word I would associate with this mastering. No bass bloat, no treble boost, no excessive volume, no digital edginess. To my ears this rendition sounds very nice. Spun at good volume, no ear fatigue at all. Very analogue sounding.

    True Blue sounds like it was recorded very well back in the day. Sure it has 80s synths and beats; but it doesn't have 80s thinness nor 80s edginess.

    Never had this album in CD form, so I can't offer a comparison.

    Highly recommended.

    Dennis.
     
  4. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    I came to the same conclusion about this particular album. The original 1986 CD was well done.
     
  5. SBurke

    SBurke Nostalgia Junkie

    Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
    So, having read through this thread, I take it it's fair to say there's a consensus that "True Blue" sounds very good, and "Like a Virgin" not appreciably different from the original CD release? How about "Madonna"?

    10% off HDTracks till June 25 with the code "10summer."
     
  6. ascot

    ascot Senior Member

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    I have all three now and like them all. FYI, I have been a Madonna fan since 1984 so maybe I'm a little biased. :shh: For whatever reason, True Blue seems to have gained the biggest boost, but S/T and LAV are still improvements over the original discs in clarity, IMO. Given the maddening state of Madonna's CD catalog, this may be as good as it gets.
     
  7. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    No, it is an improvement over the original CD release.

    I, personally, do not find any difference in "True Blue" from the original 1986 CD.
     
  8. KeithH

    KeithH Success With Honor...then and now

    Location:
    Beaver Stadium
    How about the 24/192 downloads?
     
  9. SBurke

    SBurke Nostalgia Junkie

    Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
    I ended up getting "Madonna" and "True Blue" in 24/96 (I don't have gear that will handle 24/192). Just finished downloading and am looking forward to checking them out today. I'd actually not owned either of these albums before, even though I love a lot of the songs.
     
  10. GreenDrazi

    GreenDrazi Truth is beauty

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    For Like a Virgin, there’s really no reason to have it at any higher rate than what it was recorded at - 16B/44.1kHz.

    See spectral graph at this post.
     
  11. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    But, the sound is still somehow an improvement over the original CD. To me, the end result is all that matters.
     
  12. GreenDrazi

    GreenDrazi Truth is beauty

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Are you talking about the original North American Sire CD? They sound pretty close to these ears. Not identical – but close.

    Regardless, if you do prefer the HDTracks mastering, there is no reason to pay the additional cost for the 192kHz version over the 96kHz – which was Keith’s question.
     
  13. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Yes, I am talking about the original Japanese-pressed Sire CD with the silk-screen label. To me, it, and the HD Tracks version do not sound similar.

    *I* hear a slight difference between the 192kHz and 96kHz version. I do not know why, but I am happy with the 96kHz simply because of the price.
     
  14. KeithH

    KeithH Success With Honor...then and now

    Location:
    Beaver Stadium
    I also wonder how the Madonna albums were mastered. Were they mastered from the source to 192 and then downsampled to 96 or mastered from the source to 96 and upsampled to 192? I realize in the case of Like a Virgin there is upsampling regardless. This is probably the case for True Blue as well (early digital recording?). Anyway, I would love to know how these albums were mastered.
     
  15. JLGB

    JLGB Senior Member

    Location:
    D.R.
    I am speculating that the digital master was transfered to analog tape and then from there transfered to hi rez digital. Was this not done to Dire Straits "Brothers In Arms"?
     
  16. GreenDrazi

    GreenDrazi Truth is beauty

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    As can be seen from these spectral graphs posted earlier, the albums Madonna and True Blue are mostly, if not entirely, analog recordings.
     
  17. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Correct. "True Blue" uses the then-new Dolby SR (Spectral Recording), if i'm not mistaken.
     
  18. filip_kbh

    filip_kbh Forum Resident

    True Blue was an analogue recording. It clearly states on the back of the cover for the original CD:

    [​IMG]
     
    Grant likes this.
  19. Marty04

    Marty04 New Member

    I don't think these HD tracks sound good. When I compare my old Like a Virgin CD with HD, CD wins. I can't help myself, but these HD tracks sound muffled to me... CD has perfect clear sound.
     
  20. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Could it be something in your playback chain that is off?
     
  21. Luxury_Liner

    Luxury_Liner Senior Member

    Location:
    Paradise City
    That's exactly what I've noticed with the HDtracks version of LAV... it does sound a tad muffled next to the European reissue with Into the Groove or the 32DX disc from Japan (which is my go-to version...)
     
  22. Marty04

    Marty04 New Member

    The beginning of Shoo-Bee-Doo... sounds extremely muffled, like some old MC. :/
     
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