Peter Gabriel - Best Digital Masterings?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by tlake6659, Dec 22, 2008.

  1. Plan9

    Plan9 Mastering Engineer

    Location:
    Toulouse, France
    I should add that Passion sounds fantastic on SACD (DSD layer as always).
     
  2. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    Yes, on that I agree Thomas, That and Birdy I was happy with. I didn't want to break the lot when I sold them all, so off they went. UP I regret selling
     
  3. Plan9

    Plan9 Mastering Engineer

    Location:
    Toulouse, France
    That's too bad, Passion really shines. I didn't like the SACDs much at first, but the more I upgraded my system, the better the SACDs sounded.
     
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  4. bmoregnr

    bmoregnr Forum Rezident

    Location:
    1060 W. Addison
    Oh man I have to get Birdy again, I can't remember if it was LP or cassette I had, but wore it out.
     
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  5. HiFi Guy 008

    HiFi Guy 008 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New England
    Aside from the last WUMP! at the very end of The Rhythm of the Heat, I prefer the remaster by a long shot. It's surprisingly smooth and the eq is much better. The original Target is ok, great detail and dynamics, but at the cost of an imbalanced sound. My reference is the original RL Masterdisk vinyl (which also beats the UK Townhouse - some of the US pressings use the Townhouse plates, so be aware if the deadwax).

    That last WUMP! at the end of Rhythm Of The Heat on the Target will make you jump at loud volumes. On the remaster, it's just another drum beat. But that's the only benefit of the Target.

    Regarding the UK V/C III, don't fret about the peak limiting. It sounds good enough to keep. There does seem to be plenty of detail and depth. Which this recording has loads of. Listening to it right now and comparing to the cd remaster. Remember, DR values and peak limiting are never the whole story. They only serve as a cursory indicator.
     
    Last edited: Feb 3, 2017
    Plan9 likes this.
  6. HiFi Guy 008

    HiFi Guy 008 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New England
    It's frustrating and wonderful that the more one upgrades their system, the worse some masterings sound, and the better others. This has perplexed me for years, as I refuse to believe that better equipment always results in more engaging, musical sound.
     
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  7. HiFi Guy 008

    HiFi Guy 008 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New England
    I'm listening to the cd remaster of III now. Doesn't sound like reversed polarity. Sounds great. Overall, I prefer it to the original UK Virgin V/C. I Don't Remember and Games Without Frontiers have a much better balanced sound with more boogie. Closer to the vinlie.
     
  8. Plan9

    Plan9 Mastering Engineer

    Location:
    Toulouse, France
    I agree there. If 'better equipment' equals more neutral, more revealing system, some masterings will start to show their defects a little bit too prominently.

    I'm not sure if the CD layer of the SACD (or the standard remaster CD) have the inverted polarity, but if you can, try to reverse it, you might like it even better.
     
  9. Musicisthebest

    Musicisthebest Exiled Yorkshireman

    Location:
    Manchester, UK
    I wouldn't say that that certain masters sound worse as one upgrades your hi-fi system. It's that these "non-improvable" masters have been engineered to show off everything on relatively low level systems & they have nothing further to reveal as one's system improves. Although such masters can sound very "hi-fi" they don't sound particularly natural.

    Masters that have been engineered more naturally may not reveal as much on low level systems but will reveal more & more as one's system improves.
     
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  10. prowler5150

    prowler5150 Forum Resident

    Which is the better option - hunting down the best CD version for each album cited in posts in this thread or buying the new 33/45 LPs for the high res downloads?
     
  11. Plan9

    Plan9 Mastering Engineer

    Location:
    Toulouse, France
    I think the downloads are better in terms of cleanliness, tonal balance and resolution, but they are less dynamic than the CDs. It would be much cheaper to get the CDs I'd think.
     
  12. The_Windmill

    The_Windmill Forum Resident

    Location:
    Italy
    You're a new member so let me break it down for you (based on my own relatively short observation of the forum's life) ...
    The best option is: buy everything you can find (don't forget first Japanese presses), compare yourself, come here, tell the others what is your favourite*, wait for a new release, repeat.

    *here you have two options.
    a) stating an absolute preference (with or without explanation) implying that your ears have been elected universal judges.
    b) humbly declaring that it is your subjective personal preference (with or without explanation).


    :bdance:

    In real life, what Plan9 said. ;)
     
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  13. HiFi Guy 008

    HiFi Guy 008 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New England
    Original So UK cd.
    Remaster Security cd.
     
  14. albertop

    albertop Forum Resident

    Quite accurate observation and nice flow chart of the forum life :laugh:. You only forgot to mention the rules about lossy downloads. Avoid at all costs!

    In real life, get the Mastered for iTunes version... :agree:
     
  15. Solace

    Solace Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brussels, Belgium
    So - 2012 B & W Hi-Res download
     
  16. Audioresearch

    Audioresearch Forum Resident

    All the sacd's for me exception is Peter Gabriel Plays Live because it's not the 2 cd set. Only one the highlights
     
  17. bmoregnr

    bmoregnr Forum Rezident

    Location:
    1060 W. Addison
    I spent a little time with 3|Melt between the US Geffen and a UK V/C. It only took a couple of songs to get the difference. I have always felt the US has what I call a masking glare, it is like a hint of whiteness across the whole thing, sounds more come out through that overall hint of white glare. Although I tend to find it on many early CDs, it generally isn't a problem, and it isn't here either, but I would note it tends to on average amplify/spread sibilance, and it is here on the vocals. The only reason for bringing this up is that by comparison the UK V/C does not have this hint of white glare, it has darker backgrounds, nothing comes through anything, everything timbre wise is a shade more natural. Sibilance on the vocals is still there, but it feels more like what was on the tape only, nothing is being amplified by the mastering.

    Now the thing in the US's favor, it is a quieter mastering. My amp volume notches at a tenth of a db, although I have no idea how accurate it is, but the UK was turned down by 3 db to get the same level by ear. In some ways the UK can seem like a mid 2000's mastering; for an 80's cd it is loud without being compressed. It is set up to be fuller/take up more of the stereo field. I don't know enough about the topic to understand the clipping that was noted earlier on the UK, nor could I point out where/how it may be happening in a listening scenario, but I see the UK being generally a little spiky/sharp by comparison; but all of that fuller/louder/spikier works to make it more engaging/arresting than the US for me. The UK's darker background and less glare giving more visibility, plus a shade more natural sounding timbres, really works super on Family Snapshot and the start of Biko.

    I am probably giving the impression that the differences are huge when they really are not. All of this said, I can't truly say which one is better and I am not even sure there is an answer to that. In this case I can only get to which one I like, and even saying that, it would probably take more time to really come to a final decision. Right now I think I am initially drawn more the UK only because I have had the US since release day; and I have always felt this US cd was letting me down some; I never liked it as much as the Atlantic cds for example, so perhaps that is more the reason at the moment.
     
    Last edited: Feb 19, 2017
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  18. The_Windmill

    The_Windmill Forum Resident

    Location:
    Italy
    Out of curiosity, what's your preference between original(s?) and remastered Shaking The Three? How do they differ mainly?
     
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  19. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    I thought I had read on this forum some possible issues with early runs of Shaking, can't remember...
    Was there only one worldwide mastering for this compilation? The 2002 I would think came from the same remastering session as the rest of the series.
    Funny my old US JVC has a AAD SPARS code :laugh:
     
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  20. Plan9

    Plan9 Mastering Engineer

    Location:
    Toulouse, France
    I like the remastered Shaking The Tree. Unique mastering as well, slightly more dynamic than the individual albums on some tracks.
     
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  21. The_Windmill

    The_Windmill Forum Resident

    Location:
    Italy
    If it's on this tread, it's a little more easy to search :) aaand...
    The only thing I found is absolute phase inverted in Big Time (and I posted that...).

    As far as preferences:
    I'd say it's a tie! :D
     
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  22. Plan9

    Plan9 Mastering Engineer

    Location:
    Toulouse, France
    For the record I haven't heard the original CD, it may well be better, I just feel the SACD stands on its own and is pretty good. :)
     
  23. Musicisthebest

    Musicisthebest Exiled Yorkshireman

    Location:
    Manchester, UK
    It is pretty good but I prefer my Virgin made in Holland original.
     
  24. Plan9

    Plan9 Mastering Engineer

    Location:
    Toulouse, France
    I will have to compare them sometime.
     
  25. Kabbalist

    Kabbalist New Member

    Location:
    United States
    The latest 45 rpm half-speed vinyl recording of Security and the 24 bit digital download are both far superior to the any CD version out there. The recordings (especially vinyl, but to a lesser extent digital) really opened my eyes to what my sound system is capable of. If you don't have a quality turntable with an audiophile cartridge and quality amplification and speakers, you don't really know what you're missing. I prefer the vinyl by far, but the 24 bit digital download is still obviously superior to my CD version. This pressing has my unconditional recommendation. I would also rather listen to the original LP that I bought in 1982 than the CD I bought in the 90's anytime. There is certainly a learning curve that comes with setting up a turntable and proper care of LP's, but the sonic reward is worth it.
     

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