Quadrophenia on SHM-SACD

Does anyone know what this is all about in mastering land? I would love a great version of this for audio nirvana!

This is how it reads for the upcoming release:
Uses the 2012 DSD master based on UK original analog tape. Reissue features the high-fidelity SHM-SACD format (fully compatible with standard SACD player, but it does not play on standard CD players).

 

By original analog tape, that means the original mix?

 

they used the original mix

 

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=279623
http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=276507

 

Thanks, Claus. I don't have the MFSL gold set, but I will be curious to see reviews against the original U.S. MCA and West German Polydor sets.

 

probably not a flat transfer like Who's Next was, though, since Astley was apparently unhappy and though that EQ should have been used.

 

If hack supreme (Gh)Astley has his way then this will be one to avoid. I wonder if he told UMG Japan "I'm upset you made me do quality work on SHM-SACD Who's Next, I will never let that happen again"

 

What do you mean?

Er...what?

 

To my ears (Gh)Astley is the worst CD "mastering engineer" in the world. I find his "work" to be literally un-listenable and usually painful. I do not like his specialty which is Dynamically Compressed to a thin paste smiley EQ'd crap. One lone SHM-SACD not withstanding.

So I ask again; I wonder if he told UMG Japan "I'm terribly upset you made me do quality work on the SHM-SACD of Who's Next, I will never let that happen again"

 

Most of the stuff he has touched in the past several years has been somewhere between "not bad" and "pretty good". The recent SHM CDs do have some glitches in places, but the overall sound is mostly very nice. No compression or noise reduction, nice EQ.

Why would he tell them that?

 

I thought you said on another thread that Astley wasn't happy with the Who's Next SHM-SACD, as he thought it could have used some EQ?

Given that, and the delay on Live At Leeds, I'm thinking that he may take a more active role in these releases. I hope I am wrong, though. I think that what we've gotten from Universal Japan is very good, and that these releases should stick to the flat transfer format.

 

I think that's a little overboard!

 

I don't think it is fair to say he "wasn't happy with the Who's Next SHM-SACD". Rather, he simply would have preferred to use some EQ.

My understanding is he used some EQ on at least some of the SHM CDs, and the sound on those has been well regarded.

I don't expect these SACDs to be much different, whether they are 100% flat transfers or have a bit of EQ.

 

I enjoy the SHM-CDs as well, but since I'm spending 70 bucks a pop with shipping on the SHM-SACDs, I would prefer that they follow the example of Who's Next.

 

Dude, I toned it down greatly. Mere words do not accurately reflect my hatred of (Gh)Astley's destructiveness [work]. Just because you may not share the same exact opinion does not change mine in the slightest.

Will not waste my money on anything he does unless it is exactly like Who's Next SHM-SACD. Will Quad be this way? Speculation is meaningless. Well we have to wait and see/hear.

 

Didn't UMG modify the liner notes for SHM-SACDs early on to say that their discs were being mastered flat? I thought I read that here at one point.

 

So...if it sounds like crap but is a flat transfer it will be good, but if it sounds good with some EQ it will be bad?

How would we be able to know if it was a flat transfer from listening?

 

I don't think all of the SHM-SACDs are flat transfers. Only some Artists.

 

If a flat transfer was what really best served the music, then there wouldn't be a paid position in the audio industry called "mastering engineer". I won't buy any SACDs where they simpy plug the tape machine directly into a DSD converter and charge me some astronomical price for the privilege of having a copy. That's ludicrous.

 

Then you will be missing out.

 

Yeah, it stands to reason that they wouldn't take a blanket approach, but I seem to recall at least some SHM-SACDs after the first batch mentioning a flat transfer. It was discussed here at some point. I thought it might have been part of some generic liner notes about SHM-SACDs. The text is in Japanese, so I can't say for sure what has and has not been stated.

 

I can't read Japanese either, but I am able to look at the copy blurb on cdjapan's listings to determine if it is a flat transfer or not, at least that is what I remember.

 

I only said I wanted the result to sound like Who's Next. Meaning no Dynamic Compression, No NR. I'm not sure what EQ was used on Who's Next. I never said flat - although there are some cases where that is best.

 

I have this one on order from CD Japan so we shall see.

 

Well then that's no different than any of his recent work, not just Who's Next.