I use Foobar 2000, it's free and totally safe: foobar2000 Not sure if the newest version automatically includes the dynamic range plugin or not, you might need to install that seperately. You'll have rip the CD's first obviously then open up Foobar, select the FILE tab, select the folder with the CD audio files on your hard drive, once they're loaded highlight all of them, right click and select the dynamic range meter and let it do it's thing. It'll generate a nice file in the source folder with the DR values for each track.
Can't foobar2000 open CDs directly? If so, no ripping required. It is worth noting that the foo_dr plugin uses an outdated version of the algorithm. The current version is a $49 app from MAAT. In addition to the updated DR algorithm, it measures true peak levels (plus the sample peak levels of the fb2K version) and many other values, too.
I couldn’t find something over Mac that checks easily the DR, too much of a hassle to do it, sorry. I have all my files ripped.
Check out this review, near the bottom it specifically states that the LEGACY CD Box studio albums use the 2013 Bernie Grundman and Chris Bellman High Definition Digital remasters, so I guess that's the real story... Holiday Gift Guide Review: Eagles, "Legacy" - The Second Disc
I've already asked in the thread but I never did get a clear answer. Part of that was my own stupidity. But I'd like to ask again: Does the CD box set of Legacy have the same mastering (albeit at a lower resolution for most) as the hi-res downloads? Or have they made the mastering louder for the CD format, a la Tom Petty's recent releases?
Which mastering does 40th Hotel California use? Or does that set use both with cd and blu ray in box?
I’d place my money on louder mastering even though I’ve never heard it. Unfortunately that seems to be the way now. Hell, even the Japan SACD of Hotel California was made to sound louder unfortunately.
Big thanks to @Chauncey for verifying that the mastering is, unfortunately, louder on the CD set than the hi-res download. I'll never understand why companies feel the need to do this. After being disappointed by the MFSL Desperado, I think I'm going to sell both for my money back and put that toward the hi-res download instead. I love the Eagles but the few hi-res tracks I have are good enough. Dynamic range is there and I can re-EQ as needed. I would have preferred the CD set, but they had to go and do this to it. Oh well.
I've bought the hi-res download for the set from Qobuz. One quick thing to note is that Qobuz lists it at 24-bit/44.1 kHz, and has it priced much lower than the other sites that list it at 24/96, but the files I downloaded actually are 24/96 with the exception of the Millennium Concert which is 24/44. Eagles and Desperado have no mastering compression or peak limiting whatsoever. Due to the production, they're both fairly compressed mixes, particularly Desperado, but nothing was done in the mastering to reduce dynamic range. On The Border and One Of These Nights are the same volume as the first two, but due to more dynamic mixing and production, most songs have some minor peak limiting. When I say minor, I mean minor – only a handful of drum hits per song hit the zero mark. The reduction is minimal – probably 1 dB at most. Hotel California and The Long Run are where things start to get questionable. The title track of Hotel California is the same volume as the previous albums, but the rest of the album is a bit louder, maybe about 1.5 dB. Every song (including the quieter "Hotel California" by virtue of how loud the drums are mixed) has some pretty noticeable peak limiting and it hammers the zero mark regularly and forcefully. This is an instance where you'll definitely want a previous CD mastering – the DCC for Hotel California is considered unbeatable by all accounts, and I'd imagine the original CD for The Long Run will serve your needs quite well. The songs aren't brickwalled – it's only the drum peaks that are affected, not any of the other instruments – but they still have no reason to be louder than the previous four albums. Long Road Out Of Eden appears to be about 2-3 dB less compressed than the original 2007 CD. However, it's still got some compression and limiting present, and it's about 3 dB louder than the first four albums in the set (and thus about 1.5 dB louder than Hotel California and The Long Run). I'm not aware of a streaming site that allows users to individually buy songs longer than 10 minutes, so unfortunately if you want the superior mastering for this album you'll need to buy the entire set. The 1980 live album is about the same volume as The Long Run. The EQ is great, IMO – live albums are hard to master, but this got a great balance across everything. Shame about the compression, but I think EQ-wise, it's better than anything else in the set. I haven't heard any other version of this, so maybe it's just a great mix, but I really like the EQ here. The Millennium Concert is much louder than the remaining discs, and it's all but brickwalled (although it's normalized to -1.5 dB, leaving plenty of headroom). This one was mastered by Bob Ludwig, and it shows. For supposedly being an opponent of the loudness war, Bob Ludwig doesn't seem to have a problem slamming most of what he masters with a very nasty-sounding compressor. The EQ is okay, but it's about 3 dB louder than the previous live album (and thus 4.5 dB louder than the first four albums). Again, this is the first time I'm hearing this, but the EQ does not impress me. Like most Bob Ludwig masters, there's too much upper midrange action. However, I'd imagine the original release was also probably quite loud and not EQ'd particularly well. In the CD and LP sets, Bob Ludwig also mastered Hell Freezes Over, but maddeningly, that release is absent from the download. You can argue that's because it doesn't exist in hi-res, but neither does Millennium Concert, and that's included, so what gives? Earlier in the thread, someone stated that the original Hell Freezes Over DVD has better mastering than the original CDs, so using a program like DVDAE, you can get the best possible mastering of the album, along with some bonus tracks. Finally, the singles disc is okay-sounding, but not great. The EQ is noticeably duller than the albums themselves. Volume-wise, they're a bit louder than the first four albums, but the peak limiting is still minor; I think these single versions had a bit more compression baked into the tapes, so they weren't damaged that bad in mastering. "Hole In The World" is louder than the rest of the singles, about on par with Long Road Out Of Eden, but there's still better dynamic range than the original release from 2003. I haven't done any extensive comparisons against other CDs yet. "Take It Easy" sounds better on the MFSL than Legacy; conversely, "Doolin-Dalton" is significantly better here as the MFSL has very sizzly upper midrange and treble. The 2003 compilation The Very Best Of has generally similar EQ to Legacy, but that double-disc has a treble boost on every song (as well as unnecessary compression and peak limiting). Right now my other Eagles CDs are stuffed somewhere in a box as I re-organize my music room, so I can't do any detailed comparisons until I get that sorted out. I hope this post proves useful to anyone who's considering this release. Had they not loud-ified everything from '76 onward, I would consider this essential; unfortunately, if you already have this material, you're probably going to want to cherry-pick a few songs from this set (although it's maddening that you can't get the entirety of Long Road Out Of Eden separately) and look for superior versions of most songs. However, if you don't have the albums in full and you don't want to track down target CDs, MFSL and DCC remasters, and other assorted discs, this is an effective way to get a generally good-sounding version of (almost) the entire catalog for about $150. And screw whoever decided to master the CD set louder. I hate paying more than $30 for a download. I would have loved to put this set on my shelf instead of a flash drive.
Great info @InStepWithTheStars Do you have by any chance the “Studio Albums” HR files to compare them? Fremer mentioned that the LP were cut “by Bernie Grundman from 192k/24 bit files. No compression and minimal EQ was applied for this reissue box set.” Maybe the files got the same luck.
I do not, sorry. I'm a bit busy at the moment but I'll try to compare. If someone could post a Qobuz link it would save some time, I'm a bit busy at the moment.
Just compared the samples. I can't make any guarantees/promises, but I think they use the same mastering. These are the two I compared: Album The Studio Albums 1972-1979 (6 CD), Eagles | Qobuz: download and streaming in high quality Album Legacy, Eagles | Qobuz: download and streaming in high quality I can't do a proper null test or compare waveforms, but my ears tell me they're the same volume and have the same EQ. I see that The Studio Albums is available in 24/192 while my download of Legacy is only 24/96. That said, unless resolution means that much to you, you can get twice as much music for only $50 more by buying Legacy, including the best mastering of Long Road Out Of Eden, a mastering which can't be obtained elsewhere (and it is also 24/96 and not just an up-sample).
I know waveforms are discouraged for a multitude of reasons, but for those interested, here's waveforms of one track from each "disc" of the download. I can't put all the images in one post so these are links to the images. Eagles: "Take It Easy" Desperado: "Doolin-Dalton" On The Border: "Good Day In Hell" One Of These Nights: "One Of These Nights" Hotel California: "Hotel California" and "Life In The Fast Lane" (to show the difference in volume between the title track and the others) The Long Run: "Heartache Tonight" (the most peak-limited studio recording in the set – the rest of The Long Run is a bit better) Long Road Out Of Eden: "Somebody" Live (1980): "Hotel California" Millennium Concert: "Hotel California" Singles & B-Sides: "Get You In The Mood" and "Hole In The World" (the latter is louder than the rest of the singles) EDIT: Also, just for fun, here's the original 2003 mastering of "Hole In The World"; I don't own Long Road Out Of Eden on CD, but I'm guessing the improvement is roughly the same.
I've decided to take the plunge on this set since much of the material I do not have in complete form. I'm particularly attracted to the B sides disc, if only for "Get You In The Mood". Aesthetically, the set looks rather attractive. Has anyone actually purchased the LP set? Or the CD version for that matter? Is one noticeably nicer than the other sound-wise? I see that the CD set is naturally more affordable but I'm still willing to splurge on the LP box. Assuming it doesn't jump to $1000 overnight or something.
Thanks. The box arrived today in good shape. I'll be anxious to crack it open soon. If just to check out the book as an appetizer.
