well, as much as i would like to say i'm enjoying the extended mixes.

all is not well with them.

most are just barely different from the album versions, and some aren't really longer...

in fact the one song i was hoping to be longer - unlearn this hatred - only had a minute longer to it, and it was short to begin with...

anyways, i'm sure there will be many reviews of them elsewhere...
================================================================

what i noticed is that the digital files, both the mp3, and the HD FLAC 96k/24bit are both brickwalled in sound..


if you don't know what that is : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war

and here



as a further note, the album, and the singles are also brickwalled in sound also..

==================================================================

so i've decided to remaster the vinyl tracks.... granted they still have some of the same issues with the sound.


but we can fix it with software, and hopefully reduce some of the distortion in the tracks...

i will be posting some samples, and comparisons shortly.

here is one of restless from the extended mixes.



=================================================================
* NOTE : I WILL NOT BE DISTRIBUTING THESE. please do not ask, this information is if you feel like
playing around with files, or making your own.


as a final notice, since the versions are so clipped, and loud, there probably isn't a lot to recover,
but using some careful applications of restoration software will make them improved.

later
-1

I use a free app from the App Store… “Music Convertor” by shedworx.
Rubbish for MP3, but creates Apple Lossless files perfectly.

here is the original restless extended digital file (96khz/24bit) untouched:
================================



here is my vinyl remaster:

---

here's a closeup of the beginning for both:

---

the digital file:

---

the remaster:

---

later
-1

Edited by user 07 November 2015 12:13:23(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

levels were adjusted for recording near the maximum.

no normalization was used, only click and crackle removal,
noise reduction, and some clipped peak restoration.

later
-1

The store MP3s didn't sound brick-walled to me at all, so I ran them through a DR meter and they came out at DR7 mostly, which whilst not great, isn't brick walled by any means. Here's the output for the curious

Edited by user 09 November 2015 01:24:30(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

I recorded the vinyl and personally, I think it sounds much better than the digital tracks. Not quite as harsh and definitely not as "loud." The digital files sound like they were recorded in a tin room. Looking at the waveforms, the digital tracks are pretty close to brickwall. Even when I try to amplify the vinyl rip to match the digital. I get a shitton of clipping.

I ran them both through a DR meter and this is what I got:


Digital mp3s:
DR Peak RMS Filename

---

DR8 over -9.44 dB 01. Restless - Extended Mix.mp3
DR7 over -9.44 dB 02. Singularity - Extended Mix.mp3
DR8 over -9.36 dB 03. Plastic - Extended Mix.mp3
DR7 over -8.19 dB 04. Tutti Frutti - Extended Mix.mp3
DR8 over -8.83 dB 05. People On The High Line - Extended Mix.mp3
DR8 -0.01 -8.70 dB 06. Stray Dog - Extended Mix.mp3
DR6 over -8.01 dB 07. Academic - Extended Mix.mp3
DR6 over -8.36 dB 08. Nothing But A Fool - Extended Mix.mp3
DR6 over -8.80 dB 09. Unlearn This Hatred - Extended Mix.mp3
DR6 over -8.86 dB 10. The Game - Extended Mix.mp3
DR6 over -8.93 dB 11. Superheated - Extended Mix.mp3

---

Official DR value: DR7


Vinyl lossless:
DR Peak RMS Filename

---

DR12 -1.01 dB -15.74 dB 01 Restlesss (Extended Mix).m4a
DR12 -1.05 dB -15.82 dB 02 Singularity (Extended Mix).m4a
DR11 -1.02 dB -13.76 dB 03 Plastic (Extended Mix).m4a
DR11 -1.00 dB -13.91 dB 04 Tutti Frutti (Extended Mix).m4a
DR11 -1.00 dB -13.11 dB 05 People on the High Line (Extended Mix).m4a
DR10 -1.01 dB -12.55 dB 06 Stray Dog (Extended Mix).m4a
DR11 -1.00 dB -13.81 dB 07 Academic (Extended Mix).m4a
DR11 -1.00 dB -14.63 dB 08 Nothing but a Fool (Extended Mix).m4a
DR10 -1.02 dB -13.76 dB 09 Unlearn this Hatred (Extended Mix).m4a
DR12 -1.01 dB -15.06 dB 10 The Game (Extended Mix).m4a
DR11 -1.00 dB -14.74 dB 11 Superheated (Extended Mix).m4a

---

Official DR value: DR11


and here's my waveform image for the first minute of Restless:


These labels can't resist the sweet sweet taste of the loudness war. I prefer the volume control - it's what it's there for.

Edited by user 10 November 2015 08:14:51(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

here is a comparison of the following:

tutti frutti

---

1 album version
2 extended mix
3 12 inch mix 2

i will post the other ones for the 4 other waveforms for the mixes afterwards...



later
-1