Thanks for the support Dave...glad to see there is someone else who also thinks this is just not right. [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

As for the letters, I actually already did send one to the band's website and to BMG music but of course no response. The Rolling Stone idea is a good one though. Hell I was even thinking Marketplace or the CTV "On Your Side" thing.

And I feel the same way - not on a rampage either. I just want a clean copy of the damn recording! Sure puts me off buying any more CDs in the near future.

BTW there was a huge thread about this sort of thing over on carsounds, lots of big names chimed in on the subject. Had more to do with the compression and tonal quality of CDs than actual hard clipping, but still a good read. I'll send you the link if you're interested.

I look at it this way - what was the point of accumulating a pile of great amps over the past few months to build up a great new system this summer if this is the garbage that will get played on it? If a good 3dB is clipped off the top of the actual recording, then I may as well trade in my amps for ones that are half the power since the clipping has already been done for me. Total carelessness by the engineers.

Mark

 

That clipping looks terrible, I've worked in recording before, and someone was not doing their job properly when they mastered that disc.

Good luck getting an unclipped version, because I'd guess that the master disc and the master tracks are just as bad.

A recording like that would get a failing grade in any of the recording colleges or programs in the world, but they expect you to pay 25 bucks for it, that's pathetic

 

LOL Talk about not having any transients or dynamics eh? One big mish-mash of noise.

This is getting scary. I like to think that a CD is THE source of pure music. Basically flawless and a foundation you can feel confidence in that it won't help make your system sound any worse than it does. If the source is bad, how can you honestly be able to determine if anything else is bad or good? I am glad that most of the 'reference' material I like to use are older CDs burnt hopefully before the time of mass-compression and when sound engineers didn't feel the need to make a CD 'loud' as opposed to 'excellent'. I also imagine a lot has to be said for more respected production houses like Shefield Labs, Telarc, etc. I guess Mr. Big Jams Top-40 Recording Palace and ilk of it's kind just don't give a rip how a CD sounds; but just how it sells.

 

SUX 2BU>> Funny you mention the Telarc discs. I pulled out a few of the "car audio classics" from the past and did some similar tests. Remember "Bachbusters"? I ripped a few of those tracks and they MAX at around -3.5dB on average, with the odd quick peak above that. And they sounded great, no clipping whatsoever! Only Telarc track I could find that clipped was the thunderclap track on the "Chiller" CD, but it is pretty extreme anyway. Funny thing is it clips but at around -0.9dB on the disc, so my guess is the clipping occurred in the original recording and not at the mastering process.

Actually I've gone through a pile of CDs of all types (from Alanis Morissette to Motley Crue) and haven't found anything that clips like this. Must be the new stuff.


SASS>> Yeah, don't worry, I have no illusions of getting a good quality copy of that CD! Wishful thinking I guess. Truly is a shame.

Mark

 

my cd's play way better than mp3s, i was wondering why.

 

Mark, all or the majority of recordings on labels such as BIS, ANALEKTA, PHILIPPS, CBC, SONY CLASSICAL, EMI CLASSICS, MAPLESHADE, SILENCE RECORDS, OPUS 111, TELDEC, TELARC, NAIVE, DEUTSCHE GRAMMAPHON, HYPERION, DORIAN RECORDINGS, CHANDOS,CHESKY, and HARMONIA MUNDI will be of excellent quality.

[ March 22, 2005, 11:27 PM: Message edited by: Keith ]