Best CD mastering of Pink Floyd - A Momentary Lapse of Reason

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by rjstauber, Jan 4, 2009.

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  1. rjstauber

    rjstauber Senior Member Thread Starter

    I am trying to find the best sounding CD version of this album. I was searching through the Pink Floyd Archives and came up with the following info. Looks like there are many different versions to choose from. So far, I only have the version of the "Oh By The Way" box set, which apparently is a new mastering. It sounds nice and warm (much warmer than I remember the album), but there is also some slight limiting and/or compression going on, if I look at the wav-files (it's really not bad though).

    If someone could post some short clips from some of the other versions, I would be looking forward to compare them to my mastering.
     

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  2. LesPaul666

    LesPaul666 Mr Markie - The Rock And Roll Snarkie

    Location:
    New Jersey
    I have the first UK 1987 EMI CD press, and the 10th Anniversary Columbia remaster. The remaster is a bit less grating in the upper mids than the original(I guess it's possible that it's the same as the 'Oh By The Way' mastering, but level-shifted).

    Strangely, after I switched power amps, the original EMI mastering sounds much better to me now, with a much smoother presentation. I'm thinking this CD may be the same mastering as the original CBS/Sony/Columbia, with some level-shifting, as well.
     
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  3. rjstauber

    rjstauber Senior Member Thread Starter

    I think that "Oh by the Way" has actually a new remaster from 2005, because the production master apparently got lost. It's mainly a digital recording (I think just the drums and something else was recorded in analog).

    Do you like your EMI better or the 1997 remaster (after switching your amp)?

    It is possible that the EMI and early CBS mastering are just level-shifted. The levels for the first two tracks are the same, the levels for track 3 & 4 are approx. by 1.047 louder on the CBS, and the levels for the remaining tracks 5-10 are approx. 1.023 times louder on the CBS. Still, these level changes could have an effect on the sound quality.

    Since it is mostly a digital recording, I wouldn't expect the variation between the various masterings to be as large as it is with some other (older) albums.

    Not sure if you have the possibility to post some sample clips of the two version you have, but I would greatly appreciate that.
     
  4. rjstauber

    rjstauber Senior Member Thread Starter

    Here are a couple of wav-forms from the new remaster:
    1) Learning to Fly
    2) Dogs of War
    3) On the Turning Away
     

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  5. PROG U.K.

    PROG U.K. Audiophile-Anglophile

    Location:
    New England
    This chart is great, if only this existed for every PF disc.....:angel:
     
  6. SamS

    SamS Forum Legend

    Location:
    Texas
    Where does the "Shine On" box version fit into the chart above?
     
  7. LesPaul666

    LesPaul666 Mr Markie - The Rock And Roll Snarkie

    Location:
    New Jersey

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  8. Raf

    Raf Senior Member

    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    The UK Shine On version of AMLOR matches the EMI pressings that are colored pale green on the chart (the third track is "88.8%"). The US Shine On AMLOR matches the Columbia pressing in yellow (first track is "36.9%").
     
  9. GowG

    GowG Forum Resident

    Location:
    Czech republic
    I have CDP 748068-2 version, but mastering cannot save totally weak album. Don't understand it in a bad way, I am Pink Floyd fan since I was small kid, but A Momentary Lapse of Reason is not PF album, in my opinion.
     
  10. SamS

    SamS Forum Legend

    Location:
    Texas

    Thanks. I have the US version. Did a quick check and my "Signs of Life" peaks at 36.9%, confirming what you said. I had no idea there were so many different masterings! I think I might start looking for an additional version.
     
  11. bopdd

    bopdd Senior Member

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    I was at Amoeba the other day, where I saw an original Made in Korea version of this disc, which I didn't buy. Then I came home to find that Vernon's site didn't list the peak levels. Does anyone know what mastering this uses?
     
  12. rjstauber

    rjstauber Senior Member Thread Starter

    Updated table with the peak values from the Mini-LP (Thanks Barry!).
     

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  13. rjstauber

    rjstauber Senior Member Thread Starter

    Thanks a lot for the clips. I compared these to my new mastering from "Oh by the Way". The EMI sounds a tad more relaxed, but there seems to be tons of low level information missing compared to the new mastering. It sounds tinny to me (the EMI), and I cannot believe that the studio recording sounds that thin. When the drums come in on "On the Turning Away", they sound really huge on the new remaster and don't seem to have much impact on the EMI.

    The upper mids are fine on the EMI, they don't bother me.

    Does the 1997 remastering have more low-level information than the EMI?
     
  14. rjstauber

    rjstauber Senior Member Thread Starter

    Yup, that is why I didn't list them as separate columns, but maybe I should introduce a "remark" column and add that info.

    By the way, the light yellow column appears to be just a level shifted version of the orange/salmon-colored column. I doubt that it would sound much better, but I could be wrong.

    I would like to still hear some opinions (and possibly clips) of the early Japanese pressings as well as for the Japanese mini-LP.
     
  15. rjstauber

    rjstauber Senior Member Thread Starter

    Here is a comparison between the new remaster and the 1987 EMI mastering for a segment from "On the Turning Away". This illustrates the difference in low level information between the two masterings.

    Of course, you could think that the new remaster just goosed up the lower frequencies, but I don't think on a good quality recording (like Pink Floyd usually stands for) that the drums would sound so small and thin (like I think they do on the 1987 EMI CD, at least on this track) when you listen to the recording playback in the studio.

    Anyhow, I much prefer the drum sound on the new remaster, at least for this track.
     

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  16. KeithH

    KeithH Success With Honor...then and now

    Location:
    Beaver Stadium
    So the 1997 10th anniversary and 2005 reissue CDs have the same catalog number?
     
  17. KeithH

    KeithH Success With Honor...then and now

    Location:
    Beaver Stadium
    I have a copy with catalog number CK 40599 that was pressed by DADC. It should fall in the 1st & 2nd pressing category, but I'll have to check it later. It has "Made in USA - Digital Audio Disc Corp." stamped on the plastic ring, and the matrix code is "DIDP-70659 2".
     
  18. Claus

    Claus Senior Member

    Location:
    Germany
    I only have the Shine On version (UK) and it sounds great on my (!) system. I do NOT miss any low level infos. Different systems - different sound?
     
  19. rjstauber

    rjstauber Senior Member Thread Starter

    Yes, that is correct. And they use a different mastering also.

    It has been stated many times that the Pink Floyd back catalog on CD is very good, most masterings are pretty good, only very few are not so great (e.g. The Final Cut latest remaster is too compressed), but it is sure a mess as far as catalog numbers go and the different versions in various continents. It's really hard to keep track.
     
  20. KeithH

    KeithH Success With Honor...then and now

    Location:
    Beaver Stadium
    Thanks, Roland. My copy has copyright dates of 1987 and 1997, so I would assume that it's the 10th anniversary version. Unfortunately, I don't remember when I bought it, but it probably was before 2005.

    I remember a few years ago when Dave got the 32DP disc, hoping it would be the "Holy Grail" version since he did not like the others he had heard. He came away unimpressed with the 32DP disc, which is not surprising since it is not a unique mastering. Hopefully he will chime in here and will let us know if he has found anything since that is satisfying. The original 1987 disc always sounded decent to me. I haven't spent serious time with the '97 remaster, though.
     
  21. rjstauber

    rjstauber Senior Member Thread Starter

    Here's a clip (same segment as the one posted for the 1987 EMI CD) of "On the Turning Away" from the new remaster (as part of the "Oh by the Way" box set). It is in FLAC format.

    Would be interested in other people's opinion.

    https://www.yousendit.com/download/WnBSckhRdWNubHlGa1E9PQ
     
  22. rjstauber

    rjstauber Senior Member Thread Starter

    I found this old thread
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=66646
    but there wasn't any real conclusion.

    I would really like to hear a sample of the 1997 remaster if that is possible (pink/purple column).

    The mastering on the "Shine On" box set is apparently just a level-shifted version of the original CBS mastering, so I don't expect it to sound very different.
     
  23. rjstauber

    rjstauber Senior Member Thread Starter

    Did anyone listen this clip yet? If so, how do you like it?
     
  24. rjstauber

    rjstauber Senior Member Thread Starter

    Bump.
     
  25. Natcat

    Natcat Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    I'd like to add to this slightly old thread. I own the original UK EMI and always thought it sounded a bit lacking in the bottom end, especially on "On the Turning Away". I also own the Sony Mini-LP (pink column) which I have always preferred. During the Christmas holiday, I ripped for comparison sake, a 2011 remaster (Discovery) which a friend had in his car. Here are my findings:

    The Japan Mini-LP CD does have the fuller bass that the orignal EMI lacks. The 2011 also sounds fuller but it's high frequencies aren't as extended as the Mini-LP or the UK original. Some might say it say it sounds flatter compared with the other two and I can fully understand why someone would prefer this version. In my opinion, it sounds just a little 'shut in' and the instruments not quite as defined or separated compared to the Mini-LP CD.

    Being someone who mostly prefers originals than remasters, in this case I have to give the nod to the JP as still my go to disc. It also has a slightly better dynamic range reading on some of the tracks compared to the 2011 (probably due to the raised top end).

    After all the discussion/debates/comparisons, I'd like to hear other's views on their go to AMLOR cd and why.
     
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