| eYe 13.01.2011 12:42 |
Hi, I just got my copies and I think they sound amazing, even better than Absolute Greatest. Can't wait for all the albums later this year... What do you think? eYe |
| pittrek 13.01.2011 13:22 |
I think that ANYTHING has to sound better than Absolute Greatest Garbage. I don't know, maybe I'm getting deaf by I think the AG "remasters" sound terrible, especially Bohemian Rhapsody. Is there any sense in buying the albums again ? I mean I have now at least 3 versions of each album (actually less now, I'm selling them slowly) . Is there some website, e.g. some "online shop" where I could listen to for example 30 second long mp3 samples of each track ? |
| wrak 13.01.2011 13:48 |
if you have access to spotify, they're available there. link link |
| eYe 13.01.2011 14:26 |
mp3 samples: link link |
| pittrek 13.01.2011 14:28 |
Thanks guys |
| Farrokh The Great 13.01.2011 14:41 |
eYe wrote: Hi, I just got my copies and I think they sound amazing, even better than Absolute Greatest. Can't wait for all the albums later this year... What do you think? eYe ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thank You VERY MUCH for the info eYe, I will try with Queen II for example for to test the sound quality. I hope it sounds better than 24 bits EMI-Toshiba 2004 series |
| pittrek 14.01.2011 01:30 |
Well the samples REALLY sound good |
| tcc 14.01.2011 01:39 |
I just got my copies too and the sound is very good. You could hear the lyrics very clearly - it really shows Freddie's singing very well. The stereo effects are very clear - you can hear all the musical instruments very clearly. My copies were manufactured in Singapore - it looks like Universal has a factory in my country. Each copy costs S$18.95. Edit: I think the Hot Space album might be redeemed by the new remaster :-) |
| eYe 14.01.2011 04:19 |
Hmm.. they will also be available as SHM-CD soon... ^^ |
| MercuryArts 14.01.2011 16:31 |
I wont be buying any GH cd's anytime soon. But I will replace a couple albums. My Hot Space cd has some scratches on it & skips & stutters at verious points. If the track spacing is corrected on SHA so the last line on FOTW is actually part of that track instead of LOTV I'll buy that one too. But I'm in no rush. When are they due out, March? |
| Farrokh The Great 15.01.2011 23:36 |
It Sounds good by being MP3 but nothing especial for this times, I suspect the sound wasn’t uncompressed this time (I wish I was wrong), in other words the transfers were done at 16 bits again in order to avoid “complications”, given that to work with 24 bits transfers (2004 EMI-Toshiba series) “revealed” NEW audio content not showed previously in CD format, that new audio content has distortion (in high drum and some bass …) that I guess it’s not easy to eliminate. It would be good to test in wav format but really I don’t have high hopes…. |
| Dane 16.01.2011 13:10 |
What the hell?! At Play.com the download version is more expensive than the CD version. haha! |
| Kniggit 16.01.2011 15:29 |
well the spotify samples sound pretty good... |
| Robbieboy 20.01.2011 20:49 |
I have heard them both. And as much as I share the general sense of disillusionment about what Queen Productions offer up for loyal fans (nothing), I must say the 2011 remasters of GH 1 & 2 sound fantastic! |
| brians wig 21.01.2011 03:11 |
I've heard them both now and they do (on the whole) sound great. However, I ran a wav form comparison on A Kind Of Magic last night between the new verison and the original GH2 release. The new one is 8db louder and the "old" peaks are now compressed as a result. To be fair, the drums do sound crisper and it's not because it's louder.... Either way, I hope the proper albums are done so that the dynamics are left intact and not compressed like these. I don't really want to waste £200 buying them all for a third time in 20 years to have my ears hurt after 20 minutes of constant loudness with no quieter parts... |
| Goodoldfashionedloverboy 22.01.2011 14:51 |
Does anybody able to do rip and upload it in the torrent network? |
| Goodoldfashionedloverboy 22.01.2011 14:52 |
Does anyone able to do rip and upload it in the torrent network? Please |
| Joey2504 23.01.2011 13:04 |
Does anyone able to do rip and upload it in the torrent network? Please The Internet is your friend ;-) |
| pittrek 25.01.2011 13:00 |
I'm listening to GH1 right now Bohemian Rhapsody - drums lower in the mix than needed, but distorted in the rock section Another One Bites The Dust - REALLY heavy bass. It's good to hear the main bass line properly, but this is simply too much for me Killer Queen - sounds nice, better than I remember it, still too loud -> clipping Fat Bottomed Girls - I miss "something", I don't know why, it's just a "feeling", however the drums sound more powerful than I remember them Bicycle Race - ouch, my heart hurts when I sit so close to the speakers. The high and low frequencies were boosted terribly You're My Best Friend - sounds OK, but the drums ... Don't Stop Me Now - sounds great, the drums this time almost sound like drums :-) Save Me - sounds great to me, I'm hearing subtle things which I don't remember hearing before Crazy Little Thing Called Love - ouch. Did the sound engineer actually ever hear an acoustic guitar ? I didn't know it can sounds so crappy . However I enjoy hearing Deacy's strings at 0:57 - again, something I don't remember hearing before Somebody To Love - sounds something between OK and excellent :-) Now I'm Here - still the "thin" sound, but with boosted low frequencies Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy - sounds OK, again better bass Play The Game - better stereo effect, Flash - to me it sounds the same as the single collection version Seven Seas Of Rhye - heavier bass We Will Rock You - there's something strange with the claps, but maybe my ears are used to hear the live versions We Are The Champions - sounds nice "Minireview" created by a person who didn't hear the previous album versions for a LONG time (to be honest I didn't listen to the GH compilations for many YEARS), so it can be that the originals sound exactly as bad :-) Overall - too loud, distorted on many parts, drums sound either really good or really bad - depending on the song, some of the songs make my heart hurt (literally, e.g. AOBTD), some of them sound simply wonderful . Again, I'm used to listen to live versions of these songs, so maybe I'll find out later that these songs sound as good or as bad as the original releases :-) |
| pittrek 25.01.2011 13:04 |
BTW just listening to Innuendo from vol. 2 and the sound is simply amazingly powerful ! I will definitely by at least the Innuendo remaster |
| Rick 25.01.2011 14:32 |
The Innuendo tracks sound great indeed. Edit: listening to One Vision now. Wow, just wow. I love this. Edit 2: Breakthru is simply wonderful. Love the bass. |
| pittrek 25.01.2011 14:50 |
I think that GH2 sounds better than GH1. I also love the bass on Breakthru :-) |
| Wiley 25.01.2011 16:03 |
I'm glad to read the positive comments on the Innuendo tracks. Even if the whole Queen 40th Anniversary year turns out to be crap and yet another disappointment, it will be worth it if only for a remastered Innuendo album. I always thought it sounded kinda 'thin' or 'distant'. Like there's an awesome band playing legendary songs next door but I'm too shy to go talk to them, hehe :) |
| FRIPPERTRONIKS 27.01.2011 15:38 |
I'm sceptical about the remasters, it is said that Mr. Ludwig took the original stereo tapes to do the job. I can't understand why QP is not doing full new remasters and remixes from the original multitrack session tapes. Hear the stunning sound that Genesis and King Crimson obtained working this way. Unbelievable. I want to be wrong, but ... |
| FRIPPERTRONIKS 27.01.2011 15:38 |
I'm sceptical about the remasters, it is said that Mr. Ludwig took the original stereo tapes to do the job. I can't understand why QP is not doing full new remasters and remixes from the original multitrack session tapes. Hear the stunning sound that Genesis and King Crimson obtained working this way. Unbelievable. I want to be wrong, but ... |
| madbadbluerock 27.01.2011 16:14 |
For me the big problem with re-mixing new stereo tapes would be that we wouldn't have all the original parties involved. The final stereo mixes really were the final stereo mixes for me, and I think they shouldn't be altered. Plus we already know they don't have all the multi-channel elements anyway to recreate new stereo mixes. Coming Soon on The Game being one example. Do they even have the multi-tracks for Queen and Queen II? Now, new 5.1 mixes are a different story. I'm all for those and love the ANATO and Game DVD-A's and most of the Greatest Video Hits DTS mixes too. I just wish they'd make up their minds of use of the centre speaker. I think the ignoring the centre speaker is wrong. If you don't have one or it's rubbish you can always disable it and let it get folded into the L+R speakers by your amp. Not hard to do. What I'm thoroughly disappointed about with GH1 and 2 is the amount of compression that's been applied. The dynamics have gone and that's close to unforgiveable. I'm not going to immediately blame Bob Ludwig as he can only work with what he's given and I don't believe he will have been sent the original tapes, much more likely fresh digital copies. So QP could have pre-tweaked volume. Also Island may well have told him to turn the wick up as it;s the current vogue while accountants worry that some plank who listens to 30s clips on iTunes won't buy a remastered classic album because it doesn't give them a headache within 10s. |
| FRIPPERTRONIKS 28.01.2011 08:24 |
Bought GH1 yesterday. As I said before, I was sceptical about the new remasters. And still I am, but I noticed audible improvements in some tracks, for example: Killer Queen: sounds a bit "open", and the guitar parts sound more pristine. All "THE GAME" tracks: better sound for all of them, in my opinion "Save Me" has the best result. Don't Stop Me Now: better balance, now it sounds like a "band" ( remember "Jazz" with all the volume variations ) All the other tracks seem to have more volume and a bit of "room", but nothing more. One thing is real: the voices (in general) sound better in all the tracks. And the worst: "Fat Bottmed Girls" (sounds the same or worse than the original GH1 CDs from the eighties / nineties ) Of course it's my opinion and I don't want to make noise with this. For the moment I do not recommend to buy GH1 (only if you are a completist and because of the booklet, which is very nice.) Hope to hear better improvements in the new upcoming releases of the first albums. |
| Farrokh The Great 28.01.2011 13:48 |
Thank You all for the comments !!!! Is good to know other opinions, I think that one of the main points is to mantain the sound uncompressed (the only way is 24 or even more bit transfers), that way we would hear a sound near to REAL life (IMO is the KEY) and therefore of course near to vinyl sound albums. Greetings |
| Rien 28.01.2011 14:12 |
When you compare the new remasters with the original cd's, the old ones sound a bit flat. (maybe a lot) the new ones have more power (I can only use simple words, to say what I mean, you'll understand) But I think when sounds on the original mixes were supposed to be in the background, they should not be put upfront for just being louder. overall I think the new ones sound great. But again... only LOUDER is not alway BETTER. but for now I'm very pleased with the 2011 remasters. |
| MERQRY 28.01.2011 21:54 |
I'm a bit surprised cause the remasters discs are avalaible so quickly in my country and for a more than reasonable price (AR$40 arround U$D 10) The prices of the Queen releases (Only dvds and cds) usually are reasonables but more than one time the disc are available much more latter. Maybe i buy Queen or A day at races if they're available arround these price,but i'm not sure. |
| maxpower 29.01.2011 03:22 |
For me they sound louder, not better initially it seems The Beatles people did a far better job |
| FRIPPERTRONIKS 31.01.2011 08:50 |
Hi people, I was hearing GH1 the weekend, and I'm now more pleased with the sound. I don't want to bore you: the overall sound is better (clarity) in all terms, voices and instrumental stuff. I expected something like the Genesis and Crimson remasters (CD + Audio DVD , so forgive my first opinions. |
| stefanoxer 02.02.2011 08:22 |
If you listen to "One Vision", in the part "-no wrong, no right" there's no gong sound at the end of the sentence, compared to the album version and in the climax "i have a dream", is all plain, the impact is missed, the dynamic is lost |
| eYe 02.02.2011 11:07 |
The gong sound isn't on the original gh2 either, I think only the album version has it. |
| NOTWMEDDLE 03.02.2011 17:53 |
Ouch! My eardrums hurt from the samples. Bob Ludwig sold his soul to the loudness war devil (same person who used to do excellent remastering and mastering jobs (Rush, The Rolling Stones, Dire Straits, AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne 1995 remasters, half of The Who's reissues) but he's getting older and older so I believe he upped the volume and the last Eagles album (which he mastered) and the reissue of Song Remains from Led Zeppelin (which he also did) was horrendous and he upped the volume on Iron Maiden's last album The Final Frontier). Everything is done to be louder and louder. Glad I didn't spend the cash. I'll stick with EMI imports thank you. I agree with Doug Sax (who remastered Pink Floyd's catalog), James Guthrie, Steve Hoffman and Alan Parsons who all think that the newest forms of remastering are a joke. |
| Erik Viking 04.02.2011 01:25 |
I've bought them yesterday. For me it's 25% louder, 20% more bass, bit cleaner. Overall 15% improvement. |
| Farrokh The Great 04.02.2011 15:00 |
Sorry for this but the fact is: No 24 bits (o even more) transfers …. No progress Queen Productions are only “MASKING” the sound and most people don’t notice that |
| atom murray 05.12.2012 03:51 |
Absolute Greatest was released in '09 and mastered by Bob Ludwig. He also did the new GH1 & GH2, as well as the entire studio output, so AG are the same remasters only the record label has changed. AG is EMI getting it's last slice of pizza! The 3LP box set sounds great though. I think people complain a lot about remastering and blame the engineer, but hang on, what audio systems do they play the CDs on? If it's a boom box, then you won't be able to tell the difference except for the fact that modern masters are louder. If it's a mediocre hi-fi with plastic speakers, then you're out of luck too. Unfortunately, just like coffee, in the hi-fi world you only get what you pay for. So people complaining about this sound and that sound is pretty skeptical in my mind. I think CD is a flawed music carried because it is 16bit and that's pretty low these days, but back in the 80s people thought it sounded great. The higher the resolution the better the sound. So even thought they say 24bit it's still stepped down to 16bit for CD. SACD AND DVD-A are the big boys in digital audio now, but that's another matter I don't have time for here. The CD was designed to save record companies money, the cost of reproducing vinyl is expensive, so they wanted bigger margins as record sales were falling after the 70s. I never really liked CDs as I don't like formats that have to be 'upgraded' every time technology takes a step forward. So that's why you have '1992 remasters', '1999 remasters', '2005 remasters' and so fourth. It means once every decade or so, the music fan has to 'buy 'em again'. A very clever marketing idea that eventually makes you wonder why you have four copies of an album on CD. Whereas vinyl is vinyl. It has a rich, warm sound with plenty of detail in the high end. You put this on a good turntable, say a Rega Planar 2 and then you're ready to rock! CD is only a convenient digital facsimile of a recording so I wouldn't take it too seriously, all this remastering malarky. Remastering is industry spiel for bringing a production master up to date so it can be repackaged and sold, again and again. Sometimes they do it right, and sometimes they do it wrong! Just enjoy the music! |
| KevoM 05.12.2012 06:58 |
Wise words atom murray and spot on. Totally agree. There's only so much you can do with lacklustre technology like CD. So increase the VOL, that'll fool em. It's a bit like increasing the brightness on LCD Tvs with backlit leds which tries to improve the crap pq on a lcd tv! |
| earwig 05.12.2012 10:04 |
I agree too atom murray. There's a presumption that every new remaster of the same album will be better than the last. Not always true! Has anyone heard the remaster of Whitesnake's 1987 from about 5 years ago? Horrible! Peak distortion and flabby bass. One thing I would like to throw into the pot: some people think that some remasters are too loud. Well - devil's advocate - perhaps previous or original masters were too quiet??!! But yes - Innuendo 2011 remaster sounds amazing!! SO much better than the original master. |