Best prints for each album?

[Dorian]

What do you need checked?

Just wanted to know the final credits. If it’s still all recorded digitally.

 

[SmoothGangsta]

Just wanted to know the final credits. If it’s still all recorded digitally.

I can check yeah, don't really know what that will tell us about how stuff sounds, though.

 

[MJbr2]

Does anyone have Dangerous to check this? I don’t have the album at hand right now.

"Recorded, mixed and mastered with the exclusive: 'Quantum Range Recording Process'".

source: https://www.soundonsound.com/people/bruce-swedien-recording-michael-jackson

 

[NeoGardiV8]

To my knowledge Dangerous has always been DAA or DAD

 

[Dorian]

To my knowledge Dangerous has always been DAA or DAD

Digital instrumentals analog vocals?

 

[NeoGardiV8]

Digital instrumentals analog vocals?

Digital Recording, Analog mastering, Digital Media (in case it's CD), or Analog media if it's vinyl

 

[SmoothGangsta]

"Recorded, mixed and mastered with the exclusive: 'Quantum Range Recording Process'".

source: https://www.soundonsound.com/people/bruce-swedien-recording-michael-jackson

That's all it says on the actual record sleeve as well.

 

[Dorian]

Digital Recording, Analog mastering, Digital Media (in case it's CD), or Analog media if it's vinyl

I wonder why they did that since Bad is DDD.

 

[MJbr2]

That's all it says on the actual record sleeve as well.

Yeah, I got that from there (my Dangerous LP) lol

 

[NeoGardiV8]

I wonder why they did that since Bad is DDD.

Sorry i forgot the last digit in the SPARS code means mastering, and the middle one means mixing, so basically this:

• DAD – Digital tape recorder used during initial recording, analog tape recorder used during mixing/editing, digital mastering.
  
  
• DAA – Digital tape recorder used during initial recording, analog tape recorder used for mixing/editing and mastering.

 

[MJbr2]

To my knowledge Dangerous has always been DAA or DAD

I think Dangerous is DAD.

 

[NeoGardiV8]

I think Bad is ADD and Dangerous is DAD.

Nope, Bad is DDD
that's what the first CD pressings said, at least. It's weird because Bad has some stuff that can not be replicated on fully digital stuff from the 80s, like wow and flutter that only analogue stuff can do.

 

[MJbr2]

Nope, Bad is DDD
that's what the first CD pressings said, at least

Yeah, nevermind me. I'm dumb at times lol

 

[SmoothGangsta]

Yeah, I got that from there (my Dangerous LP) lol

Same, I was just confirming in case it was just a google search.

 

[NeoGardiV8]

During the 80s, digital recording was something that was still really new at the time, so i guess it makes sense for MJ to want to try the newest tech for his new album at the time, and then return back to analog mixing/mastering for Dangerous because he might not have been totally satisfied with how Bad came out lol

 

[MJbr2]

Same, I was just confirming in case it was just a google search.

Thanks, man

 

[MJbr2]

During the 80s, digital recording was something that was still really new at the time, so i guess it makes sense for MJ to want to try the newest tech for his new album at the time, and then return back to analog mixing/mastering for Dangerous because he might not have been totally satisfied with how Bad came out lol

Speaking of that, I hope not to digress from the discussion, but I'm so glad MoFi did analog mastering for their Thriller versions.

 

[SmoothGangsta]

Also I'd agree the original Bad cd sounds great when you pump it loud. A shame what they've done with the B25 and Special Edition versions, can barely turn it up and it sounds distorted af if you try.

I don't own an original Bad record currently but would like to get one at some point.

 

[Dorian]

Speaking of that, I hope not to digress from the discussion, but I'm so glad MoFi did analog mastering for their Thriller versions.

Source is DSD though

 

[MJbr2]

Source is DSD though

Well, it's either that or damage a holy grail aka the original analog master.

 

[NeoGardiV8]

Well, it's either that or damage a holy grail aka the original analog master.

I thought the original master was gone and the only thing left was the 2nd master, a.k.a, the one with Billie Jean's 2nd mix

 

[SmoothGangsta]

Source is DSD though

Doesn't really matter if they do a good job with the final product tbh.

 

[Dorian]

So let’s do a quick summary of what we discussed. I think we were rather productive.
OTW - anything before 2001, LP or CD,
Thriller - first press CD/vinyl.
Bad - first CD or vinyl (since it does have some analog elements? But credited as DDD)
Dangerous - first vinyl press because DAD.
HIStory - first CD.
BOTDF - first CD:
Invincible - 2009 MOV because for unknown reasons it sounds better.

 

[MJbr2]

HIStory - first CD.
BOTDF - first CD:

Just because it's either crazy expensive or impossible to find the LPs for these.

 

[Dorian]

Just because it's either crazy expensive or impossible to find the LPs for these.

I doubt the vinyl would make a difference in this case

 

[MJbr2]

I doubt the vinyl would make a difference in this case

Well, it's cut a tad quieter I reckon.

 

[SmoothGangsta]

I agree with the list generally but not really with reasoning behind it. I don't think the recording chain is something to go with as an indication of better quality or not. All to do with how the final master of the cd/record sounds really.

 

[Maxym]

I have recently learned that HIStory 2009 Chinese release is quite good:
- Less loudness, slightly less compressed than the original 1995 CDs.
- Uncensored original album content

This should be double checked as I hope that I'm not mistaking the reference but it would be this:

Michael Jackson = 迈克尔·杰克逊 - History - Past, Present And Future Book I = 他的历史 昨日，今日，明日 I

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2009 CD release of "History - Past, Present And Future Book I = 他的历史 昨日，今日，明日 I" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

 

[NeoGardiV8]

I agree with the list generally but not really with reasoning behind it. I don't think the recording chain is something to go with as an indication of better quality or not. All to do with how the final master of the cd/record sounds really.

Yeah the recording chain is not something that's truly that important, it's just that if a recording is digital, then you might as well get the digital media (CD pressing) you know?

 

[NeoGardiV8]

I have recently learned that HIStory 2009 Chinese release is quite good:
- Less loudness, slightly less compressed than the original 1995 CDs.
- Uncensored original album content

This should be double checked as I hope that I'm not mistaking the reference but it would be this:

Michael Jackson = 迈克尔·杰克逊 - History - Past, Present And Future Book I = 他的历史 昨日，今日，明日 I

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2009 CD release of "History - Past, Present And Future Book I = 他的历史 昨日，今日，明日 I" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

This is interesting, i had heard that the original 1995 Argentinian CD of HIStory had better dynamic range, but nothing about this chinese release.