New Reissues.

[Panama Jack]

The issue with "The Troubles" that was on all the other CD pressings, and fixed for the MFiT recording, also seems to have been fixed for the Japanese SHM CD that was released last year.  Will confirm over the next day or so but that may be the one you are looking for.

Huh!! If true, that'd be amazing.  CD Japan's site for that release (see link below) says "Japanese exclusive release. First-to-mini LP reissue from U2 features SHM-CD format. Uses the master used for the original release" which always made me think it was just another re-press of the 2014 original master.  But then the description on that same page goes on to say "2008 remastering", soooo... if you can confirm that they actually used the new 2017 MFiT remaster for the Japan release, I would be all over that. Thanks again!

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/UICI-9067?s_ssid=e416f85b7f96a8a7da

[Aaron]

The issue with "The Troubles" that was on all the other CD pressings, and fixed for the MFiT recording, also seems to have been fixed for the Japanese SHM CD that was released last year.  Will confirm over the next day or so but that may be the one you are looking for.

Huh!! If true, that'd be amazing.  CD Japan's site for that release (see link below) says "Japanese exclusive release. First-to-mini LP reissue from U2 features SHM-CD format. Uses the master used for the original release" which always made me think it was just another re-press of the 2014 original master.  But then the description on that same page goes on to say "2008 remastering", soooo... if you can confirm that they actually used the new 2017 MFiT remaster for the Japan release, I would be all over that. Thanks again!

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/UICI-9067?s_ssid=e416f85b7f96a8a7da

Cannot confirm if it its the same mix as the MFiT pressing. But the Japan SHM CD does fix the issue in The Troubles where some of the frequencies are cut off after a certain point...

You can see the cut off in the USA version, and the original Japan issue, but not in the newer SHM CD from Japan.

[Panama Jack]

Wow!! That's awesome.  Thank you sooo much for confirming. You're the best. My wallet doesn't thank you, but me and my ears do!! 

And now that it's confirmed... I guess u2songs should update the articles it wrote about the 2017 Japan SHM release where it said that it used the original master and that "The Troubles" had not been fixed.

i.e. - see here: https://www.u2songs.com/news/the_history_mix_u2s_catalog_reissues  (where it states "Songs of Innocence once again has the technical defect that was removed in the MFiT collection").

and here:
https://www.u2songs.com/news/u2_catalog_to_be_released_on_shm_cd_for_the_first_time_in_japan (where it states "Songs of Innocence (UICI-9067, UPC: 4988031237380, Original Master)").

 Thank you again!!

[miryclay]

Was the recent vinyl edition of HTDAAB remastered? That R&H edition never materialized. So we should be getting some Christmas releases soon and then I presume maybe two or three album remaster in the spring.

#justguessin

[Aaron]

Was the recent vinyl edition of HTDAAB remastered? That R&H edition never materialized. So we should be getting some Christmas releases soon and then I presume maybe two or three album remaster in the spring.

#justguessin

Rattle and Hum has been delayed.  Look for it next spring or summer.  Universal isn't sure if NLOTH will be bumped back, or if it will be released first, or both at the same time.

We are getting The Joshua Tree and Zooropa on coloured vinyl for Black Friday, as well as a Record Store Day release for the fall.

The recent vinyl version of HTDAAB was not a remaster.  But as Joshua can tell you it was tweaked a bit for the release...

[miryclay]

The Joshua tweak, right.

[Panama Jack]

Was the recent vinyl edition of HTDAAB remastered? That R&H edition never materialized. So we should be getting some Christmas releases soon and then I presume maybe two or three album remaster in the spring.

#justguessin

The recent vinyl version of HTDAAB was not a remaster.  But as Joshua can tell you it was tweaked a bit for the release...

What were some of the tweaks? And did that tweaked version end up on the 2017 Japanese SHM-CD?

[U2Joshua]

Here's an analysis I did across most known digital sources of HTDAAB regarding volume peaks, RMS and Dynamic Range (DR).

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gvdaES2ePTF-x6k1LiRcm79xoJm2wuus2qvpIOYTBWs/edit#gid=1068086223

As you can see, most all sources are pretty darned close.  However, it appears that in 2017 there were some tweaks, and it appears that common source was used for the Mastered for iTunes release, as well as the Japanese SHM-CD and the Vinyl Digital Download.

[Brad]

Here's an analysis I did across most known digital sources of HTDAAB regarding volume peaks, RMS and Dynamic Range (DR).

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gvdaES2ePTF-x6k1LiRcm79xoJm2wuus2qvpIOYTBWs/edit#gid=1068086223

As you can see, most all sources are pretty darned close.  However, it appears that in 2017 there were some tweaks, and it appears that common source was used for the Mastered for iTunes release, as well as the Japanese SHM-CD and the Vinyl Digital Download.

Thanks for posting that. I wonder why the peak levels are different between the 2017 vinyl download and the SHM-CD. I would guess that they just applied some peak limiting when they mastered the CD. I will try to take a look at the actual SHM-CD waveform and see if there is still clipping despite levels being below peak.

[U2Joshua]

Exactly, @Brad.  I think that the -0.10dB peaks are the result of a limiter to avoid clipping.  And, in that sense, I think the SHM-CD is the "best" digital source available, to date.

Although, my overall understanding of clipping and its effects are limited, at best, and I don't know the true impact it has on playback.  Is it detrimental, regardless of the playback mechanism?  In other words, is clipping bad on CD, and on digital files played back on a personal Digital Audio Player (DAP)?  Or, is the medium of the CD a factor for which clipping produces undesired results, but on a DAP clipping may be of less consequence, or even none at all?

These days, I'm playing my music back on a Sony NW-ZX300 High Resolution Walkman, and everything is in lossless (when available), and Hi-res (when available).  I wonder, for example, if the high-end nature of the device handles clipping differently / better than other devices / playback mechanisms, etc. 

#thingsthatmakeyougohmm

[Brad]

Exactly, @Brad.  I think that the -0.10dB peaks are the result of a limiter to avoid clipping.  And, in that sense, I think the SHM-CD is the "best" digital source available, to date.

Although, my overall understanding of clipping and its effects are limited, at best, and I don't know the true impact it has on playback.  Is it detrimental, regardless of the playback mechanism?  In other words, is clipping bad on CD, and on digital files played back on a personal Digital Audio Player (DAP)?  Or, is the medium of the CD a factor for which clipping produces undesired results, but on a DAP clipping may be of less consequence, or even none at all?

These days, I'm playing my music back on a Sony NW-ZX300 High Resolution Walkman, and everything is in lossless (when available), and Hi-res (when available).  I wonder, for example, if the high-end nature of the device handles clipping differently / better than other devices / playback mechanisms, etc. 

#thingsthatmakeyougohmm

Clipping causes audible distortion because the waveform is driven beyond the maximum sample value, so even if you upconvert to high-res or reduce the amplitude by 0.1 dB, that distortion is going to be baked into the signal. I haven't ripped the SHM-CD, but I will fish it out and see if the peaks appear flattened.

[Panama Jack]

Thank you all for the very insightful responses!!

[Brad]

So here is an example from the WAV file and from the SHM-CD of "All Because of You." You can see that clipping is present in both. So I'm not sure they actually prevented any clipping when they mastered the SHM-CD. They may have just taken an already clipped signal and reduced the amplitude slightly, but that wouldn't eliminate the distortion.

 

[George]

One might think that as professionals that one might try to avoid doing this.  As someone who dabbles in audio things on a recreational basis, I do it myself, and it's easy, so I'm genuinely confused as to why this happens on recordings that have so much money invested in them.

[morgan1098]

One might think that as professionals that one might try to avoid doing this.  As someone who dabbles in audio things on a recreational basis, I do it myself, and it's easy, so I'm genuinely confused as to why this happens on recordings that have so much money invested in them.

Probably because most people's ears can't tell the difference, no matter what the waveforms say. The few people who still buy CDs at all will likely import them into iTunes or some other digital library, and the common wisdom is that "louder" albums sound better when they are converted into lossy formats.

I'm not defending this practice. I'm just saying that it's the standard now and it happens too often to just be a matter of sloppy or careless mastering. It's intentional. And again, most of the music buying public doesn't even know there is such a thing as the "loudness wars."