The Bad Plus Joshua Redman - Nonesuch's mastering thrash

[mkrzych]

Hello,

Nonesuch just released this album in 24/96 and I was just about to pull the trigger to buy it, but first looked at the Dynamic Range Database. Music is just fine and I like this album, but mastering I think is just bad crap - DR8 overall! I cannot understand why for such nice album engineers and producers choose such a wrong way! Real pita!

 

Album details - Dynamic Range Database

 

Analyzed: Joshua Redman, The Bad Plus / The Bad Plus Joshua Redman

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DR Peak RMS Duration Track

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DR8 -0.20 dB -10.77 dB 6:53 01-As This Moment Slips Away

DR9 -0.30 dB -12.81 dB 7:01 02-Beauty Has it Hard

DR8 -0.30 dB -9.58 dB 3:03 03-County Seat

DR8 -0.30 dB -11.18 dB 4:11 04-The Mending

DR8 -0.10 dB -9.17 dB 5:32 05-Dirty Blonde

DR7 -0.30 dB -9.54 dB 3:18 06-Faith Through Error

DR11 0.00 dB -13.91 dB 7:13 07-Lack the Faith But Not the Wine

DR8 0.00 dB -11.55 dB 8:36 08-Friend or Foe

DR6 -0.30 dB -11.80 dB 13:31 09-Silence is the Question

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Number of tracks: 9

Official DR value: DR8

 

Samplerate: 96000 Hz

Channels: 2

Bits per sample: 24

Bitrate: 2820 kbps

Codec: FLAC

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[firedog]

I bought the album and think it is okay, sound wise. I don't like the VC, but it doesn't rise to the level that it ruins the listening for me. My recent experience with both artists on their own albums is that they seem to master the albums for a DR of about 8. A shame, IMO, but not unbearable.

[mkrzych]

I bought the album and think it is okay, sound wise. I don't like the VC, but it doesn't rise to the level that it ruins the listening for me. My recent experience with both artists on their own albums is that they seem to master the albums for a DR of about 8. A shame, IMO, but not unbearable.

 

Thanks for your information. I think DR8 for such music is totally stupid. In this case 24/96 is just waste of money and redbook should be far enough. Real pita for me. Maybe vinyl rip if released will be much better.

[Melvin]

Thanks to both of you. I like Joshua and would have been tempted with the HiRes version .. not anymore.

[MikeJazz]

Hi Krzysztof,

 

thanks for your report. It's giving me immense pleasure to listen via TIDAL, geek out 450's and RHA T10's...

I will listen at home for sure.

[mfalcon]

Previous Nonesuch vinyl has had very poor DR. I won't buy anymore until I hear a few reviews saying they are mastering there vinyl better. I just bought this in red book as none of my other Nonesuch experiences inspire confidence. I love the music though.

[goldsdad]

I think DR8 for such music is totally stupid.

 

I agree. Superb music and musicianship being smothered by loudness war production values. Increasingly volume-compressed sound has been the trend for many jazz labels in recent years, to my dismay.

[CatManDo]

Increasingly volume-compressed sound has been the trend for many jazz labels in recent years, to my dismay.

 

Yes, but it's not that bad, in terms of quantity. I listen to a lot of new jazz releases and reissues and check their DR. There are some compression offenders, but they are a small minority. For me personally, DR9 can still be tolerable, although it's clearly flawed. I won't buy a 15€ hi-rez release with such a low DR.

 

The worst is the Venus label from Japan. They have an audiophile aura, but nearly all their releases (only acoustic bands, mostly piano trios) are DR6-8.

 

The german ACT label also has a number of new recordings which are compressed like an average pop album (DR8-9). There are also many recent (last 5 years) french releases like that.

 

But all in all, I'd say it's less than 5% of the new releases that have compression issues.

 

The trend to more compression can be seen even with labels with consistently great recording quality, like ECM. Their recordings of the 1970's to the late 90's are usually DR13-15, and now it's mostly around DR10-12. The lowest I've seen from them is DR9, the latest Tim Berne album, which anyway is a raw affair sonically (and musically, which is good).

[mkrzych]

Yes, but it's not that bad, in terms of quantity. I listen to a lot of new jazz releases and reissues and check their DR. There are some compression offenders, but they are a small minority. For me personally, DR9 can still be tolerable, although it's clearly flawed. I won't buy a 15€ hi-rez release with such a low DR.

 

The worst is the Venus label from Japan. They have an audiophile aura, but nearly all their releases (only acoustic bands, mostly piano trios) are DR6-8.

 

The german ACT label also has a number of new recordings which are compressed like an average pop album (DR8-9). There are also many recent (last 5 years) french releases like that.

 

But all in all, I'd say it's less than 5% of the new releases that have compression issues.

 

The trend to more compression can be seen even with labels with consistently great recording quality, like ECM. Their recordings of the 1970's to the late 90's are usually DR13-15, and now it's mostly around DR10-12. The lowest I've seen from them is DR9, the latest Tim Berne album, which anyway is a raw affair sonically (and musically, which is good).

 

Listening to ACT I have headache each time. For Japan releases I saw that some audiophile XRCD24 CDs have low DR and clippings! ECM is pretty good, but indeed some of their albums are also way too much compressed, it is a shame!