Latest album additions to HDTracks!

[soulster]

Just a heads-up of some HDTracks additions for those who desire higher sound quality than you get with mp3, CD, even vinyl.

I post this to encourage everyone to buy these. the sound is fuller and richer than what you have now, unless you are in the industry and worked on these albums. Some of these albums were produced for HDTracks by forum member Harry Weinger.

For those who don't know, these albums are mastered directly from the master tapes. In some cases, they literally are the straight master tapes!

Donna Summer:
https://www.hdtracks.com/index.php?file=artistdetail&id=10503

Commodores:
https://www.hdtracks.com/index.php?file=artistdetail&id=10521

Stevie Wonder:
https://www.hdtracks.com/index.php?file=artistdetail&id=9847

Weather Report:
https://www.hdtracks.com/index.php?file=artistdetail&id=10519

Chic:
https://www.hdtracks.com/index.php?file=artistdetail&id=10376

Aretha Franklin:
https://www.hdtracks.com/index.php?file=artistdetail&id=10047

Rick James:
https://www.hdtracks.com/index.php?file=artistdetail&id=9972

Donny Hathaway:
https://www.hdtracks.com/index.php?file=artistdetail&id=10063

Wilson Pickett:
https://www.hdtracks.com/index.php?file=artistdetail&id=10048

Michael Jackson:
https://www.hdtracks.com/index.php?file=artistdetail&id=10430

The Staple Singers:
https://www.hdtracks.com/index.php?file=artistdetail&id=9583

Issac Hayes:
https://www.hdtracks.com/index.php?file=artistdetail&id=8957

You can play these albums on your computer in any program that plays FLAC, or you can use most programs to burn them onto DVD-R or a CD-R. But, if you burn them to CD-R, or if your computer soundcard cannot play high sample rates, you will not get the full fidelity of these albums.

There may be mp3 versions for sale too, but if you download those, you will not get any benefit of superior sound quality.

The other reason I post these updates is for more people to support hi-rez music. If more people buy popular titles in hi-rez, the more we will get from the labels, and Sony just signed on, as you see above. What this means is that we all win. We get better sounding music to download, the industry people get to work, and we all want a healthy music industry!

The only negative is that HDTracks only sells within the United States, for legal reasons.

[soulster]

Forgot to add War:
https://www.hdtracks.com/index.php?file=artistdetail&id=10491

[calvin]

Thanks for sharing that, soulster. Unfortunately I can't see what titles are available because I'm in the UK, when I click on those links I see an artist article and "Record not available" next to it.

There has been discussion in other threads about cds, lossless and lossy compression, etc. Flac is described as "lossless", but one has to keep in mind that this means that when you rip a cd to flac, no information is lost from the cd to flac. But the cd itself was already compressed, from 24-bit masters to 16-bit cd audio, and quality is lost in that compression. We're talking here about something with audio quality better than physical cds. Give me this and liner notes in pdf [[or whatever) format and this would replace physical cds for my future purchases, also saving space in my flat!

I do hope this catches on, I'd like to see it come to the UK and with more titles available.

[soulster]

Thanks for sharing that, soulster. Unfortunately I can't see what titles are available because I'm in the UK, when I click on those links I see an artist article and "Record not available" next to it.

Like I said, HDTracks is only available in the U.S. due to copyright restrictions. Sorry.


But the cd itself was already compressed, from 24-bit masters to 16-bit cd audio, and quality is lost in that compression.

That is not true for all CDs. 24-bit technology used in commercial releases have been with us for just a decade. before then, it was 16-bit, 20-bit, or 22-bit. And, recordings before the early 90s were all recorded in, or transferred in either 16-bit or even 14-bit and 12-bit!


We're talking here about something with audio quality better than physical cds. Give me this and liner notes in pdf [[or whatever) format and this would replace physical cds for my future purchases, also saving space in my flat!

I agree.


I do hope this catches on, I'd like to see it come to the UK and with more titles available.

It really depends on the support and demand of the consumer. Bringing higher quality files other than what you get with mp3 or AAC lossy is good for all of us.

[calvin]

That is not true for all CDs. 24-bit technology used in commercial releases have been with us for just a decade. before then, it was 16-bit, 20-bit, or 22-bit. And, recordings before the early 90s were all recorded in, or transferred in either 16-bit or even 14-bit and 12-bit!

I was referring to new releases, either new recordings or new analogue to digital masters such as Hip-O's Motown Select cds. I don't claim to know much about this, but aren't these [[say, for example, the new Marvin Gaye Trouble Man cd) mastered from analogue to 24-bit digital and then compressed down to 16 bit for the audio cd? But thanks for the info - I had no idea about the history of this.

And what about the "loudness war"? That also takes place at the step going from the 24-bit master to the audio cd, right? So these downloads would also be better in that respect for titles affected by this, correct?

The website won't show me the titles available, I guess because I'm in the UK and none are available to me [[though they could still display the titles, just prevent me from buying them!). But judging from the artists available, I guess these are titles which fans of those artists probably already have on cd. I wonder if this is the right strategy to make this take off? I probably wouldn't repurchase something I already have on a good-quality cd [[unless the price is low), but I would purchase a new release in 24-bit over a physical cd, given the choice. For example, if the David Ruffin Unreleased LP were made available now as a 24-bit download, I probably wouldn't buy it again to replace the cd I just bought [[except at a very low price). But if the Marvin Gaye Trouble Man release came out on both physical cd and 24-bit download, I'd buy the download over the physical cd.

And do we need a site specifically dedicated to high-quality downloads? Radiohead made "The King Of Limbs" available as a 24-bit download upon its initial release, and this is available from 7digital:
http://www.7digital.com/artist/radiohead/release/the-king-of-limbs/?src=live-search

Perhaps Universal could start making their new releases available in this format on 7digital?

[soulster]

I was referring to new releases, either new recordings or new analogue to digital masters such as Hip-O's Motown Select cds. I don't claim to know much about this, but aren't these [[say, for example, the new Marvin Gaye Trouble Man cd) mastered from analogue to 24-bit digital and then compressed down to 16 bit for the audio cd? But thanks for the info - I had no idea about the history of this.

Well, the proper term for this is not "compressed", but "dithered" to 16-bit. Dither is a random white noise added to the bit-word to avoid truncation that causes digital distortion. If the recording was done at a high sample rate, like 96kHz, then one would use sample rate conversion to get it to the CD's 44.1kHz. And, the SRC should always be done before the dither process. You should know that some modern pop recordings are still done at 16-bit/44.1kHz because the producers are short-sighted or ignorant about the benefits of hi-rez recording, and it shows in their productions.


And what about the "loudness war"? That also takes place at the step going from the 24-bit master to the audio cd, right? So these downloads would also be better in that respect for titles affected by this, correct?

That is actually compression and.or limiting, and it can be done at any point between recording/tape transfer, and mastering. But, in the case of reissues, it is never done on the initial tape transfer, so that's not the problem.


The website won't show me the titles available, I guess because I'm in the UK and none are available to me [[though they could still display the titles, just prevent me from buying them!).

For now, it is not available to anyone but we in the U.S., but that may change, probably with different albums. One workaround is to get someone in the U.S. to buy them for you and then sent the files to you.


But judging from the artists available, I guess these are titles which fans of those artists probably already have on cd.

The whole point is to give people these classic recordings in higher resolution that is closer to the master tape sound. All that restricts the listener is the capability of their home system.


But if the Marvin Gaye Trouble Man release came out on both physical cd and 24-bit download, I'd buy the download over the physical cd.

Harry may be reading this thread and he's gonna take you up on that!:)


And do we need a site specifically dedicated to high-quality downloads? Radiohead made "The King Of Limbs" available as a 24-bit download upon its initial release, and this is available from 7digital:
http://www.7digital.com/artist/radiohead/release/the-king-of-limbs/?src=live-search

The U.S. companies won't do this. They are all about mp3 or AAC lossy. It's probably going to take iTunes, with the cooperation of the record labels to make it happen.


Perhaps Universal could start making their new releases available in this format on 7digital?

It would certainly help the tiny company boost it's status, now wouldn't it?

[soulster]

The new Teena Marie album is up:
https://www.hdtracks.com/index.php?file=catalogdetail&valbum_code=HD0602537061358

Sister Sledge, anyone?
https://www.hdtracks.com/index.php?file=catalogdetail&valbum_code=HX603497928637

[soulster]

Da-bump! Just in case anyone else is interested...