On Synchestra just before a side ends, the song from the next side plays for a few seconds and then fades out. Then when you put on the next side, the song starts from the beginning again. Are the other ones like this, because it's really stupid and annoying.

gah, i knew they'd pull some stupid shit like that, especially with Synchestra being totally continuous. there's no way they'd be able to split sides properly without access to the masters — which they probably could've gotten, if they'd asked Dev.

And how actually is master tape better than the CD version while splitting the sides? There`s going to be silence anyway, when you`re changing the sides. Or am I missing something?

if you were serious:

CD = all songs crossfaded/segueing together, 16bit/44.1kHz quality
master tapes/Pro Tools session = all songs separated (depending on how it was recorded) or separable (since you can edit each track individually), 24bit/96kHz quality or higher

therefore the superior source for a vinyl is from the master Pro Tools sessions, since you don't just fade out the transitions to end/begin each side, and you have the record in the full analog sound quality range vinyl can carry.

My soundcard is being weird, so I can't do a proper quality rip. I tried looking at the spectrals to see if Synchestra and AE are CD or master tape, but the soundcard could have been screwing with it, so I don't want to make any judgements.

My soundcard is being weird, so I can't do a proper quality rip. I tried looking at the spectrals to see if Synchestra and AE are CD or master tape, but the soundcard could have been screwing with it, so I don't want to make any judgements.

I'd say that question is all but answered definitively, but I respect your soldiering on to give us all the empirical facts.

I thought I might give a little update seeing as how I've finally listened to all of the records.

As much as I'd like to accurately state whether the LPs are superior to the CDs or not I don't think I can do so. I've just upgraded to a very, very good cartridge for my turntable and now my vinyl set-up outstrips my CD set-up by some margin.

Right now, everything sounds better on vinyl.

Still, I do think the records are an improvement from their CD counterparts as there seems to be more body, weight and overall 'air,' leading to a more natural and fullsome sound. Physicist does seem to me a straight CD rip but that could be because the original recording is so compressed and dense.

I'll do an album-by-album breakdown later on.

On Synchestra just before a side ends, the song from the next side plays for a few seconds and then fades out. Then when you put on the next side, the song starts from the beginning again. Are the other ones like this, because it's really stupid and annoying.

gah, i knew they'd pull some stupid shit like that, especially with Synchestra being totally continuous. there's no way they'd be able to split sides properly without access to the masters — which they probably could've gotten, if they'd asked Dev.

And how actually is master tape better than the CD version while splitting the sides? There`s going to be silence anyway, when you`re changing the sides. Or am I missing something?

if you were serious:

CD = all songs crossfaded/segueing together, 16bit/44.1kHz quality
master tapes/Pro Tools session = all songs separated (depending on how it was recorded) or separable (since you can edit each track individually), 24bit/96kHz quality or higher

therefore the superior source for a vinyl is from the master Pro Tools sessions, since you don't just fade out the transitions to end/begin each side, and you have the record in the full analog sound quality range vinyl can carry.

Yes, I was serious But sorry, I still dont understand how master tape is better than CD if you`re splitting the tracks for vinyl. If the final product was meant to be on the CD format (music continues from one track to another), you cant solve it on the vinyl the same way, unless making a different mix (which you need the master tapes for, yes).

[Octillus]

I just want to remind a lot of you guys clamoring for masters, that quite a few of those don't exist anymore after a flood Dev and Tracy had a few years back.

Devin really needs to release all the sessions from his albums so we audio geeks can hear everything that's going on.

I thought I might give a little update seeing as how I've finally listened to all of the records.

As much as I'd like to accurately state whether the LPs are superior to the CDs or not I don't think I can do so. I've just upgraded to a very, very good cartridge for my turntable and now my vinyl set-up outstrips my CD set-up by some margin.

Right now, everything sounds better on vinyl.

Still, I do think the records are an improvement from their CD counterparts as there seems to be more body, weight and overall 'air,' leading to a more natural and fullsome sound. Physicist does seem to me a straight CD rip but that could be because the original recording is so compressed and dense.

I'll do an album-by-album breakdown later on.

If the vinyls are sourced from the CD masters, that's simply HOGWASH.

Placebo effect, really. It's sort of like converting a 128K MP3 to FLAC and saying it sounds better. It's simply not possible.

I thought I might give a little update seeing as how I've finally listened to all of the records.

As much as I'd like to accurately state whether the LPs are superior to the CDs or not I don't think I can do so. I've just upgraded to a very, very good cartridge for my turntable and now my vinyl set-up outstrips my CD set-up by some margin.

Right now, everything sounds better on vinyl.

Still, I do think the records are an improvement from their CD counterparts as there seems to be more body, weight and overall 'air,' leading to a more natural and fullsome sound. Physicist does seem to me a straight CD rip but that could be because the original recording is so compressed and dense.

I'll do an album-by-album breakdown later on.

If the vinyls are sourced from the CD masters, that's simply HOGWASH.

Placebo effect, really. It's sort of like converting a 128K MP3 to FLAC and saying it sounds better. It's simply not possible.

It's not complete BS. The turntable transfers the sounds in a different way. So i think in many cases it comes down to personal opinion.

Hey guys, I just got Ziltoid on vinyl, and the same problem occurs on that one. At the end of side B, N9 starts up, and then fades out within about 20 seconds, and the full track begins again on side C. Do these people just not understand track transitions at all?

On the plus side the music sounds phenomenal, although how much of that is Devin's excellent original mix, and how much is Back on Black mastering the album for vinyl is anyone's guess.

if you were serious:

CD = all songs crossfaded/segueing together, 16bit/44.1kHz quality
master tapes/Pro Tools session = all songs separated (depending on how it was recorded) or separable (since you can edit each track individually), 24bit/96kHz quality or higher

therefore the superior source for a vinyl is from the master Pro Tools sessions, since you don't just fade out the transitions to end/begin each side, and you have the record in the full analog sound quality range vinyl can carry.

Yes, I was serious But sorry, I still dont understand how master tape is better than CD if you`re splitting the tracks for vinyl. If the final product was meant to be on the CD format (music continues from one track to another), you cant solve it on the vinyl the same way, unless making a different mix (which you need the master tapes for, yes).

because the master session gives you the opportunity to take specific things out and keep the rest. for instance, in order to separate "Hide Nowhere" from "Sister" (if that's where the sides split), you'd need to retain the big power chord that ends "HN," but remove (or fade out) the samples and completely remove the guitar and vocal tracks of "Sister" so that "HN" has a complete ending. then, to start the following side, fade in/start the samples and guitar and everything for "Sister" but without the big power chord that ends "HN." do you see what i mean? you can't separate the tracks that segue with the CD master, but you CAN with the master session. that is my point: you don't re-mix anything, you just separate songs that would be split by the sides of the vinyl so that you don't end up with the Ziltoid vinyl (20 seconds of the next song fading out at the end of the side).

Hey guys, I just got Ziltoid on vinyl, and the same problem occurs on that one. At the end of side B, N9 starts up, and then fades out within about 20 seconds, and the full track begins again on side C. Do these people just not understand track transitions at all?

On the plus side the music sounds phenomenal, although how much of that is Devin's excellent original mix, and how much is Back on Black mastering the album for vinyl is anyone's guess.

Sup Dev.

if you were serious:

CD = all songs crossfaded/segueing together, 16bit/44.1kHz quality
master tapes/Pro Tools session = all songs separated (depending on how it was recorded) or separable (since you can edit each track individually), 24bit/96kHz quality or higher

therefore the superior source for a vinyl is from the master Pro Tools sessions, since you don't just fade out the transitions to end/begin each side, and you have the record in the full analog sound quality range vinyl can carry.

Yes, I was serious But sorry, I still dont understand how master tape is better than CD if you`re splitting the tracks for vinyl. If the final product was meant to be on the CD format (music continues from one track to another), you cant solve it on the vinyl the same way, unless making a different mix (which you need the master tapes for, yes).

because the master session gives you the opportunity to take specific things out and keep the rest. for instance, in order to separate "Hide Nowhere" from "Sister" (if that's where the sides split), you'd need to retain the big power chord that ends "HN," but remove (or fade out) the samples and completely remove the guitar and vocal tracks of "Sister" so that "HN" has a complete ending. then, to start the following side, fade in/start the samples and guitar and everything for "Sister" but without the big power chord that ends "HN." do you see what i mean? you can't separate the tracks that segue with the CD master, but you CAN with the master session. that is my point: you don't re-mix anything, you just separate songs that would be split by the sides of the vinyl so that you don't end up with the Ziltoid vinyl (20 seconds of the next song fading out at the end of the side).

Yes, I get it now, you are talking about the mix - I just realized that on the master tape, there are probably hidden endings (which are silenced in the final mix) between the tracks, so you can actually make a song "end" properly.

Thanks for the clarification!

Infinity arrived in the mail this morning.

I just finished listening to it.


Go and buy it.





Ok, you want more impressions? Firstly, the sound quality is simply amazing, by far the best of all the vinyl releases. The sound is fulsome, huge, rich and organic, which is surprising considering that on CD it sounds hard and granular. I have no idea whether this came from the master tape or not and I don't care; this sounds spectacular. Christian Olde Webber's bass on Bad Devil is so deliciously plump. Secondly, Back on Black have clearly learned their lesson in regards to cutting the songs cleanly between sides. The litmus test is the transition between Bad Devil and War, where the time frame is very slim. Here Bad Devil ends cleanly and on the next Side War starts perfectly. About time they got it right.

The bonus tracks are great, although nothing new as they have appeared on other Devin releases but it's good to hear them on vinyl nonetheless.

If you only plan to buy one vinyl re-issue or are thinking about dipping your toes in the water and you don't know where to start then make it Infinity.

Also, just a little note to Devin; Kudos for this album. For a man with such an envious backlog of breathtaking music it can be easy to simply bundle all of your albums together with a simple superlative but Infinity somehow stands apart. There is something raw and deeply moving about this album, a work of art that struggles to remain confined to the boundaries of a simple album.

Oh, and please return to the higher register you used to sing in for this album. Your voice is angelic.

The whole vinyl sounds better than a cd argument is a hoax. If I buy vinyl then it's only for the huge artwork.

You need to listen to a nicely mastered record on a good system, preferably a Technics 1200 with a Shure White Label stylus. Slays a CD, no competition.

Don't take my word for it either. Do the AB test with that gear and tell me I'm wrong.