TheNightingale wrote:
And yes, the digital version is 16bit/44.1 KHz WAV, you can't choose FLAC or MP3.
I do not look forward to this download experience. That aside, which of those waveforms are the original CD and which are the new downloads? Because the vinyl (both 1993 and 2020) and the old digital files (CD, streaming platforms like Apple Music, etc.) use different stereo mixes from each other. That’s right, not just different mastering, but different
STEREO MIXES. I was really perplexed by this when I listened to someone’s samples on the Steve Hoffman forum. On a lot of the remastered Rid Of Me tracks—both the new vinyl rips and the WAV download—the vocals and most of the drums are panned left, while Polly’s guitar is panned to the right. A very jarring listen for me.
My thinking is that they had to do that to prevent skipping? It’s an “overlong” album in the sense that there’s more recorded material than would normally safely fit on a single disc without sacrificing sound quality, so maybe it has something to do with that? Can’t think of any other reason.
If nothing else, I’ll enjoy getting a better ear for the guitar parts, as they’re easier to make out when there’s more stereo separation between them and the bass guitar or the vocal, as opposed to them basically sitting atop each other in the mix I’m familiar with.