EDIT II: Updated with sound from the new Brussels CD ("Rubidium master").

EDIT: I'm making a separate thread of this, so we're not messing up the Marquee thread.

I didn't have the top notch equipment. The recording quality is not optimal, but it's good enough to notice the considerable difference in sound. Play it in HD.

The last slide that says "Brussels CD" is in fact "Brussels Digital Download".

It plays in this order:

1. New Brussels vinyl
2. Old Brussels CD
3. New Brussels Digital Download (mp3)

+

4. (Separate video) New Brussels CD












Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2015-04-09 14:03 by DandelionPowderman.

Where do people get the 'Old Brussels CD from'? I'd like a copy after listening to this.

Which "old Brussels CD" did you use ? There are many.

Also, is your digital download sourced from mp3 or from lossless? My lossless digital download sounds much better.


All versions of the new Brussels use the same Bob Clearmountain remix. The only difference is possibly the vinyl uses a high resolution digital master (versus the 16 bit digital download).

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kowalski
Which "old Brussels CD" did you use ? There are many.

Also, is your digital download sourced from mp3 or from lossless? My lossless digital download sounds much better.


All versions of the new Brussels use the same Bob Clearmountain remix. The only difference is possibly the vinyl uses a high resolution digital master (versus the 16 bit digital download).

You also master at lower db for vinyl, and use different coding + the higher resolution.

This is the mp3 digital download - just to show the difference.

Quote
kowalski
Which "old Brussels CD" did you use ? There are many.

Also, is your digital download sourced from mp3 or from lossless? My lossless digital download sounds much better.


All versions of the new Brussels use the same Bob Clearmountain remix. The only difference is possibly the vinyl uses a high resolution digital master (versus the 16 bit digital download).

THE one from the 80s. I could have used a vinyl rip off of "Europe 73", but it would have somewhat the same quality.

While it's quite difficult to hear a difference on a youtube video. I would say the vinyl sounds better, then the CD.

If you see my post on the Marquee thread, Ward Records (which adds Brussels LP's to the Marquee release) states that their vinyl are made from a 96kHz/24bit master... Hence probably the better sound when compared to the mp3 digital download.

Quote
kowalski
While it's quite difficult to hear a difference on a youtube video. I would say the vinyl sounds better, then the CD.

If you see my post on the Marquee thread, Ward Records (which adds Brussels LP's to the Marquee release) states that their vinyl are made from a 96kHz/24bit master... Hence probably the better sound when compared to the mp3 digital download.

It's not difficult, imo. Even when ripped at CD quality (16bit) the vinyl release of the supposed cold and sterile new Brussels show sounds warmer and more organic than the classic Brussels CD. The mp3 download is an unfair comparison, but it is interesting, as Taylor's frequencies seem to suffer the most. His tops and bottoms are totally gone, and his lead guitar sounds compressed to death compared to the vinyl.

I wish I had time to post the CD sound of the new Brussels as well. Will do later.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-04-09 12:43 by DandelionPowderman.

Quote
DandelionPowderman


I wish I had time to post the CD sound of the new Brussels as well. Will do later.

I'd be curious to hear it. It should sound the same as the lossless digital download but there may be differences as some CD's happen to be mastered louder than downloads of the same album.

Quote
Rollin92
Where do people get the 'Old Brussels CD from'? I'd like a copy after listening to this.

The "Old Brussels" is the classic Brussels-cd from the 80s: Brussels Affair.

Even if it is hard to compare a YT sound with what comes out from my stereo system, I don't hear significant differences in the mix between my lossless downloaded version and the vinyl rip. The boot version has a louder, boomier bass. The mp3, of course, are what they are.

C



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-04-09 14:02 by liddas.

Quote
liddas
Even if it is hard to compare a YT sound with what comes out from my stereo system, I don't hear significant differences in the mix between my lossless downloaded version and the vinyl rip. The boot version has a louder, boomier bass. The mp3, of course, are what they are.

C

There is a significant difference in warmth AND bass to my ears. I have tested with two different sets of headphones here at work. At home on the stereo the bass and the general warmth of the vinyl will shine even more through, cobbled with the analog organic "hiss".

It's not necessarily the quality that is different, but the warmth. There is a certain softness in the vinyl sound that lacks in all the digital formats, imo.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-04-09 14:39 by DandelionPowderman.

Thanks Dandy! I will listen to it all very carefully and then report here.

Thanks for adding the new CD youtube video. I couldn't hear any difference with my lossless digital download though!
Maybe a proper lossless comparison could show some small differences...

About the vinyl : the fact it's made from a high resolution digital source (confirmed by the Ward Records description) could explain the better sounding. Plus, from my experience the same recording will always sound better on vinyl than on CD. But... when comparing a hi-res digital file to a vinyl I can't hear much differences. Conclusion : they should release the HD files for download on HDTracks or Qobuz!

It would also be interesting to hear what you think of the A/B comparison of the new Brussels CD and the old Brussels CD.

I'd say they both have their charm soundwise. The former is more cleaned up, and the frequencies are more right.

What I like the most of all the formats is the bass sound from the vinyl. It's unbeatable, imo.

The new CD sounds too compressed (I mean the dynamic range), it's particularly noticeable on drums which sound muffled. IMO it's got even worse on the following archive releases... This said, the cleaner sound makes them quite enjoyable as well.

Best one of them all to my ears and the one which comes closest to my concert experience in 1973, Rotterdam Oct. 13, is this one, undoubtedly. Much better than any of the official BA releases, not only as for the performance but also as for the audio quality (dynamics etc).

Quote
kleermaker
Best one of them all to my ears and the one which comes closest to my concert experience in 1973, Rotterdam Oct. 13, is this one, undoubtedly. Much better than any of the official BA releases, not only as for the performance but also as for the audio quality (dynamics etc).

Light on bass, unbalanced, but still great-sounding for a bootleg.

It can't be compared to the warm-sounding first track in my clip, though. And I have both on vinyl

Listen from 1:17–1:25 on my vinyl rip! None of the other formats, be it new or old Brussels, have that bass and that overall sound



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2015-04-09 16:12 by DandelionPowderman.

Quote
DandelionPowderman

Quote
kleermaker
Best one of them all to my ears and the one which comes closest to my concert experience in 1973, Rotterdam Oct. 13, is this one, undoubtedly. Much better than any of the official BA releases, not only as for the performance but also as for the audio quality (dynamics etc).

Light on bass, unbalanced, but still great-sounding for a bootleg.

It can't be compared to the warm-sounding first track in my clip, though. And I have both on vinyl

Listen from 1:17–1:25 on my vinyl rip! None of the other formats, be it new or old Brussels, have that bass and that overall sound

I agree on the bass, but that can be adjusted. Dandy, believe me, the video I posted comes really closest to the concerts in 1973. By far. I mean: the whole sound stimulates my memory, but none of the offical BA releases does. That says enough to me, and I wasn't prejudiced.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-04-09 18:44 by kleermaker.

With all this talk about Brussels Affair cds vs vinyl it got me thinking. I was buying bootlegs of these concerts from 72-73 around 75 from a head shop in San Pedro on Pacific Avenue back in those days. And they were all vinyl. I have kept all my vinyl records from my youth but had not looked or listened to them in 25 years. So I decided to pull the box down to have a looksee to see which ones I still had. Here are some of them:
Bedspring Symphony A Box Lunch and Meat Whistle
Brussels Affair
Altamont 69
San Diego 69
Dragon Slayers
Birmingham Odeon 1973
Burning at the Hollywood Palladium
Copenhagen 1973
Mick Taylor and His Rolling Stones
Philadelphia Special
Dancin with Mr D
Bern 1973 2nd Night Second Show
Down in the Graveyard
Essen 73
liver than you'll Ever Be
Get your Leeds Young out
nasty habits
Welcome to New York

There are more and I have just purchased a record player. I still need to get a needle for it. But I would be interested what the vinyl records sound like compared to the Cd with the same title. One thing I noticed is how nice the Bill Stout art shows up on the covers of the album covers. They would make good tattoos.

Quote
DandelionPowderman
EDIT II: Updated with sound from the new Brussels CD ("Rubidium master").

EDIT: I'm making a separate thread of this, so we're not messing up the Marquee thread.

I didn't have the top notch equipment. The recording quality is not optimal, but it's good enough to notice the considerable difference in sound. Play it in HD.

The last slide that says "Brussels CD" is in fact "Brussels Digital Download".

It plays in this order:

1. New Brussels vinyl
2. Old Brussels CD
3. New Brussels Digital Download (mp3)

+

4. (Separate video) New Brussels CD

Thank You! The vinyl sounds indeed slightly better. Especially the drumsound is less compressed.