[mrdeadfolx]

What's everyone's personal favourite album in terms of sound engineering? I like to hear the subtle nuances of the music I listen to (hearing a drumstick actually connect with a ride cymbal instead of just hearing the ring of the cymbal, or hearing the string resonance on an acoustic guitar instead of just the note), and the quality of my experience is all in the hands of the men who hang the mics.

My pick: Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon (Engineered by Alan Parsons, and later by James Guthrie for the 5.1 version)

I'm always looking for new material to listen to and dissect, so getting your suggestions is a great way to get some ideas.

cheers

 

[mofonyx]

Is that the SACD version? Apparently there are people saying that the engineers overdid it and it sounds more artificial than the original recording.

 

[Debaser86]

"Loveless" by My Bloody Valentine

The amount of time and effort (not to mention money) that went solely into the sound engineering of this album is readily apparent in the perfectly textured end result.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Pretty much anything that is MFSL material is good to my ears...it's the closest I can get anyway atm to sweet music.

 

[mrdeadfolx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mofonyx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is that the SACD version? Apparently there are people saying that the engineers overdid it and it sounds more artificial than the original recording.

Yes, its the SACD version I'm referring to. And I agree with "people", it sounds a little digital for my liking, but of course thats only comparing it to the original masters, which sound as pure as can be.

 

[trains are bad]

On CD-Electrelane-Axes

 

[Uncle Erik]

I have a handful of Chesky SACDs. They all sound incredible.

 

[Gurra1980]

The best of Vaya con dios is great sounding, And a swedish artist that I guess no one here has heard of, Ted gärdestad-Sol vind och vatten (maybe a swede somewhere out there).

 

[Happy Camper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrdeadfolx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, its the SACD version I'm referring to. And I agree with "people", it sounds a little digital for my liking, but of course thats only comparing it to the original masters, which sound as pure as can be.

I think I have every release (CD) of DSotM and the SACD resolves the saturated sections better. Us and Them. The instruments get congested and oversaturated with previous releases, speaker or phone.

I do enjoy Supertramp "Crime of the Century" and AP "I Robot" along with DSofM. These are my "stranded on an island, which three..." picks. May not be the best "engineered" but the music also has to be taken into account. Othewise most newer technology recordings would sound better "technically".

 

[TKO]

Jennifer Warnes - Famous Blue Raincoat

Madeleine Peyroux - Dreamland

both exceptionally recorded, produced and engineered.

Cheers.

 

[TheMuffinMan_01]

I really like Tegan and Sara's "Under Feet Like Ours". All of their other CD's are HORRIBLY engineered but this one is really raw and realistic. NIN's "The Downward Spiral" is pretty damn awesome too, I really want to get the SACD to see if there is even more to hear. :O

 

[nibiyabi]

Pretty much anything I've heard by Chesky Recordings completely blows away anything else I've heard, and I still haven't heard them with an SACDP.

 

[raif]

Without a doubt, has to be Paul Simon's Graceland. Not a hint of distortion on any passage throughout the disc, and the clarity on each instrument is astounding. The dynamics are incredibly varied throughout the disc due to the low base level it is mastered at. Also, it is the only album I have listened to that even during the most complex of passages, I can focus in and hear each part individually. It is great because every musical presence is it's own voice that you can hear individually or allow to meld into the larger context of the piece. Plus, who doesn't love listening to Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

 

[Aman]

I don't understand the draw to Dark Side of the Moon in this respect. It is clearly not that special in the dynamics department, and there is a respectably collapsed soundstage and imaging field. Okay, so it has some nice details and nuances that get revealed with the use of higher-end equipment, but all of the analogue effects the group used in the post-production stages significantly shrank the album's overall dynamic range and characteristics of realism.

I heard the 5.1 mix, and I feel that it is extremely overdone, but that's just me.

 

[mikuhf]

I should really pull out the CD to verify this, but I recall Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms with incredible sound. Still - that was the first CD I ever bought. Played through a Yamaha CD-X2. Maybe I'm just recalling my youth through rose-hinted ears?

M