[non-entity]

Hello! First of all, thank you for clicking on this thread.
 
Well, I don't want to waste much of your time, so I'll cut it as short as possible: bought it used and quite badly scratched (hard to get in my area) so it took me some time and fiddling with various error corrections and disc drives to rip it with accurate checksums (using AccurateRip). Basically, given the checksums, it should be just fine, but there's a very sublime crackling during the first minute of La Mer (where the deepest scratches are). So, is it only present in my copy or is this crackling on your copy as well and thus on the master?
 
Side note: here's some very interesting information about this song which could be of use for fans.
 
Thanks again for reading!
Regards,
r

 

[Jaska]

My copy is definitely ripped accurately. On the track in question, there is some very faint crackling in the background noticeable until about 1:24 when things get loud. This 2-CD set is also rather hard to come by where I live, and when I ordered mine, I received the Argentinian pressing. I don't know how common this is, but that's what I've got.

 

[non-entity]

Hi Jaska,
 
it's good to read that this "issue" seems to be not only on my copy. Given the fact that it is an accurate rip it is quite weird that I asked this question, but I never had such a scratched disc before, so I was insecure. Before posting this question I tried to check out a version somebody loaded up on youtube, but we all know that audio compression is terrible there so I couldn't tell... Isn't it sad that this great record is so hard to find in some regions? I reckon it's because it is mostly a "headphone record" for the darker moods, but this is still sad.
 
Again, thanks!

 

[Jubei]

You got me playing the music now!
 
I bought mine when it came out.
 

 
(Please excuse the image quality - taken with iPhone is insufficient lighting)

 

[Jaska]

Much better packaging with yours. I've always thought that the cardboard packaging mine came in is the worst possible design. It's practically guaranteed that the discs will be scratched when trying to get them out of the tight cardboard pockets (located where your nice plastic inserts are located). As soon as I got my 2 discs out of the packaging, I put them in standard jewel cases.

 

[virometal]

 
Quote:

. Isn't it sad that this great record is so hard to find in some regions?

No doubt. I guess the oft-rumored ten year edition never materialized. Now that NIN is "finished" (still don't believe it), he should release a huge set with ever halo in the original packaging. Or maybe release a series of sets - the album and accompanying singles for each full length.

 

[Jubei]

Personally, I really hate it when they put the discs in a cardboard sleeve ... as you say, it basically guarantees that they will be scratched.
 
Quote:

Much better packaging with yours. I've always thought that the cardboard packaging mine came in is the worst possible design. It's practically guaranteed that the discs will be scratched when trying to get them out of the tight cardboard pockets (located where your nice plastic inserts are located). As soon as I got my 2 discs out of the packaging, I put them in standard jewel cases.

 

[necropimp]

i didn't hear any "cracking"... though to be fair i have yet to get around to reripping any of my NIN since going lossless so it's all in musepack
 
could we maybe get a clip from the beginning of the track where you are hearing it?

 

[non-entity]

@necropimp: here's a sample with 30 seconds length.
Quote:

 

No doubt. I guess the oft-rumored ten year edition never materialized. Now that NIN is "finished" (still don't believe it), he should release a huge set with ever halo in the original packaging. Or maybe release a series of sets - the album and accompanying singles for each full length.

Yeah, this is sad. To me it's even more sad because I never saw them on stage...
 
I really like your idea about the re-releases, but I think this is kinda unlikely. Record labels aren't notably nice and helpful, am I wrong? Especially not when they sit on most of your material - maybe this was/is the problem with the re-release of The Fragile. Another thing about this that comes to mind: once I read (I think at gearslutz forums) some interesting things an engineer wrote about the making of this album; amongst other things he wrote that not everything was recorded with 24 bit bit depth, so this could be another problem, considering Trent wants to stay on the DVD-A rail. But hey, of course I can't tell how reliable the source of this information is.
 
Well, we can still hope that it will show up one glorious day.

 

[paulb09]

I hear some crackling, mainly on the back of many of bass plucks up until the drums come in (it gets too dense to hear at that point).
 
In regards to the anniversary edition, whilst we haven't heard anything since, work was supposedly started on it according to this post last year from the official NIN Twitter:
 
Quote:

And... we've begun work on the ULTIMATE reissue coming 2010. #thefragile​

11:42 PM Sep 21st, 2009 via mobile web​

​

 

[non-entity]

 
Quote:

I hear some crackling, mainly on the back of many of bass plucks up until the drums come in (it gets too dense to hear at that point).
 
In regards to the anniversary edition, whilst we haven't heard anything since, work was supposedly started on it according to this post last year from the official NIN Twitter:
 

Same here, to me the cracking is only present in the beginning. I have no idea what to think about this re-release. Did you guys see the pictures which Trent posted on the official NIN website? One can only assume, but maybe these were from working on The Fragile?

 

[Dublo7]

Random tidbit of information: Trent Reznor recently announced on his twitter that he was working on packaging for the Fragile re-issue/anniversary edition. I'm not sure if this is going to still materialise, but hey, it's something.

 

[virometal]

Do you guys like the How to Destroy Angels song? I'm a bit lukewarm and not enamored with the wifey's voice.

 

[paulb09]

It's possible, but they were more likely to do with the recently surfaced project with his wife; How To Destroy Angels (HTDA).
 
Quote:

Same here, to me the cracking is only present in the beginning. I have no idea what to think about this re-release. Did you guys see the pictures which Trent posted on the official NIN website? One can only assume, but maybe these were from working on The Fragile?

 
In regards to the HTDA song, virometal, it's not bad, but it's not that appealing to me either. Going off the first two teaser videos on their website, I hope the other songs on the EP have more of a Ghosts I-IV sound to them. [edit]I just found this on the Q&A - 

TR: A Drowning is fairly unlike the rest of the EP. The rest of it gets noisier.​

 
By the way, this article on Pitchfork may be an interesting read, giving some more info on HTDA, and a hint of some new NIN / Trent Reznor material. The Q&A can be found on the discussion boards of the HTDA Facebook page.

 

[necropimp]

Quote:

Random tidbit of information: Trent Reznor recently announced on his twitter that he was working on packaging for the Fragile re-issue/anniversary edition. I'm not sure if this is going to still materialise, but hey, it's something.

yeah remember when he announced the closure dvd back in 2004?