Comparison files: 1998 vs. 2001 remasters

First up, Let Me Entertain You 1998 vs. 2001

**no longer available**

After enough responses, I'll delete this and do another song.. actually I only have Jazz & The Game in both '98 and '01.

I personally think the 1st one sounds better, its a bit clearer and punchier. The 2nd one sounds more muddled.

Well, the first one is the 1998 version. People have complained about 'too much noise reduction' on those. Weird.

Jazz is difficult for me to judge personally, because it always sounds kinda crappy in my opinion.

I can hardly tell any differences, but I think that the 2nd one sounds a bit better.
I once compared the 98 version of SHA with the 01 version and the 2001 sounded better to me because they managed to remove some more background noise/hiss, even though there wasn't that much left on the 98 remaster (just compare the intro of Killer Queen and you will hear that noise difference)
next!

The worst problem with the 1998 remasters is that it seems they used a defective tape machine to transfer the masters, so there are some speed problems. The most annoying I recall is during Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy.

That's interesting about Killer Queen. This was one that was specifically mentioned to me as having TOO MUCH NR. You're saying it sounds better with even more, Ron? I won't have the 2001 of that for a couple more months. Got the '91 Hollywood & the '98 though :-P

I'll have to see if I can hear anything odd about Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy.

Meanwhile, here's one with some definite differences.

Dragon Attack. I think the 2nd one (2001) sounds MUCH better. The '98 sounds quite muddy I think.

http://members.cox.net/deaconfan/drat.wav

That reminds me!

Rien, when you shared files from the card sleeves, had you used normalizing by any chance? I ask because when I played the wav of Don't Stop Me Now.. your version 'clipped' from being so loud.. into the red, and mine is still way up there but doesn't clip like that.

All I did was converting the files into 320KBs mp3-files.

Normalizing takes the volume up to 100% and no more. So, it won't clip. If you're getting clipping, it could be something to do with your setup. Speakers or soundcard, perhaps?

There isn't much difference with LMEY - they're very similar. But I guess the latter version sounds slightly better.

Dragon Attack is pretty similar too. The highs are probably a little more tamed on the latter version. But otherwise, they're not that different.

Peace,
Adam.

yea, the 2001 KQ version from SHA sounds better to me. I will create a file like you have done for LMEY and DA tomorrow

the 2001 DA sounds better than the 1998: the vocals sound a bit too hard for the 98 version and the high tones are better in the 01 version, esp the hihats (or cimbals, I dunno) of the drums

www.queenonline.nl/files/KQ.wav
first the 1998 version, than the 2001

the difference is very noticable (for me): the 2001 version sounds much clearer. I was a bit wrong though about the noise reduction: there is still some left and both noise/hiss levels sound diff, so they probably used a diff tool in 2001

Thanks Ron :)

I do like the 2001 better. I can hear more clarity in the piano particularly. This is the same thing Adam Unger and I heard when comparing the '91 with the '98. The '91 was clearer. So I wonder which wins between '91 and '01.

http://members.cox.net/neeuq/KQ91.wav

In '91 the tape would have been 7-10 years younger too, if that makes any difference. The '91 to me sounds a little warmer while still being clearer than the '98.

I compared '..Lover Boy' 1991 vs. 1998 and couldn't hear any major speed differences or weird changes. The final time (first piano note to final crash) on one was off a little bit, by .320 of a second which isn't even 1/2 second and is nothing compared to some speed problems I've seen (like 'Break Free' on the 12" Collection being so slow it's 8 seconds longer)

Ya know, I'm starting to realize that maybe Hollywood did a pretty decent job after all. At least they fixed some of their mistakes too (Lap of the Gods/Its Late).

"Ya know, I'm starting to realize that maybe Hollywood did a pretty decent job after all. At least they fixed some of their mistakes too (Lap of the Gods/Its Late)."

yea... problems that shouldn't have happened in the first place :)