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Topic: Rush's "Vapor Trails" - Have they released a remastered  (Read 17940 times) previous topic - next topic
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Rush's "Vapor Trails" - Have they released a remastered

Hi.

I just saw a copy of "Vapor Trails" by Rush for sale at a music store close by. I know that the original version was heavily compressed, and that the sound was severely distorted. I also heard that they were supposed to release a remastered version. Well, did they do that? If yes, then is there a way to distinguish it from the original version by looking at the cover/artwork?

Please let me know.

Rush's "Vapor Trails" - Have they released a remastered

Reply #1 –
I read in the "The Chemistry of Rush" that the problem
lay in the original tapes, not the master itself. I doubt
that there will be a better version.

Rush's "Vapor Trails" - Have they released a remastered

Reply #2 –
Quote from: hawkeye_p on
I doubt that there will be a better version.


Hola all! :-)

Since this is my first post I figure I'll post about a problem then work on a better introduction later.

And, yes, I did use the word "problem". For "problems" get "solved" while "issues" get "re-solved" again... and again... and again... My observation is simply an argument for finality versus deliberate open-endedness. So, if you wonder why there are so many problems in the world, then just check that jargon that's currently in use and take a good hard look at what lies behind it. ;-)

I've been dealing with not just remastering old material to better fit the bandwidth of the medium while preserving its dynamic range without brickwalling the audio to death. My favorite discs are from the early '80s to the very early '90s, when brickwalling was not as commonplace. In fact I really love the Sony releases from that period of time: It was as close to a direct transfer from tape to digital as you can get. And then there were releases which were merely rushed to CD without a thorough going-over of the mothers. But I'll talk about that in a future post.

It was only during this summer I've decided to experiment with "clip fixing" in Audacity. One experiment involving Slayer's "Christ Illusion" was just pure revelation: A Slayer album THAT ACTUALLY SOUNDS LIKE an oldskool Slayer album! I was floored by the end result...then got royally pissed off when I learned how Rubin "picks" the best "master" (think of an car audio "shootout" for the max dB, quality be damned). Vladimir "Vlad The Butcher" Meller (I won't call the sot "Vlado" simply because that is so trendoid lame and gay), according to Rubin, wins "9 times out of 10" as a result of these competitions.

Needless to say my blood boiled over. I was truly more over the limit than the dB on the official pressed release. With a total cost of $500 for ALL my tools, from the desktop to the editing software (actually $20 for the editing software), I was able to DO MORE with what I have as opposed to the $2 million USD of equipment that Vlad has.

Anyway, the problem is the sonic butchery of Rush's "Vapor Trails". And, with no thanks to Howie Weinberg, the problem simply got worse. So I decided to do a clipfix and audio restoration of ALL the tracks on "Vapor Trails". And some of the sonic stuff I uncovered was just as revelatory.

First off, by judging from what I was able to pull out of that original sonic sludge, I can tell which parts of the mix were not up to snuff. For example, in certain parts of a track the vocal track would switch from being tinny to full-bodied. The guitar and bass parts were okay but it really depends on how "electric" the track is. On the more acoustic-leaning and sparse tracks the clarity was perfect.

Then, there are drums: The worst casualty on the official release. Peart's drum tracks were actually in great condition from the start if one were to go by the reconstruction rather than the pressed CD. And while clipfixing isn't perfect since the original data was sliced to shreds by Weinberg's butchery, the restoration revealed the long-lost transients that add much depth and nuance to Peart's percussive skills.

The track I'm most proud of is "Nocturne". It, by far, shows what could have been. Everything just is much brighter and crisp rather than decapitated into oblivion.

To bring out a bit more of the tracks I also raised the low-end and high-end EQ a bit based on the original clipfix. Though, in this case as of now, I may have been too agressive. So I may just ditch the re-EQ part of the restoration.

Now all of that sounds great, does it not?

The problem I face when giving people a slice of nirvana here is this:

I can't upload or link to my own reconstruction of the tracks, much less one track, for the sake of comparison.

It would be a violation of copyright law and the rules of the forum. So my reconstruction/restoration really has nowhere to go unless I'm willing to play the game of "Cloak & Dagger" to slide my submission through to better-trained ears than mine. I even thought of presenting one track for the sake of Fair Use in comparison to the original pressing.

So, as of right now, the best I can do is only talk about it. Or at least work on a rough set of directions so that others' can do their own reconstruction/restoration jobs using free to no-budget tools.

The irony of the situation isn't lost on me: Gigantic corporate conglomerates deliberately put out deliberately shoddy or sabotaged goods while, on the other side, is someone like me who can undo the damage. And I do that to the best of my own human abilities.

Isn't any wonder why people don't buy CD's as often as they once did? Instead of looking at their own faults in making CDs sound bad they'd rather ignore all the real problems within their own walls and instead point to some manufactured straw-man amorphous blob and call it "piracy".

Meanwhile, their "master" senior engineers being paid mucho dinero don't seem to mind playing a game of, "Whoever is LOUDEST wins!" I just wonder how their choices lead to their own hearing loss and becoming tone-deaf. Such a pressing is rather depressing.

What pains me is that I'm a huge fan of Rush! "Vapor Trails" was a betrayal on a LOT of levels that I've only begun coming to grips with. As in it's the label and Weinberg that betrayed Rush by making an allegedly bad mix sound worse! "Snakes & Arrows", while a big improvement over "Vapor Trails" is still brickwalled with more emphasis on the high end in a futile attempt to mask the brickwalling.

For example, in parts of "Snakes & Arrows", have you noticed parts that sound extremely dense with maybe a nuance or two trying to poke through the brickwall? And that's on the first track! That's the brickwalling with lots of high-end amplification. Since I have my Rush CDs out of storage right now I'll rip it and see what I can do with Audacity to uncover the lost dynamic range. There's details in there just waiting to break out of confinement!

Anyway, this is a lengthy post for me. But then, as you'll see the more I post here, my posts are quite long. I can't help that. I love details!

There may not be an official restoration of "Vapor Trails" but at least, with an unofficial one, at least you'll get to hear what was denied. And my message to record companies is this: "TEAR DOWN THAT BRICKWALL!" I'll do my part to liberate the music from its pressed confinement.

--EazyB
[THIS SPACE FOR RENT!]

Rush's "Vapor Trails" - Have they released a remastered

Reply #3 –
^ TL;DR. Good grief. Well, actually, I did skim it, and I doubt that you were able to make much improvement to such a botched master by doing peak restoration and the like on the final CD.

In response to the question, no, there has been no (official/actual) remaster. Of the full album, that is: "One Little Victory" and "Earthshine" were remastered for the R30 CD, and do sound quite a bit less horrendous.

Rush's "Vapor Trails" - Have they released a remastered

Reply #4 –
Quote from: dv1989 on
^ TL;DR. Good grief. Well, actually, I did skim it, and I doubt that you were able to make much improvement to such a botched master by doing peak restoration and the like on the final CD.


Actually, it does sound better. Especially on "Nocturne". In fact I just posted a 30-second clip of it just now (it isn't much but it'll do). That track may have been one that wasn't damaged the most. I'll even state, for the record, that the source elements for that track are probably the ones in the best shape.

About a couple years back Rush stated they'd like to remaster it as they were compiling their next compilation of tracks. I think they're just dragging their heels and moved on from that mess. Maybe they're waiting for its tenth anniversary. I don't know. But I can assure you that there isn't an official remaster of the album currently in existence.

Anyway, the 30-second sample from part of the bridge is here:
http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....showtopic=84004

I'd like to take the discussion of the restoration over there since it's a part of my "mad scientist" sonic experiments. :-)

--EazyB
[THIS SPACE FOR RENT!]

Rush's "Vapor Trails" - Have they released a remastered

Reply #5 –
Hi all.

I was about to start a new thread, but decided to revive this one instead, because Rush just released a remixed version of that album.

Quote
"We overcooked it," bassist/singer Geddy Lee told Rolling Stone recently. "The mixes were really loud and brash. The mastering job was harsh and distorted."

Lee came to this realization not long after the record came out, but there was little he could do to fix the situation. "It's a terrible feeling that, due to lack of objectivity, you let an imperfect piece of work get out there," he says. "But the songs are very strong and people really responded to the record and people were welcoming us back. The sonic defects of it got lost in the excitement of the band's return to functionality. It's always been a bee in my bonnet."
Source



Could this possibly be the beginning of the end of loudness wars ?

Cheers,
Maggi

Rush's "Vapor Trails" - Have they released a remastered

Reply #6 –
Quote from: Maggi on
Could this possibly be the beginning of the end of loudness wars ?
One swallow does not make a summer. There can be no peace as long as Vlado Meller is in business.
It's only audiophile if it's inconvenient.