Talking Heads' Remain in Light downmix - the best version ever, period!
- Thread starter windhoek
- Start date
Jonathan
pfm Member
i'd always heard the US Sterling Sound version was the version by which others should be compared ... mine is something else but still not horrible.
Jonathan
pfm Member
can someone explain this to me? so - a private party has 'remixed' the original CD or whatever into 5.1 surround and then mixed it back down to stereo (with a slightly different result - that we hear in the link) ?? or this is a stereo rendering of some 'official' 5.1 mix?
sounds GREAT over my imac's speakers however .. for what it's worth - esp. the bass separation etc
sounds GREAT over my imac's speakers however .. for what it's worth - esp. the bass separation etc
windhoek
The Phoolosopher
The talking Heads albums were released as a CD + DVD-Audio set in the 2000's and the DVD-A discs contain discrete 5.1 mixes i.e. each of the six channels has content dedicated to that channel (as opposed to the rear channels simply outputting an atmospheric duplication of the front channels as is usually the way with classical music when it get the surround sound treatment) and also, it appears, slightly different content overall when compared to the stereo versions. And folding these six channels down to stereo has resulted in new mixes that not only sound different from the originals but are by and large (imo), better.
Tony L
Administrator
That does not surprise me. I always felt my German Alsdorf copy was a little thin sounding, albeit not bad. I must give it a spin soon and reevaluate as it is a stunningly good album. Most Talking Heads albums have a rather bright/thin sound to my ears, as do the original CDs (I’ve not heard the remasters). The only album I’ve ever compared as for some reason I ended up with a few copies in stock is True Stories, I had German, Japanese and US pressings. The US kicked the other two into the weeds, just so much more punchy and full, so that is the one in my collection!
Jonathan
pfm Member
it's usually my experience that the 'native market' pressings are best ... though i'm sure lots of exceptions exist
the first two albums are pretty thin i think
the real standouts for me are remain in light and fear of music - not just technically but musically too - i kind of include byrne/eno's my life in the bush of ghosts in the oeuvre too ... seems to fit nicely
the first two albums are pretty thin i think
the real standouts for me are remain in light and fear of music - not just technically but musically too - i kind of include byrne/eno's my life in the bush of ghosts in the oeuvre too ... seems to fit nicely
Tantris
pfm Member
I've been listening to the LP every evening this week on getting back from work, and today I took the downmix flac files, and upsampled them to 24 / 48 wav. It's an interesting comparison with the LP - guitars, percussion and keyboards are further forward in the mix, bass is brighter and louder, and most of the vocals are further back in the mix, and can get congested at times. It's a bit like someone accentuating the contrast in photoshop. Not bad, and it's definitely good to have high quality files of this music. I still prefer the LP mix, however; the vocal line is actually easier to follow - which is a key element of the 'stream of consciousness' that underpins this album - and there is a softer glow to the music which makes it beautiful to listen to. The downmix is a bit fatiguing in comparison. I'll try Fear of Music next. Thanks again for providing the link the downmix - it's been good to listen to this album closely again 
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Jonathan
pfm Member
side note: the german DMM version of speaking in tongues is quite excellent in terms of being articulate and dynamic etc ... though it's not my favourite album (a bit on the poppy side)
Tony L
Administrator
That is the one Talking Heads studio album I’m missing!
Nero
Re: Tired
Thanks for this. I'm a huge talking heads fan. Downloading these right now.
I've noticed the Tidal Master verison of Remain In Light sounds different. Most noticeable is at the start of Once In A Life Time, theres a percussion, possibly a cowbell hit that sounds much louder in the mix compared to any other version of the album that I have, cd, vinyl or digital.
Interestingly I just listened to the down mixed version of Once In A Life Time and it also has the cowbell hit sounding very prominent in the mix.
Great find this - Thank you
I've noticed the Tidal Master verison of Remain In Light sounds different. Most noticeable is at the start of Once In A Life Time, theres a percussion, possibly a cowbell hit that sounds much louder in the mix compared to any other version of the album that I have, cd, vinyl or digital.
Interestingly I just listened to the down mixed version of Once In A Life Time and it also has the cowbell hit sounding very prominent in the mix.
Great find this - Thank you
hahaha aye I was thinking that too. To be honest I really don't like the Tidal master version. Its a bit annoying. If it ain't broke...
I've now had a listen to a few of the down mixed tracks and compared a few to the cd's I have. I'm not really that keen on the down mixes. Some of them sound awful compared to the originals. The Stop Making Sense down mix is especially bad.
Yeah, I went for stop making sense first, but now onto the studio albums - speaking in tongues is sounding pretty good so far! Certainly better than the concerts for sure.