Post by Owen from Final Fantasy on Jul 18, 2010 20:22:27 GMT -5
Hey guys
I have to admit, I only gave a cursory listen to most of these remixes. When we were getting them in, I was busy with tour. I sleepwalked through this release for the most part. But I just gave a top-down listen yesterday and I'm thrilled. The remixes all hold together so well as an EP, there's no repetition of ideas or treatments, every one is brilliant and unique. Applause for all the remixers!
Regarding the vinyl pressing. Heartland was written and recorded to be a vinyl release. We used analog formats where available and extremely high quality analog-to-digital conversion when it was necessary. The final process of mastering this vinyl record was a very high quality digital audio file run through some very high quality analog mastering gear, where it was then recorded to tape. From this tape we pressed a plate. So what you're hearing is a complex, gorgeous sound that simply cannot be properly represented by a CD or an MP3.
This isn't to say that CD or MP3 audio is inferior, at all at all at all. It's just different. And Heartland was designed to be a record, not an MP3.
I have no idea how our remixers approached their audio conversion, but we used the same mastering technique for the remix EP as for the album. And it shows... having not heard "Lewis/Shirt" in any format over the last few months but playing it live, MP3 or (shudder) Youtube audio, hearing it and the remixes on the 12" reminded me of the complexity of the sound that vinyl offers.
I apologize for the shipping issues that caused a rare few of you to receive shit wax. It was a very rare occasion. Hot weather contributed, I'm sure. And certainly there are many arguments for MP3 over vinyl... and I'm not an analog purist by any means. In certain cases I've found that I prefer CD quality audio to a vinyl pressing (i.e. Joanna Newsom, US Maple). But this 12" was pressed to vinyl for a reason. So yes hold on to your MP3 players but hold on to those turntables.
X
I have to admit, I only gave a cursory listen to most of these remixes. When we were getting them in, I was busy with tour. I sleepwalked through this release for the most part. But I just gave a top-down listen yesterday and I'm thrilled. The remixes all hold together so well as an EP, there's no repetition of ideas or treatments, every one is brilliant and unique. Applause for all the remixers!
Regarding the vinyl pressing. Heartland was written and recorded to be a vinyl release. We used analog formats where available and extremely high quality analog-to-digital conversion when it was necessary. The final process of mastering this vinyl record was a very high quality digital audio file run through some very high quality analog mastering gear, where it was then recorded to tape. From this tape we pressed a plate. So what you're hearing is a complex, gorgeous sound that simply cannot be properly represented by a CD or an MP3.
This isn't to say that CD or MP3 audio is inferior, at all at all at all. It's just different. And Heartland was designed to be a record, not an MP3.
I have no idea how our remixers approached their audio conversion, but we used the same mastering technique for the remix EP as for the album. And it shows... having not heard "Lewis/Shirt" in any format over the last few months but playing it live, MP3 or (shudder) Youtube audio, hearing it and the remixes on the 12" reminded me of the complexity of the sound that vinyl offers.
I apologize for the shipping issues that caused a rare few of you to receive shit wax. It was a very rare occasion. Hot weather contributed, I'm sure. And certainly there are many arguments for MP3 over vinyl... and I'm not an analog purist by any means. In certain cases I've found that I prefer CD quality audio to a vinyl pressing (i.e. Joanna Newsom, US Maple). But this 12" was pressed to vinyl for a reason. So yes hold on to your MP3 players but hold on to those turntables.
X