The waveform of the HDtracks release looks great, but when you listen to it you notice that the dynamic spikes are caused only by the drums. Guitar, keyboard and bass are still very compressed from the mixing stage and seem to fight each other in a small dynamic range instead of being layered with distinct peaks.
Better than the CD release, no doubt, but still a somewhat flawed mix.
Totally agree. Look at The Enemy Inside at 1:10. Bring Portnoy back as the producer.
What do you mean? The double triggered snare hit at 1:13? I went to listen to 1:10 but that trigger flaw sounds really silly once you notice it.
I have both the normal and the HDtracks version of the record, and while I will mostly listen to the HDtracks version (it's a bit more natural sounding, more relaxed), I think I finally know why the hell they decided to master this album so loud. It makes a massive first impression. It's only after a few listens when you start to avoid it because of the tiring listen, dynamic-wise.
Still,
Dream Theater, HD or not.. Something just sounds very off to me in terms of equalizing, mixing, whatever. The frequencies are too samey and constant or something? I don't know. When I listen to
Awake or even something a little more recent (
Six Degrees) the sound just seems to fly all over the place in a really satisfying way, and it's even heavier/bigger sounding to me than
DT12. Is it the extensive use of reverb that I happen to like? Were they in a better studio with a better engineer? Why does
ADTOE sound so boxy when it was mixed by Andy Wallace, who we all know from great sounding records like
Grace or
Rage Against the Machine? It's all a complete mystery to me.
Why they haven't managed to keep up awesome sound quality is beyond me. It seems like ever since
Train of Thought, every successive record has gotten a slightly less pleasant sound (although I prefer
BC&SL's sound over
SC's).
Is it just my weird taste for sound, or does anybody else feel this way as well?
Yes I know my post has a lot of questions in it.