it seems as if Tidal (maybe other commercial releasers as well) are using or contracting out subpar ripping ...
Streaming services such as Tidal and Qobuz get their files from licensed music distributors. They don't "rip" their own files.
Vinyl-sourced files at Tidal (how common for stream services?)
Well, I finally bit the bullet and sprung for a streaming subscription. Tidal. And I did it mostly for hard-to-find artists and albums in lossless.
But it seems as if Tidal (maybe other commercial releasers as well) are using or contracting out subpar ripping.
E.g. on several Tidal offerings, I was surprised to hear vinyl surface noise and IGD:
https://tidal.com/browse/album/397646670
https://tidal.com/browse/album/397848939
And, yes, the inner tracks sound poor on Tidal!
Supposedly, Renaissance Records released both Novo Combo albums on CD in 2018. But I have a feeling those RR cd’s might be vinyls rips, too. Anyone know ?
Now, I am big proponent of ripping vinyl to lossless when the mastering for the commercial vinyl is superior to CD/digital .
I don’t mind surface noise or minor pops/clicks. But I am well aware of one of the major sonic drawbacks of vinyl: Inner groove distortion. There are ways around this issue. Use a linear tracking TT. And/or: use a fine line stylus. And/or: (for purposes of ripping) re-config the overhang for the inner tracks [Stephenson geometry]. Etc.
There are other over-the-top solutions, like laser turntables, long tonearms, exotic tonearms, etc. All pretty $$.
What I use: I have several "good" setups now for transcription, none of which are $$ high-end audiophile by any measure. One decent setup being: Technics direct drive TT, Ortofon MM cart, dedicated MM phono preamp, Focusrite Scarlet interface, Dell laptop running Linux. I aligned overhang and VTF per std. procedure and good tools. All LPs were LASTed.
Refs:
https://www.reddit.com/r/TIdaL/comments/k2z76i/tidal_master_is_obviously_a_rip_from_a_worn_vinyl/
https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/vinyl-ripping-services-redux.1104072/
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I echo @cleeds here. All of these streaming services get whatever files the record labels send them - and we have to hope they aren't mislabeled by the labels as to providence. I've "helped" Tidal out more than once when an album wasn't correct in some way by contacting them, such as missing tracks that should be there and when the files weren't in the correct order per the album listing or they had an issue with being incomplete. They had them fixed after a week or two. |
While these might indeed have been rips from an LP, keep in mind that after CDs had been around awhile, some idiot producers and engineers thought it would be "nostalgic and cute" to add in some vinyl noise (surface noise, snaps, crackles, and pops) as an "effect". Hard to know which these are, but even today, I think I've heard a few CDs or digital files that have these noises artificially added for "fun". Ugh. |
About surface noise, clicks and pops ... well, you can make the cleaning argument, the better TT/cart argument, the start-with-Mint-record argument. But that is a lot of labor, and skills and $ that Tidal/Oobuz are not willing to fork out. I would rather have the pops rather than have them digitally removed. Like I said, a CD or file-set that uses decent vinyl source is a good thing. I often prefer them the same commercial CD that was poorly mastered. And in some cases, the master was lost , so the commercial media company "has" to use vinyl -- or not release at all. I recall a Buddy Rich 1983 album that was,decades later, put on cd. And whoever did that rip and transfer was very skilled. The xfer is: Very high-fidelity and no IDG. I believe this CD was from way-before-streaming days. Buddy Rich – Rich And Famous https://www.discogs.com/release/10700370-Buddy-Rich-Rich-And-Famous So if a small company like Meteor (UK) can put out such a CD, the streaming companies need to do some better thinkin’. In fact, given the fact that many LPs sound better because of MASTERING alone, this might be an untapped market for "audiophile streamers". Tidal and Spotify already own the rights to the music ... just contract out the HQ rips to entrepreneurs with good gear and ripping skills. |