Hiromi Alive--- will we be seeing a release on SACD?

[MLGrado]

Just downloaded from HDTracks the new Hiromi Alive album.

l love Hiromi. And this one was engineered by Michael Bishop, who was responsible for Hiromi's excellent native DSD SACD's back when Telarc was making some of the best sounding DSD recordings you could get.

Michael Bishop used the same Sonoma Workstation and EMM Labs ADC/DAC for this latest project. I have all the Hiromi SACD's from Telarc mixed with the same equipment, and they sound FABULOUS!!!

Was wondering if anyone knows if this will get an SACD release?? I am assuming that Telarc/Concord is out of the SACD business. Which sucks, since they are using the same engineers and equipment.....

too bad this is 'only' available in 24/96 and lower. It would sound AMAZING I am sure if we could get it in its native format...

 

[Joe Whip]

Does it sound amazing in 24/96?

 

[garylkoh]

I love Hiromi too and have most of her albums - I've also seen her live a couple times in Seattle.

I wonder why it would be available at 24/96 if it was originally recorded in DSD and mastered on the Sonoma workstation. The native resolution should be 24/88.1 (or multiples threreof).

 

[MLGrado]

Does it sound amazing in 24/96?

I wouldn't say amazing. It does sound good. But having heard the same musician in the same studio recorded by the same engineer on the same workstation, in native DSD, the loss in conversion is readily apparent.


Not to get into a DSD/PCM debate, I always want to get the closest thing to the native recording format. We used to be able to get essentially the master recording with Hiromi's releases.

 

[Joe Whip]

Have you heard this very recording in DSD? I have heard different recording by the same engineer in the same studio sound different from one another. So, it could be just this very recording. I looked her up and listened to some tracks online and can't say I loved the music, so I will not be downloading this one.

 

[MLGrado]

No my comments do not come from a direct comparison. I understand and agree that any one recording could sound better or worse for reasons other than delivery format.

All I know is this. The master is 1 bit DSD. The 24/96 PCM is second generation. Conversion losses are inevitable.

For this reason, it would be preferable, in my opinion, to own this album on SACD, or as a DSD download, at least to avoid the conversion loss.

I just became aware that Universal Japan may be releasing this on SACD, so one could import a copy.

 

[mauidan]