Shenmue and Streets of Rage to receive vinyl soundtracks [Eurogamer.net]

[DP ServBot]

Sega classics Shenmue and Streets of Rage will receive vinyl editions of their soundtracks via new London-based record label Data Discs.
These albums will ship in September, but pre-orders will be available when Data Discs opens its website on 30th May.
Exclusive editions will be available to early orders.
Read more…

[Eternal Champion]

I find this a bit odd. I'm getting of this vinyl hip thing going on - let's throw everything on to vinyl. The reason I'm cynical is there is so much crap being put out - records cut from nuked CD masters, digital files, etc. Artifact fetishism.

I'm very curious how these are being made, considering how we all heard the Streets of Rage soundtrack was through the Genesis sound chip. How does this company produce a "master" to cut a record? What source?
People just eat up anything vinyl without asking the important questions...

[Graham Mitchell]

Yeah, it's a good question. However, isn't most electronic/midi based stuff just plugged directly into the mixing board when they record it? It's all generated by a synthesizer (unless the Shenmue tunes are live-orchestrated, which I doubt). If they just plug a genesis (or just send the data into a comparable sound chip) that's basically a master isn't it? Or am I mistaken?

Also, not all vinyl is created equal. Though some records do get it right, colored wax an picture discs frequently sound like shit. The higher-end your setup is, the more that's revealed. I hope these are on black 180 gram...

Edit: here's a blurb on the website about the mastering.

For SOR:

Audio sourced from the original NEC PC-88 files, recorded and supplied in 32bit/96kHz by Yuzo Koshiro, in combination with a 32bit/96kHz direct capture from a PAL Mega Drive (HD, VA4, non-TMSS) Yamaha YM2612 sound chip, running at 60Hz through a stereo output mod.

For Shenume:

Remastered specifically for vinyl by Shawn Hatfield at Audible Oddities.

That one doesn't answer much...

[Eternal Champion]

Colored vinyl, in my experience, makes little difference. Some of my best pressings are colored vinyl. Quality control and all that at the pressing plant is more important. Colored vinyl should absolutely not be lumped together with picture discs, a different (and crappier) animal altogether.

I jumped the gun a bit on this - the blurb makes it look like they did their homework on getting a high-quality source.
"Audio sourced from the original NEC PC-88 files, recorded and supplied in 32bit/96kHz by Yuzo Koshiro, in combination with a 32bit/96kHz direct capture from a PAL Mega Drive (HD, VA4, non-TMSS) Yamaha YM2612 sound chip, running at 60Hz through a stereo output mod."

The final step then is the mastering - on Facebook (you'd have to dig) they said "Remastered specifically for the vinyl format, by a very experienced mastering engineer in the US." - I'm surprised they'd be secretive about who. Oh well.

Also noticed this: "The original soundtrack to the classic SEGA game, newly remastered in collaboration with legendary composer, Yuzo Koshiro. This is the first part of Koshiro’s monumental trilogy, all of which will be released by Data Discs."

The Soundcloud samples sound really good to me. I could imagine cranking this record on my big vintage speakers (10" woofers...).

[Graham Mitchell]

Well, I ordered the blacks, regardless.

I'm hoping they come up with some others. I like LP's like this. I've got an SNK Game Sound LP that has Cheguevera, Psycho Soldier (in Japanese) and some others. Pretty cool.

SOR 2 must be next...I would love the PC-Engine arranged Y's Soundtracks too.

[Eternal Champion]

I hear ya, it's a great idea and I hope Streets of Rage 2 and even 3 (I have a soft spot for its hard, dirty techno) are given this treatment. From there, there is so much good music from that era.

Colored vinyl is manufactured the same way as black vinyl (the black is also an added color, from what I understand) - a vinyl puck that is heated and pressed. You don't want to know how a picture disc is made, it ain't pretty.

I shouldn't say "colored vinyl makes little difference" - I'm just going on my limited experience. And now that I think about it, I've had colored vinyl from 10-ish years ago that was very noisy, but recent ones I've bought (not many, mind you) have been much, much better. I hope it's because quality control has gotten better in recent years (aside from missteps like the Beatles re-issues, and that's probably low quality control because of such high production volume)

Steve Hoffman says colored vinyl is noisier (he's worked with Kevin Gray, who's opinion on all things vinyl I take without question). So you are probably wise to go straight for the regular black vinyl.

Anyway, something I ruminate a lot over, outside of this forum, lol...

[Graham Mitchell]

You know, I recently bought death in June: the corn years on vinyl. It's 2 gray marble plates. There's a horrible hiss and it sounds dead. Muffled treble and minimal bass.

Deer Hunters halcyon digest has the same problem. It was pressed on white opaque vinyl. It's also warped and has a lot of wow. It's particularly upsetting because 4ad historically put out high-quality records.

Of course, this could be due to lousy mastering. Hardcore fans will buy it regardless, so why invest time/money on making a quality product?

At least there's flac...

[Eternal Champion]

You know, I recently bought death in June: the corn years on vinyl. It's 2 gray marble plates. There's a horrible hiss and it sounds dead. Muffled treble and minimal bass.

Deer Hunters halcyon digest has the same problem. It was pressed on white opaque vinyl. It's also warped and has a lot of wow. It's particularly upsetting because 4ad historically put out high-quality records.

Of course, this could be due to lousy mastering. Hardcore fans will buy it regardless, so why invest time/money on making a quality product?

At least there's flac...

Arrg, it's frustrating, innit? I got a few of Iron Maiden's 2014 LP re-issues, but went with EU pressings based on iffy reviews of the US ones (pressed at United, I think?) - pressing quality but also mastering. EU's pressed at Optimal, which in my limited experience have excellent quality control, but I had to return one. I'm still satisfied with them, though.
I think part of the issue is plants operating at and beyond capacity, aging equipment, so big orders like this will suffer in the QC.
Then there's mastering shortcuts, like what you describe (muffled, minimal bass). When I buy modern vinyl I am very tentative about it, getting as much info as I can, which isn't always possible..

Anyway, this Data Discs is a UK outfit, so I wonder where these will be pressed. Perhaps GZ Vinyl in the Czech Republic. They seem to get a bad rap, but I have or have had several pressings from them that have been excellent (3 from Blood Music [a Finnish boutique label] for example, though I don't love the mastering - not an issue with GZ).

[Graham Mitchell]

Arrg, it's frustrating, innit? I got a few of Iron Maiden's 2014 LP re-issues, but went with EU pressings based on iffy reviews of the US ones (pressed at United, I think?) - pressing quality but also mastering. EU's pressed at Optimal, which in my limited experience have excellent quality control, but I had to return one. I'm still satisfied with them, though.
I think part of the issue is plants operating at and beyond capacity, aging equipment, so big orders like this will suffer in the QC.
Then there's mastering shortcuts, like what you describe (muffled, minimal bass). When I buy modern vinyl I am very tentative about it, getting as much info as I can, which isn't always possible..

Anyway, this Data Discs is a UK outfit, so I wonder where these will be pressed. Perhaps GZ Vinyl in the Czech Republic. They seem to get a bad rap, but I have or have had several pressings from them that have been excellent (3 from Blood Music [a Finnish boutique label] for example, though I don't love the mastering - not an issue with GZ).

Where do you get your info, reviews, etc for vinyl? Id like to research before I go to amoeba because I feel like I'm gambling every time.

[Eternal Champion]

Where do you get your info, reviews, etc for vinyl? Id like to research before I go to amoeba because I feel like I'm gambling every time.

Mainly the Steve Hoffman forums - forums.stevehoffman.tv - mainly it's discussions about all music generally, and audio gear, but vinyl is a major preoccupation there. I've found it good for anything rock, jazz, some metal (usually big stuff like Metallica, Maiden, etc.) - this has helped me a lot with info about Rhino re-issues (Doors, Ramones, Van Halen, etc.) and the aforementioned Maiden. I think you'd find info there on just about anything except underground metal. The people there obsess over what source was used (analog tapes? which analog tapes? Digital files? Same master as the CD? etc.), mastering, pressing quality - vinyl as something to be taken seriously, akin to what the videophiles pore over with Blu-Ray. Engineers occasionally show up, some members are musicians, etc. (a lot of old classic rock fans, too - Beatles, Zeppelin, Doors - so you have wade through a lot of such threads)

There are other forums like Audio Karma and Vinyl Engine - I go to vinyl engine for all things turntable (mechanical trouble? Which cartridge protractor to use? They have turntable specs, manuals, etc.), though the Hoffman forums are really good for that, too.

There's also Michael Fremer's reviews (analog planet, I think) - he was involved in the Beatles in Mono vinyl set (cut all analog). He's also very preoccupied with sources used (he's gotten into trouble for liking something then backtracking when he found it was cut from digital files), mastering, etc.

[Graham Mitchell]

Awesome, I'm gonna check out some of those!

[Graham Mitchell]

So these arrived yesterday. I've only played the Shenmue one so far. I'm a bit bummed because it's only the orchestral songs. The music I like in the game is the midi-generated stuff (my favorite is the tune that plays on the "Start game/continue game" screen. So beautiful and relaxing). I know it's midi, but that doesn't make it "lesser" music.

With regards to the sound quality: whoa is it good. It's gorgeous on my setup. It sounds very clear, crisp with drastic dynamics, not muddy like it sounds in the game. I think everybody in the audiophile world has a unique set of things they like in a recording, so not everyone may agree with me. But I think they did a great job here.

I'll post about the streets of rage lp when I get a chance to get it.

They've announced their 003 and 004 releases: shinobi 3 and super hang on. I'm not so into shinobi 3, but I'll probably order it because I'm collector scum. But I'm quite excited for super hang on. Outride a Crisis is a gorgeous song. It's very complicated for an arcade game tune that nobody's gonna here over the cranked up street fighter machine.

[Graham Mitchell]

Mmmmkay. Played the Streets of Rage record tonight. Mmmmmmnot so much. Maybe I just need to turn it up, but it sounds muddy and quiet. The treble seems chopped off, and the overall dynamic range seems limited; not much treble, not much bass. Maybe that's just how the sound chip just produces it that way and it's accurate reproduction. Tough to tell.

Still, it's a cool curio, and it is good to just be able to listen to these tunes on my tube amp...

Oh, and both records have some funny engravings on the leadout grooves. Shenmue has "I must do this, for my father", and "Do you know where I can find some sailors?"

[Eternal Champion]

Mmmmkay. Played the Streets of Rage record tonight. Mmmmmmnot so much. Maybe I just need to turn it up, but it sounds muddy and quiet. The treble seems chopped off, and the overall dynamic range seems limited; not much treble, not much bass. Maybe that's just how the sound chip just produces it that way and it's accurate reproduction. Tough to tell.

That's a shame. I'm glad I didn't buy it. I have the Streets of Rage games and my Genesis going into my big stereo, so if I ever feel the need I can get some FM techno pumping. If reviews for 2 and 3 are better, though, it will be tough to resist..

[Graham Mitchell]

Yeah it kind of blows. I can get bass out of it if I crank the subwoofer to ridiculous levels, but if you don't have one you're hosed.

I will say this, the record is nicely pressed. No sibilance even with all that FM hi-hat action.