Sly & the Family Stone Greatest Hits - 4.0 Audio Fidelity Multichannel SACD (October 2015)

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I received my corrected copy as well. (y)



Correct. Similar issues remain on the BS&T and Loggins & Messina discs but unfortunately no plans to re-press them.

So did they ever figure out who caused the problem and was the person corrected?
 
So did they ever figure out who caused the problem and was the person corrected?

Here's how Steve Hoffman described the error:

In the manufactured disk, there is about a 21 sample delay where the left is leading the right. Bad ju ju.

In the case of the the Sly DSD master, Steph's master plays fine on the Sonoma system in Arizona. But the Edit Master that was created from it shows the bad offset.

So, quickly, there are two ways to make an edit master. One way, the most common way, is to make all the necessary edits, enter the PQ marks, and "Capture to Edit Master" which is a playback and re-record of the audio. The PQ and Meta Data is then embedded into the new interleaved file, and that is the edit master which goes to the authoring system.

The other way when a file does not need any editing or adjustments, and has enough lead in and lead out, is to choose the option to "Convert to Edit Master". Instead of re-recording, this will interleave the file (if not interleaved) and add the PQ and metadata into a new interleaved file which is the edit master. In the case of the Sly, the authorizing engineer could do this because no manipulation of our Hoffman/Marsh file was necessary ('cause it's friggin' purr-fecto).

Normally, both work equally well, but when the authorizing engineer choose the latter way for creating the edit masters this way from Steph's files, the thing malfunctioned, causing this offset.
 
Here's how Steve Hoffman described the error:

In the manufactured disk, there is about a 21 sample delay where the left is leading the right. Bad ju ju.

In the case of the the Sly DSD master, Steph's master plays fine on the Sonoma system in Arizona. But the Edit Master that was created from it shows the bad offset.

So, quickly, there are two ways to make an edit master. One way, the most common way, is to make all the necessary edits, enter the PQ marks, and "Capture to Edit Master" which is a playback and re-record of the audio. The PQ and Meta Data is then embedded into the new interleaved file, and that is the edit master which goes to the authoring system.

The other way when a file does not need any editing or adjustments, and has enough lead in and lead out, is to choose the option to "Convert to Edit Master". Instead of re-recording, this will interleave the file (if not interleaved) and add the PQ and metadata into a new interleaved file which is the edit master. In the case of the Sly, the authorizing engineer could do this because no manipulation of our Hoffman/Marsh file was necessary ('cause it's friggin' purr-fecto).

Normally, both work equally well, but when the authorizing engineer choose the latter way for creating the edit masters this way from Steph's files, the thing malfunctioned, causing this offset.

For all the detail in this description of what when wrong, it's still confusing to me. There is mention of doing some edit to the master, (maybe meaning trim of a second or two off of the front end?), and that is where trouble can come in. Yet he also mentions that the Sly was perfect and did not need this edit ('cause it's friggin' purr-fecto). So authorizing engineer choose to do the risky edit when it was not needed, and blew the stereo DSD layer in the process. That means that even if it was required to trim a few seconds, this bad effect could have still happened?

I think this paragraph is an attempt to state that the Sly mastering was originally perfect, and did not need any edit. And that when you edit after mastering there is a risk of offset problem with one channel. So authoring engineer blew it in two ways here. The paragraph reads horribly imo. But I can see how one wants to dance carefully when you are deflecting the blame (perhaps rightfully so), and placing it where it belongs, but doing it in a way that is less direct, as it is written slightly confusing, and I think attempting to be diplomatic (leave out the person's name or place who blew more than one important AF release). It's a balancing act (being nice) and comes off as written with too much focus on interleaving, meta, pq, etc. and not enough on how to avoid it in the future, "the thing malfunctioned". Maybe it's just me, but I can't make much out of the comments.

None of this is as important as listening to the test pressings for this exact problem.
 
Here's how Steve Hoffman described the error:

In the manufactured disk, there is about a 21 sample delay where the left is leading the right. Bad ju ju.

In the case of the the Sly DSD master, Steph's master plays fine on the Sonoma system in Arizona. But the Edit Master that was created from it shows the bad offset.

So, quickly, there are two ways to make an edit master. One way, the most common way, is to make all the necessary edits, enter the PQ marks, and "Capture to Edit Master" which is a playback and re-record of the audio. The PQ and Meta Data is then embedded into the new interleaved file, and that is the edit master which goes to the authoring system.

The other way when a file does not need any editing or adjustments, and has enough lead in and lead out, is to choose the option to "Convert to Edit Master". Instead of re-recording, this will interleave the file (if not interleaved) and add the PQ and metadata into a new interleaved file which is the edit master. In the case of the Sly, the authorizing engineer could do this because no manipulation of our Hoffman/Marsh file was necessary ('cause it's friggin' purr-fecto).

Normally, both work equally well, but when the authorizing engineer choose the latter way for creating the edit masters this way from Steph's files, the thing malfunctioned, causing this offset.

ALL OF THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF IT HAD BEEN A DVD-AUDIO and/or a DVD/A-V!!!!!!!


But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! (thanks John Belushi.....)
 
ALL OF THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF IT HAD BEEN A DVD-AUDIO and/or a DVD/A-V!!!!!!!


But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! (thanks John Belushi.....)

Just because something is released on DVD-V or DVD-A/V does not guarantee that it will be free from errors. As a matter of fact, I can think of many DVD-V and DVD-A/V releases that had errors on the first pressing that needed to be corrected and replaced. ("Thick as a Brick", "Aqualung", "Sparkle in the Rain", etc.)
BTW, you really love to use capital letters and exclamation marks… ;)
 
Just because something is released on DVD-V or DVD-A/V does not guarantee that it will be free from errors. As a matter of fact, I can think of many DVD-V and DVD-A/V releases that had errors on the first pressing that needed to be corrected and replaced. ("Thick as a Brick", "Aqualung", "Sparkle in the Rain", etc.)

True. Discs in any format can have production errors.
 
Just because something is released on DVD-V or DVD-A/V does not guarantee that it will be free from errors. As a matter of fact, I can think of many DVD-V and DVD-A/V releases that had errors on the first pressing that needed to be corrected and replaced. ("Thick as a Brick", "Aqualung", "Sparkle in the Rain", etc.)
BTW, you really love to use capital letters and exclamation marks… ;)

it's just that I'm spoiled.....just give it to Neil W and he'll MAKE sure that it'll work!!!!
 
Sparkle In The Rain was far worse than Sly's Greatest Hits, kap'n.
Mistakes know no format you spoiled prat, simmer down.
 
My replacement disc arrived today.

I need to check my mailbox and see if mine arrived yesterday. If not, I hope it arrives this week. I haven't even played the disc since I bought it.
Too little time, and too many other discs to listen to! A great problem to have! :)
 
I need to check my mailbox and see if mine arrived yesterday. I haven't even played the disc since I bought it.
Too little time, and too many other discs to listen to! A great problem to have! :)

The corrected SACD did arrive yesterday, so I think it's time I finally gave the album a listen this coming week! :)
 
Well this one's fun, isn't it? I can't say I love all the music or lyrics, but it's an attention grabber alright.
 
Looks like getting a corrected replacement to the UK isn't something on Audio Fidelity's list. I contacted them four weeks ago, and other than the automated reply have heard nothing so far. Shame.
 
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