Question about Secret CD's quality.
 

I used Cool Edit Pro to check Secret's tracks quality. I downloaded this album 2 times in 320kbs but here is the wave - the same thing happens to 2 albums from 2 different posters:

http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/2874/secretwave.jpg


Then I open Startin' mp3 file in the single "Startin'/Born to be..." and this is the wave:

http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/4010/secretwave2.jpg

the same thing happens to the other tracks, the waves seem very thin although the sound are normal (but i dont know how good it is).
after checking I realized that (or may be i think) the sound in Secret is smaller.
So you should check your files then compare to mine, is this ONLY ME downloaded the low quality or it's the same to others Secret CDs?


the last time I downloaded this CD is from topic "[MF] Ayu's Albums in mp3 320kbps" - by forevertakumi.
I believe in this topic with its quality albums (I re-downloaded ALL of ayu's CDs from this topic to replace my old files), just want to ask.

Something strange... I will check it out later...

is it true? i mean, isnt it the 320kbps?

That's really strange...
I'll check it out soon. O_O

yep!

2 times from 2 uploaders and always in 320kbs!

I have no original CDs so I can't rip and check it by myself so I have to ask you guys. And if it's only my problem then I will try to download another better version.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but seems that you are viewing the volume levels of the track (which really varies on the encoder) and not the actual sound detail of the music. That is why the file from Secret is softer, the graphs are actually "shorter/smaller".

For best quality, rip from your own originals CDs.

Don't download any CD-rips if you want quality, because of various factors: different encoders/settings/re-encodes etc.

yes I know the best quality is from original CDs, but plz understand that I can't buy. i have no money. not every fan have a chance to buy ayu's stuffs. do you know that buying ONE of ayu's CD is cost half a worker's one month salary in my country?

I think I still have a chance to have good quality. Not the perfect like original, but still good, rite? ^^

and about the volume like you said, i don't know if it's about the volume level or not. because it's sound smaller, but of course there's no problem if I turn the volume of my PC louder. it's means that this CD requires a louder volume than the others. I don't think it's normal so I want to check with others rip.

It has nothing to do with quality, just how loud it is:
Here

This has NOTHING to do with the rip process, CD tracks would appears the same ! I don't remember how it is named, but they use this to make it sound louder but it kill some part, well mess them ... you can find the same on X japan CD's and more .... and if I'm right it didn't appear on first Ayu cd's ... if I remember well a whole article about this.

that's funny 'cause I tried to find back the article lately but can't >.<

The second screen says it's louder, but quality is worse. Read about loudness war. Google knows few things : )

woa so cool information!!!!
thanks you guys a lot. now i understand this better.

Um...I ripped my Secret CD in 320 kbps and...I mean...

you know since the human ear can't differentiate at those levels...It's HQ to me...

thats not gonna stop me from ripping it into lossless though lol


um...okay well I just went to compare my Secret track from the single and my Secret track from my album rip..My single track is louder than my album :laugh

I thought certain like volume WERE just encoders. meh Whatever.

Just because something is louder doesn't mean its higher quality. They just do that so you can hear a difference...when you kinda aren't supposed to lol

As I said before it means something completly opposite. However, the screens show that diffrence is rather small and u won't probably hear the diffrence in quality.

yep this is a relly cool topic and I recieved a lot of good information from you guys.
thanks so much.

and i wont have to re-download the Secret album heehe. such a relief~

Just thought I should add that the difference in sound level (volume) from the single version vs. the album version of Startin' is not because of encoders, it's because of how the track was mixed and mastered for each release.

Every time a single or album is released, the tracks are always mastered for that specific disc and that specific master is usually not re-used for any other releases.

I.E. when Startin' was first recorded, the song was mastered for the single first. When "Secret" (album) was being prepared for release, they took the original studio recording of Startin' and re-mastered it for the album.

Record companies generally do this to ensure that an album sounds "uniform."

In other words, they wanted Startin' (album version) to mix well with the other Secret album tracks because if they hadn't remastered Startin' for the Secret album, most likely you'd notice the difference because it would sound louder, and more shrill/tinny, than the rest of the tracks.

This different mastering of individual songs for each release is partly why a lot of people don't like fan-made compilations of upcoming albums that contain previously released tracks (Ayu's "A BEST 2 -WHITE-" / Kuu's "Out Works & Collaboration Best") - because even though you may not be able to hear a difference, there is a difference.

...plus, it's also a pain in the a** because the fan-made compilations are the ones most likely to be found/spread around since they were "released" first. :P

No, because I have absolutely no idea what country you even live in. :rolleyes

I am not surprized of this, to be honest. I just heard NL, and when I heard GREEN, I was like.. Where is the sound?

It can be the same with Secret. I can't compare it, as I don't have any singles on my computer, and can't download it, so.. But it can probably be right!

if u can afford the internet, why u cant afford one original CHEAP CHINA version?

i dont want to bring these stuff to this topic, it's off-topic.
all i want is asking about technical stuff, ok?

I don't want to be mean to the threadstarter but I share the same sentiments.


I'm sorry to hear that Ayumi's albums are too expensive for you, but perhaps you're looking at the Japan presses.

There are various overseas press editions which are more affordable, such as the Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and even Malaysia ones. I'd stay away from the CHEAP CHINA version as the print quality is very lousy!

then dont bring them up by yourself...

Or you can download on itunes. =)

thanks for all your suggestions.

Finally I got my answer for the reason why I started this topic. And now it's new problem coming up but I dont wanna talk about it.

to marekcarey: i didn't bring it up by myself.