Smashing Pumpkins

[thischarmingman]

Zero sounds like shit. I don't know why people are defending it. I'll be keeping my box set but seriously, for $80 they could have ensured Zero would sound better.

[youspinmeround]

Listened to this again tonight

First disc has some surface noise. Other 3 are very quiet with no noise

As far as this zero goes, I must have abused my ears over the years because I dont know what the hell everyone is talking about

I also find it funny how many people are looking to return a 4xlp set because a song that is under 3 minutes is not to their liking

I must have heard this song a million times and while it doesnt sound the same(this is a remastered release) it sure as hell doesnt sound bad. Maybe this is the way Billy wanted it and all of you are freaking out.

What next, a thread in which amazon.ca is soley responsible for not making this song to your liking.

I think people are getting a little too crazy these days over everything and all of a sudden have become audiophiles on their entry level turntable

[darkeyelids]

I think people are getting a little too crazy these days over everything and all of a sudden have become audiophiles on their entry level turntable

100%

[markok]

Records should be mastered and pressed so, that they would sound ok on every setup.

[Vinyl Fury]

Records should be mastered and pressed so, that they would sound ok on every setup.

Literally impossible.

[saxonviolons]

Of course it's impossible to sound ok on every single set up, but it shouldn't blatantly sound like shit no matter the setup either.

Hard to blame someone for complaining after dropping $80 for a vinyl. I'd be bummed too.

[tonyfranciosa]

Zero's the last track on that side too, yes? Maybe people need to check their cartridge - possibly what they are hearing is inner groove distortion that is accentuated by the mix/mastering on that particular song. A better cartridge would fix that problem.

[shamrocks]

yeah in a thread where people are losing their shit over not saving $30 on something (me included) that statement qualifies as ironic

[elcielo]

Is there going to be a "standard" release of this without all the extra bonus tracks and extra LP's and all that?

[throwgncpr]

Is there going to be a "standard" release of this without all the extra bonus tracks and extra LP's and all that?

there are no "extra" LPs in the vinyl version. It contains album tracks only. The bonus audio is only available digitally or in the CD sets.

[dreamover]

this is the standard remastered version: http://www.amazon.co...BM2/ref=mb_oe_a

[b_demarco]

this is the standard remastered version: http://www.amazon.co...BM2/ref=mb_oe_a

On cd... and really, 44.1/16 bit. Even though people talk about "entry level" turntables, there is still the difference between a remastered vinyl version and remastered CD.

Not having your turntable set up properly, well that's another issue...

[dreamover]

just got my vinyl set in the mail. absolutely beautiful. can't wait to spin it.

[patrickemmons]

I was busy last night and only got through side A but it sounds great minus Zero

[feralpanda]

i'm late to the argument but full disclosure: i'm neither a newb nor an audiophile.

Zero sounds like total distorted balls on my set up but none of the inner groove songs on the rest of the box set do. is it possible that only part of the batch could have this issue since it sounds like not everyone is noticing it? I had originally assumed it was just my cartridge/stylus but did some searching last night and saw lots of threads and reviews of people having the exact same issue. i'm definitely not sending mine back or anything like that (i'm not even a huge fan of that song) but its not my cartridge because so far its literally the only song on any record that i own that sounds that distorted and i tested quite a few last night for troubleshooting purposes.

that said, this is one of if not my absolute favorite album of all time so i love it as-is, flaws and all..but i can attest to it sounding shittay in terms of being pretty heavily distorted in ways that the CD wasn't

[dreamover]

It really depends what the problem was. This was "remastered" separately for vinyl. If the vinyl was mastered off of the digital remasters is irrelevant. The CDs sound good, so that's not the problem. If the issue was the vinyl mastering, then they'll all be like that unless they do a total repress. (I doubt it. Oceania had similar issues and no one is admitting it.) If the issue was with the mothers, it's likely they'll all be like that, again, unless they do another pressing of that disc. If the issue is with the first set (or second or third, etc) of stampers, then it's likely that other batches won't have the same issue.

I haven't listened to the vinyl yet (just got it today!) so i can't speak to what it sounds like is wrong. but it's possible the test pressings were done with different stampers than the ones people are opening now, but who knows?

the best thing to do right now is complain. probably to EMI. we can only hope there's enough complaints to where they offer to repress just the first LP and send it to people with proof of purchase or something.

someone maybe can speak to what happened with a thrice boxset where there was a pressing issue and one record got replaced. i don't know much about that situation, but i'd hope something similar can happen here if it's a fixable issue.

[dreamover]

The guy that mastered it for vinyl, Stan Getz at A&R has done all the mastering for pumpkins releases since '09.

Here's a short interview where he mentions the shitty sound on Oceania saying it has to do with the sound quality decreasing toward the inside of the record, which is a total cop-out. There's plants that could make this album sound good on a single LP.

http://spfreaks.word...-oceania-vinyl/

they should really stop using A&R.

this is the guy we want to be mad at.

[mikewilliamson]

the best thing to do right now is complain. probably to EMI. we can only hope there's enough complaints to where they offer to repress just the first LP and send it to people with proof of purchase or something.

Everyone who is hearing a defect should definitely do this. I got a 13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS box set earlier this year and two of the LPs had their label stickers switched...So you would put on what you thought was one record and it would be another. Enough people complained that they eventually shipped new discs to people (they initially responded with a laughable "it makes this first pressing collectible!" retort)

At any rate, someone said earlier quality control with vinyl is higher now than ever. I have to heartily disagree. Back when vinyl was the norm, people actually knew how to master and press vinyl. Since the post-digital resurgence this is a dying art that many picked up again, but few really have mastered (pun intended). 180 gram is the big lie, let me tell you. Just cuz it's thicker doesn't mean it sounds better. There's way more that goes into making vinyl sound good than wax weight. I have so many paper thin vinyl records from the 80s that sound light years better than 180 gm modern releases. No one knows how to do these frikken things anymore. Neil Young sends his masters to Germany to be pressed, for chrissakes! THAT's quality control. He knows there's no one Stateside doing excellent pressings.

So...We should definitely complain. Let people know we like vinyl for the sound quality. Not just because the cover looks cool. Make these people learn their damn trades again!

[dreamover]

well, let's figure out where to send the complaints to, pick a day and time and flood their inbox.

[saxonviolons]

^^I think what people are talking about is quality of materials and pressing technology has improved. However pressing is indeed a trade like welding or wood work, and you have to have experience in the field if you're going to do it right.

I just can't help but lol at people criticizing peoples set ups and not the vinyl pressing.

[mikewilliamson]

I've already posted on the twitter accounts for @EMIMusicGlobal , @SmashingPumpkin , @emimusic , and @Billy

No response from any yet.

[thestraightedge]

I said fuck it and cancelled my amazon.ca order and just bit the bullet and got it from .com. Wasn't into playing that whole game anymore. At least I'll get it next week instead of ????. Pretty excited for this.

[kannibal]

I checked out Zero and It's pretty bad. I have no problem with IGD and I heard nothing on Oceania. As people have said, no other songs sound this way, just Zero. It's obviously a pressing defect that was overlooked. Probably because it was expensive and would mean delays. Now I just need to make sure i'm in on a replacement program.

Edit: Going through the 1st LP bullet didn't sound so hot either. There were a few times where I thought I heard some distortion. Nothing as obvious or prominent as Zero. I don't agree with Stan Getz decision to spread 12 minutes of music over an entire side of an LP with nearly NO deadwax. I didn't hear any problem with To Forgive, but I would really prefer a smaller tonearm arc to minimize distortion.

[gentlesenator]

have none of you listened to Zero before? there's nothing defective about this record. it's corgan's crappy choices in how he produces music. pretty sure this album was recorded digitally to begin with too.

[mikewilliamson]

Do you have the record, Gentlesenator? Are you saying this is production distortion, and not mistracking of a cartridge due to poor pressing? Mistracking is a pretty recognizable sound. And everyone is saying the digital version, and previous CD and Vinyl versions do not sound like this.

Honestly, I have not received mine yet. But when there's this much of a stink from people across the board, I'm willing to bet there's an issue.