Sony To Re-Release "Star Wars" Trilogy Soundtracks

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Very, very nice.

I ask the same question as Cerrabore, as I don't have a set-up capable of playing this DSD thing. I'm more of a headphone guy.

[John Crichton 4]

Sweet. This is sounding much better.

And I'll be the third on Cerrabore's question, as I am also primarily a headphone listener.

[King Mark 3,631]

.At least we get those previously unreleased screensavers.

K.M.

[Henry B 50]

Yeah, my headphones will be busy with these CDs.

On the other hand, my headphones aren't very good. My computer speakers (only two, but with a subwoofer) sound spectacular, and I try to listen to music with them when I can.

[John Crichton 4]

At least we get those previously unreleased screensavers.

Yes, a sarcasitc emoticon.

[King Mark 3,631]

OK,new sound,great,and my new soundcard plays DVD-Audios too.And yes surround mixes sound like the instruments are all over the place even with headphones.

K.M.

[King Mark 3,631]

At least we get those previously unreleased screensavers.

Yes, a sarcasitc emoticon.

Yes,I can finally dump my screensaver bootlegs.At long last I'll be able to see those images in their full resolution without those annoying dialogue captions.

K.M.

[Henry B 50]

StarWars.com is taking preorders on August 24th. Maybe we can get some real information about these CDs then.

[ymenard 54]

Remastering does bring in more dynamics even for low-quality headphones or normal sound systems, but the information given here doesn't give you anything on exactly _HOW_ the release will be.

I mean per example, if we take Sony's SACD remastered Bob Dylan 15 CD's... we had :

1) remastered stereo layer + remastered SACD stereo layer

2) remastered stereo layer + remastered SACD 5.1 layer

3) same stereo layer as the previous release + remastered SACD 5.1 layer

All depending on what album it was. This basically mean that, and I probably think it will be that way, the soundtracks will be released with the stereo layer that we all have. I mean it was ALREADY remastered in 1997 for the Special Edition rerelease. I don't see any reason for re-remastering, perhaps only to increase the quality of Return of the Jedi, or perhaps to correct the stereo imagine of The Empire Strikes Back. The SACD is a hybrid format, so on the same CD there will be the SACD layer, which will be 5.1. Only those with SACD players will be able to hear that layer, everybody else will hear the normal RCA layer we all already have. That's IMHO, basing myself on what Sony currently does with releasing existing albums in SACD. I mean they won't do a SACD-only version, there will be two layers on them. It's unfortunate that everybody thinking they will get better sound, won't because they don't have a SACD player.

Now King Mark, DVD-A computer stuff isn't unfortunately compatible with SACD. Sony doesn't do software players for computers, they only approve of players that are hardware for home systems. I also have a DVD-A compatible computer with 5.1 and there's incredible stuff like The Flaming Lips on it that I regularly play. But you will not be able to play SACD's on DVD or even DVD-A systems. Only on SACD players like I wrote.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

By re-mastered, we mean "will it sound as good as ET?"

*and by ET, I mean the 2002 regular CD release, not the SACD.

[ymenard 54]

Well it all depends on 1) the quality of the remastering (if there is even one) 2) the quality of the recording itself and 3) what source they have.

Nobody doesn't even know at this moment what the layers of the SACD, nor if there will be a remastering of the normal stereo layer (if such thing appears on the disc).

[Henry B 50]

The recordings have been newly remastered using Sony Music's DSD (Direct Stream Digital) multichannel surround sound.

So doesn't that mean there has definitely been a remastering?

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Just keep your fingers crossed that it's been given a ProTools treatment.

[A24 4,331]

The recordings have been newly remastered using Sony Music's DSD (Direct Stream Digital) multichannel surround sound.

Some people are assuming the Special Editions will be the ones re-released, while others think this is about the regular versions. Now which is it going to be?

[Henry B 50]

Not sure what you mean. The RCA Victor "Special Editions," the music as heard in the movie "Special Editions," and as for originals, what, transfers of the LPs?

All we know is that these are two-disc soundtracks (meaning we'll almost definitely miss a little bit of music from Return of the Jedi as with the RCA version).

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

meaning we'll almost definitely miss a little bit of music from Return of the Jedi as with the RCA version

You mean the Yub-Yub track?

[A24 4,331]

Not sure what you mean. The RCA Victor "Special Editions," the music as heard in the movie "Special Editions," and as for originals, what, transfers of the LPs?

I mean the regular Polydor versions, the CD counterparts of the LPs.

OK, it's most likely it's going to be the "Special Editions" from 1997 which of course are the RCA Victor releases mentioned earlier (I got confused in the beginning of this thread)! Too bad I don't like the sound, nor their mixes. They'll probably use these mixes for the SA-CD versions, which in that case, I probably won't buy (I think).

----------------

Alex Cremers

[King Mark 3,631]

Maybe this once they'll do the job right,go back to the original recording tapes,make brand new mixes,mix them in surround,essentially we'll have something that sounds totally different.

Imagine if we could hear the chorus clearly in The Dark Side Beckons?

K.M.

[The Prick vs The DD 0]

Well, it is as I suspected then....SACD, and like I said before it is the only time I'll be buying this release...and so I will.

To hear Star Wars in utter SACD quality is something I just cannot let pass. Though how well this release is going to be treated remains to be seen of course.

BTW, SACD is much better than DVD-A. The problem is that a lot of trash is being released on SACD, or releases that have been poorly treated which doesn't advertise the quality this could have. Let's hope it doesn't happen now.

The people in the know that heard SACD the way they were meant to be, have been known to cry of happiness. SACD is definately a lot better overall.

About the regular track issue: Is it just me or was E.T. better sounding on the regular portion of the SACD release than it was on the normal Audio CD release? It could be psychological though, but somehow I got more involved in the music. So if that's true, then even for that I'm going to buy this now.

[The Prick vs The DD 0]

The recordings have been newly remastered using Sony Music's DSD (Direct Stream Digital) multichannel surround sound.

So doesn't that mean there has definitely been a remastering?

DSD is used for SACD, so if this is multichannel than they'll have to change from stereo to multi, which means that sometrhing has been done to this release. Time will tell if they only modified it, or really improved it as well.

[The Prick vs The DD 0]

I mean it was ALREADY remastered in 1997 for the Special Edition rerelease.  I don't see any reason for re-remastering, perhaps only to increase the quality of Return of the Jedi, or perhaps to correct the stereo imagine of The Empire Strikes Back.

Huh, that part doesn't make sense. First you say there's no reason to remaster, and then you give several very very good reasons to remaster.

Or did you mean that they don't see a reason to remaster? They would really be blind as bats if they don't see. Then again, Sony did some really stupid things before. This is why I'm still somewhat doubtfull about the release...I just wish Philips took care of this...sigh.

The SACD is a hybrid format, so on the same CD there will be the SACD layer, which will be 5.1.    Only those with SACD players will be able to hear that layer, everybody else will hear the normal RCA layer we all already have.  That's IMHO, basing myself on what Sony currently does with releasing existing albums in SACD.  I mean they won't do a SACD-only version, there will be two layers on them.  It's unfortunate that everybody thinking they will get better sound, won't because they don't have a SACD player.

It's a good thing that non-SACD people can listen to this as well.

And that logo is spread throughout the CD. Someone that doesn't understand SACD is usually not going to buy this release for that anyway. Someone that understand SACD is a new technology, also understand you need newer technology to play that on. You can't help it when people are not informed for whatever reason. That's no reason to make this a SACD only CD or ditch the SACD, a much better way of doing things, completely. We would never improve anything in our societies if we did.

[The Prick vs The DD 0]

I agree, but if you're a big movie fan as well as a music fan, probably the 5.1 would be a better option so you have it for movies.

You know, I have to say I don't get that either. For SACD 5.1 it is mostly useless for this is a music format only....and for DVD-A, well, the same really isn't it?!

DVD movies always use DVD-V with a DD track...I know of no exceptions. DVD-A is never used for movies, always for music. Sometimes with or without picture perhaps I don't know, but music nonetheless. So once again 5.1 is unnecessary.

And even if there are a few exceptions to the rule, it would still not be enough to warrant it.

[Danielle 0]

Hmv.co.uk have track listings up. Although they have made mistakes in them, it appears that they are the exact same tracks from the RCA scores.

[Lurker 5]

The Star Wars.com announcement doesn't say anything about these being SA-CDs.

Neil

[JoeinAR 1,949]

so there is no new music, so whats the big deal?

[A24 4,331]

The Star Wars.com announcement doesn't say anything about these being SA-CDs.

Hmmm, that's right! The announcement only says:

The recordings have been newly remastered using Sony Music's DSD (Direct Stream Digital) multichannel surround sound.

But does that mean the CDs are in fact SA-CDs? Could it be again another release?

[Frank Vincent 234]

Hmv.co.uk have track listings up. Although they have made mistakes in them, it appears that they are the exact same tracks from the RCA scores.

They're releasing a limited gold edition too.

http://www2.hmv.co.uk/hmvweb/displayProduc...1;-1&sku=320433

Question: Why isn't this news on the front page?

[John Crichton 4]

At least we get those previously unreleased screensavers.

Yes, a sarcasitc emoticon.

Yes,I can finally dump my screensaver bootlegs.At long last I'll be able to see those images in their full resolution without those annoying dialogue captions.

K.M.

--------------------

According to those track listings these are definately the SEs. Concert pieces at the start of disc 2, the same alternates and bonuses. But what's with the "medleys"? They have one track with the cue suites like the SE, then they have a series of tracks with them seperate like the UE? I don't want to have to be skipping ahead all the time because the same thing plays twice in a row.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Probably just a mistake in the tracklisting on the website.

[Elmo Lewis 6]

Question: Why isn't this news on the front page?

Because Ricard, the owner of the site, has a life.

[The Prick vs The DD 0]

The Star Wars.com announcement doesn't say anything about these being SA-CDs.

Hmmm, that's right! The announcement only says:

The recordings have been newly remastered using Sony Music's DSD (Direct Stream Digital) multichannel surround sound.

But does that mean the CDs are in fact SA-CDs? Could it be again another release?

Not true if they mention DSD then it MUST be automatically for a SACD release. At least that's how I understood it. This technology was created for this very format.

I found this information:

Direct Stream Digital

Direct-Stream Digital is a technology to store audio signals on digital storage media and is used for the Super audio compact disc. The signal is stored as sequence of single bit values at a very high frequency. Noise shaping and oversampling are used to reduce distortion caused by the very high quantisation of the audio signal to a single bit. Due to the high sampling rate the bandwidth and therefore the audio quality can be higher than what is possible with the 44.1 kHz PCM format used for normal audio CDs.

So it must be SACD....if the anouncement is correct of course.

[Henry B 50]

SonyClassical.com hasn't posted the news yet. Perhaps we'll finally figure out what's going on when they do.

[The Prick vs The DD 0]

All right, remastering.

So wait, ymenard, what would this sound like if it were listened to with a normal two-speaker/headphone set-up?

To answer the headphone guys....hey I'm one of them...headphones are the way to go!

When a SACD in 5.1 is released it usually also covers SACD Stereo and SACD Surround....so the two-speakers-people should be home safe.

[ymenard 54]

The recordings have been newly remastered using Sony Music's DSD (Direct Stream Digital) multichannel surround sound.

So doesn't that mean there has definitely been a remastering?

Remastering is nowadays a term used for "anything released with an altered soundscape". Basically, it could simply that the multichannel layer of the SACD will present a remastered soundtrack. Enhanced sound, because of the SACD medium. It doesn't necessarily mean it's more punchy, or more accurate, or anything. It's just the medium that is more powerful, and the DSD brings this.

My hopes aren't high because Sony has 1) fucked us up with the Ultimate TPM edition and 2) is known to release time and time the same things with small alterations and new packagings.

[ymenard 54]

In the end, what I really hope is something like a SACD with 1) a 5.1 Surround Layer and 2) a normal stereo layer for everybody else. So yes even people with stereo SACD will be able to hear the 5.1 layer, but those with surround speakers will hear a different seperation (but not an enhanced sound quality). Unless they have a player that's like 10 years old and cannot read a SACD as a normal CD. I'm almost 100% sure there will be a stereo layer, because the upcoming release seem to be a mainstream one, to fill the gap of "out of print" Star Wars RCA soundtracks. They will be found in the normal soundtrack section of stores, not the speciality section or SACD section.

What my doubts are, is if they are willing to enhance the normal stereo layer, and if the 5.1 multichannel will be enhanced more than just a different seperation and the benefits of SACD superior sound. They could go back to a better source, like for ROTJ.

Sony is really wonderning what to do with their SACD technology these days. They have cancelled lots of stuff, and butchered others.

[King Mark 3,631]

It's going to be a SACD with a regular unremastered stereo track,but the advertising will be confusing enough to lure people to buy it even if they don't own a SACD player thinking they will get better sound anyhow.You will only be a able to figure it out by a minuscule icon on the c.d. or fine print that you need a magnifying glass to read on the back of the c.d.

K.M.

[Marian Schedenig 8,191]

Not true if they mention DSD then it MUST be automatically for a SACD release. At least that's how I understood it. This technology was created for this very format.

It can still be used for mastering CDs though. Hollow Man is a DSD recording, but I don't know of an SACD release for that one. Likewise, the CD-version of ST:Nemesis was DSD-recorded, and all the Rolling Stones SACD remasters contain CD layers created using DSD.

So my guess is, it can mean the following things:

SACDs only
• Hybrid SACDs
  
• Plain SACDs and plain CDs
  
• CDs only, but they would be prepared for later SACD release
  Marian - afraid of #3.

[pete 907]

I'm just wishing, (maybe against hope) that those long tracks on the RCA release made up of 4-5 shorter tracks will be seperated,

The last 45 second of Obi Wan's revelation sounds great on its own, and I never saw the point of lumping Super Structure Chase, the Death of Darth and Through The flames into one track, that was just silly!

[Henry B 50]

It's because they were recorded together. Notice how the tracks on the TPM UE are divided into chapters? All the sub-tracks make up one chapter. If all these little tracks were combined, the listing would be similar to that of the Trilogy.

[King Mark 3,631]

Something's wrong,the market for those that crave those exclusive screensavers(TFN geeks) wouldn't be the same as those who'd want a SACD(serious audiophiles who own expensive gear)

K.M.

[A24 4,331]

So my guess is, it can mean the following things:

SACDs only
• Hybrid SACDs
  
• Plain SACDs and plain CDs
  
• CDs only, but they would be prepared for later SACD release
  Marian - afraid of #3.

I'm afraid of #4. If it's only CD than this release will be known as the "Screensaver Release".

----------------

Alex Cremers

[pete 907]

It's because they were recorded together. Notice how the tracks on the TPM UE are divided into chapters? All the sub-tracks make up one chapter. If all these little tracks were combined, the listing would be similar to that of the Trilogy.

I really completely doubt that the longer tracks on the Jedi RCA piece were recorded together in the one take. They are clearly seperate pieces with clear beginnings and endings. Why on earth would Williams record Darths death, Superstructure chase, Through the flames in one go??

The Phantom Menace is just a mess, with track marks included in the middle of pieces, making it very distracting if you're playing some pieces from it on random mode, or if you'd just like for example the Tatooine Quin-Gon/ Maul duel.

In just feels like they went out of there way on that release to limit any silences between tracks, to better create watching the film experience?

[Rogue_Leader 2]

Like we REALLY need this? The SE releases were more than enough.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

It remains to be seen.

[Rogue_Leader 2]

Well maybe this means we will see the complete releases of the AOTC and ROTS scores.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Of course it won't.

[Rogue_Leader 2]

Yeah you're right but allow me my wishful thinking.

I wish they would just for once give us the option of buying a regular CD release or a complete release.

[Johnnyecks 33]

Well being the freakin' completist that I am..... I must get them. Even though I don't have the SACD capability, I can play 5.1 discs. I'll upgrade eventually, but it'll be nice to hear SW in 5.1 outside of the film!

Whats different with the "Gold" discs? Anything?

[Elmo Lewis 6]

Whats different with the "Gold" discs? Anything?

The discs are... gold.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

As opposed to the regular discs, which are of a more silver like color.