The X Factor & Virtual XI Vinyl Pressings

Wally Swift

Wally Swift

Invader
Hello everyone. I'm wondering if anyone has the original vinyl releases of the two Blaze Bayley era recordings and how they compare overall soundwise to the best CD versions. I was told by a couple of members on the Steve Hoffman Forum that the original 2 CD Japanese versions sounded the best and I have both in transit right now from Japan. Being a vinyl guy though I'm curious about these titles in that regard.

Thanks!
 
As far as I am aware, the Black Triangle (read Japanese) pressings are the best CDs in terms of production for Maiden. I don't have those pressings so I can't verify those claims, but I'm sure someone else that can verify those claims will be along shortly. Also, hi.
 
I'm not going to swear it, but I'm pretty confident the following is true regarding the Black Triangle (actually, the first point is set in stone): It's not the "pressing" per se that matters when it comes to CD vs other CD issues, but whether or not the same master was used to produce the CD's in comparison to other issues. It's highly unlikely that Black Triangle would use a different master than the other CD releases from the same time. It is true though, that the old masters are "better" than the remasters, and Black Triangle are prominent.

So as long as it uses the same source material, it doesn't matter if it's Black Triangle, or say, a European release that stems from the same master. The source of confusion though, stems from the vinyl transition to CD. The quality of the vinyl reproductive format depends on a gazillion of things and how it was pressed (the quality of the material used for the vinyl, the engraving process etc etc - Nowadays, vinyls use a digital source anyway in 99 cases out of a hundred rather than tape machines as back in the day - Although you make a vinyl specific digital master, that is used as the source, so it's not simply a CD-porting to vinyl. Wanted to clarify that), thus what "pressing" is of importance.

(slightly later addition, to clarify): It's inherit to the CD format that each copy is identical to its source, so the Black Triangle is just as good as other releases that stem from the same master. Quality of the CD itself (how well made the actual disc is) is not as important as with vinyl.
 
I have them on Vinyl and enjoy the way they sound, but I never bought these on CD, so I only have mp3s to compare them with (and Spotify).
 
Yax said:
It's highly unlikely that Black Triangle would use a different master than the other CD releases from the same time. It is true though, that the old masters are "better" than the remasters, and Black Triangle are prominent.
Click to expand...

That is pretty much what I was told on SHF. Looking forward to getting these early Japanese releases.
 
Wally Swift said:
That is pretty much what I was told on SHF. Looking forward to getting these early Japanese releases.
Click to expand...
I'm going to see if I have a Black Triangle release and a regular early release of the same album and compare on sunday or something (invert the phase on one track and play them simultaneously at the same level - If they cancel each other out, aka so that there's no sound, they are 100% the same).
 
I am interested Yax. All this hype about the Black Triangle releases. As long as there is no comparison with the original CD releases (which I own), I am not convinced.
 
Got these today;

blazejapan_zpsba3fd8c3.jpg


What exactly is meant by "black triangle"?
 
I had forgotten about this.

But I checked just now, a "Black Triangle" release of Piece of Mind and a regular early CD. And there is a slight difference in file size (there's a few more samples of silence in one of them), but they are otherwise 100% identical. I checked, and they cancelled each other out.
 
Which means the regular early CD (which isn't regular at all anymore) is the better catch, because it is the original (and earliest post LP-product).
 
No, it means that they are the exact same product, but the Black Triangle release used CD's manufactured by Toshiba. Which is the only difference there is except the "Black Triangle" label The files are identical.

But it's surely a better catch in the way that the Black Triangle releases cost a small fortune. :p
 
Because of the hype. You just found what the product (a Japanese copy) really is in relation to the original.
The original was released earlier wasn't it? I mean, you're not going to tell me that the Japanese pressings were made earlier than the European?
 
I have no idea, but whatever was manufactured first is of no consequence anyway. :)
Now imagine some poor sod who threw away the regular release and spent a fortune on buying the Black Triangle catalog. :D

Edit: So Wally, don't bother with the Black Triangle releases, try and find some of the regular early releases in good condition second hand instead.
 
I just ordered a regular US 1992 release of Fear of the Dark that I found still sealed on Amazon for $15. So now I'm good to go. Original vinyl from IM through No Prayer, Original US Fear on CD, Japanese Black Triangles of X Factor and Virtual XI and Brave New World on CD which from what I can tell is the same version that came out in 2000. All currently available US CDs of post Brave New World albums should be the same masterings as when they were released right?
 
My sealed original US Fear of the Dark arrived. It was a reseal of a scratched disc in a tray with squashed spokes. Grrrrhhhhhhh! Sent it back.
 
Yax said:
X Factor and onwards, really.
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I can't imagine the remasters of No Prayer and Fear sounding much different (or better) than the original CD pressings, since they were digital recordings. What did they do to change them on the remasters?
 
Forgive me my own ignorance, but how do you know these albums were digital recordings? Were all albums digital recordings since the year X? I have never seen any specifications on 'Arry's studio.
 
I have the original CD pressings of these 2 albums. They say "DDD" on the back, which indicates that it is a digital recording. The other ones are different. The original pressing of NOTB, for example, says "AAD" on the back, which means it was recorded on analog, but the CD master is digital.
 
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