Blue Coast Collection - Collector's Edition Gold Discs

「藍岸精選」24K Gold 收藏家純金限量版

展現超凡錄音與完美音樂之絕佳典範
「Blue Coast Records 藍岸唱片」，美國新晉發燒錄音製作品牌，公司創辦人為唱片業界首屈一指的金牌監製Cookie Marenco，她在Windham Hill Records累積20多年音樂工作經驗及製作出無數經典專輯，除擁有多張國際金唱片佳績，亦曾五度被Grammy Awards「格林美音樂大獎」提名，足以反映出她對高品質錄音及音樂藝術上之熱情與要求。

「藍岸精選」 引用了5.1 ITU多聲道技術的規格要求，根據規格安放所有錄音咪進行直接收錄，繼而發展出自家最先進之Extended Sound Environment錄音技術，簡稱為E.S.E。這種 「延伸環境聲效」技術，配合法國JMR高級音響器材之金耳朵專家Mr. Jean Claude Reynaud，統籌一切錄音室設計佈局及負責收錄所有作品。而本專集的Exceptional Acoustic Recordings「特殊聲學錄音」音效，是採用Dolby SR.系統；配合「藍岸唱片」自家設計最先進之「空間聲響」而設計的專業錄音室進行灌錄，為求達到最自然及最純正的模擬音色，更不惜工本使用比電影膠卷還要寬?之2英寸(50mm)的開卷式模擬母帶進行收錄製成母盤，因此無論在頻寬、動態、空間感與細緻度等都能盡一呈現出來。

本專輯除突顯其超凡震撼錄音效果的同時；也十分?重於音樂的可聽性，監製及錄音師力求讓兩者達致一種美妙而和諧而又得到眾愛樂者的共嗚。本專集既展現出最自然純正音效，也帶來了樸實無華的音樂感受，「藍岸精選」絕對是發燒音效與完美音樂結合下的絕佳典範！


無數碼壓縮處理配上24K Gold純金壓碟
坊間大部份錄音之母盤都是採用硬盤或光碟作為數位儲存器，好處是既便宜又方便，而在後期混音方面，亦多採用「數碼壓縮」方式處理，因為可輕易達至高電平效果，但壞處就是音樂部份的高低音動態峰值則被削頂及壓平，雖然聽起來像是很有Hi-Fi的感覺，但實則上很多細節及動態已被? 蝝謅F不少，只稍為提升少許音量，被壓縮過的音源會再度被擴張，便會有失真的可能。本24K Gold純金限量版專輯，除採用原裝開卷式模擬母帶處理外，他們更首度引用「無數碼壓縮」處理製作理念，此種處理技術優越之處是能夠將整個錄音內每一個細節都完全保留下來，可確保音樂峰值內每一細節部份都能完滿的形態出現，因為母帶在全無壓縮的方式下處理，所以相對電平會略低一點，請放心將音量調高二至三度播放，便能體會到「無數碼壓縮」的魅力所在！因此從前聽不到的細節及動態變化，都能一一呈現出來，只要器材配搭得宜及聆聽空間恰當，更不用擔心會有失真的情況出現，加上高度傳真之24K Gold純金壓製及高折射不?色反射塗層的配合下，更是令人難以置信的是；光碟?然也可以重播出如黑膠唱片般的模擬音色！


Blue Coast Collection -- Collector's Edition Gold
The E.S.E. Sessions · Various Artists · Collector's Edition

Re-Mastered without compression using our Dynamic Mastering system for full dynamic and sonic range. The overall volume has been purposely reduced to avoid hitting distorted peaks. While distorted peaks are subtle, the compression to limit those peaks creates an unnatural sound. The Gold disc resembles the 96kHz downloads and the SACD Stereo layer in dynamics. Audiophiles will enjoy comparing the CD layers and notice the subtle differences.

A 16 page booklet accompanies the disc and tells the story of Blue Coast Records and E.S.E. recording with photos from the first session.

The early response from audiophiles has been fantastic. Listeners are thrilled to get close to the original sound as it was mixed prior to mastering.

Free 3 Songs Bonus CD / Available only while stock lasts

TRACK LISTING: (3 Songs Bonus CD)
01. Jason McGuire – Rondena
02. Jane Selkye & Chris Kee - On The Moon
03. Keith Greeninger, Chris Kee & Brain - Three Little Birds

http://bluecoastrecords.blogspot.com/2010/05/blue-coast-collection-collectors-gold.html

For more than 10 years recordings have been getting increasingly louder while the sound has been degrading in quality. On the original SACD hybrid disc, only the SACD stereo layer was left uncompressed. The CD layer had increased volumes which is standard for most discs even today. The founder of Blue Coast Records, Cookie Marenco (a recording and mastering engineer herself) decided to take a stand on the volume wars by releasing the uncompressed version on Gold CDs.

This graphic representation is the actual comparison of the first song on the Collection, "Looking for a Home", performed by Keith Greeninger and Dayan Kai. The top representation is from the original disc with increased volume. You can see in the louder section that compression had "flat topped" the dynamics eliminating natural peaks. The lower panel is the wave from the new Collector's Gold and is the same song with no compression and no flat tops.

The overall volume has been purposely reduced to avoid creating distorted peaks. While distorted peaks are subtle, the compression to limit those peaks creates an unnatural sound. Blue Coast Records has felt it is time to take a stand on the loudness wars and believe people know how to use their volume controls. Here's to TURNING UP the volume!

24K金碟中，〝The Dog Song〞一曲被測量至接近最高的DR19動態範圍

In order to determine the official DR value, a song or entire album (16 bit, 44.1 kHz wave format) is scanned. A histogram (loudness distribution diagram) is created with a resolution of 0.01 dB. The RMS – an established loudness measurement standard – is determined by gathering approximately 10,000 pieces of loudness information within a time span of 3 seconds (dB/RMS). From this result, only the loudest 20% is used for
determining the average loudness of the loud passages.

At the same time, the loudest peak is determined.

The DR Value is the difference between the peak and the top 20 average RMS measurements (top 20 RMS minus Peak = DR).

The top 20 RMS value is not displayed separately. It can be easily calculated in the head by adding the displayed stereo (plus decimal place) DYNAMIC RANGE value with the peak headroom.

REMARK: The DYNAMIC RANGE stereo value (including decimal places) shows the top 20 RMS value, minus peak headroom (the top 20 RMS value is DR+Peak).

為音樂的動態評級的插件，幫助人們從比拼動態和響度的歧路上回到正途。TT DYNAMIC RANGE METER是一個動態範圍測量器，它可以幫助你檢測整段聲音的動態範圍，最後給出一個動態評級。評級數值越低，說明你的音樂壓縮過了!!! 甚至是失真了!!!

以下片段解釋了壓縮過之音樂與不作壓縮之分別和好壞。