'M(A)DE IN JAPAN' out June 29th + 2015 TA TOUR (TA ver.) [II]

[Aozora]

Originally Posted by Zeke.

Has anybody else noticed the difference in mixing quality with this album? I have been listening to the first two tracks + The bonus track during my workouts (on a stereo system), and when I switch to WARNING and other A ONE tracks I noticed a substantial difference. The tracks from MADE IN JAPAN sound fuller and fill my weight room much better, and I'm able to pick hear the layers more clearly than those other tracks. And this is merely a rip from the streaming service. I'm wondering if it's an issue with how people rip audio files. I'm curious as to whether the CD rip will sound worse than the rip that's out there now, because to me it sounds flawless when I play those tracks on stereo as they are now.

This is the precise reason that I started losing interest in Ayu. I feel like from Party Queen on the quality of mixing and recording rapidly decreased.

This album sounds like it was actually put together by professionals and it's why it's the first one I've listened to multiple times since PQ.

[JinHamasaki]

Originally Posted by Aozora

This is the precise reason that I started losing interest in Ayu. I feel like from Party Queen on the quality of mixing and recording rapidly decreased.

This album sounds like it was actually put together by professionals and it's why it's the first one I've listened to multiple times since PQ.

Same. If you listen to the 1080p YouTube and AWA ads you can hear even MORE layers. Back to the old ayu!

[Chibi-Chan]

Originally Posted by Zeke.

Has anybody else noticed the difference in mixing quality with this album? I have been listening to the first two tracks + The bonus track during my workouts (on a stereo system), and when I switch to WARNING and other A ONE tracks I noticed a substantial difference. The tracks from MADE IN JAPAN sound fuller and fill my weight room much better, and I'm able to pick hear the layers more clearly than those other tracks. And this is merely a rip from the streaming service. I'm wondering if it's an issue with how people rip audio files. I'm curious as to whether the CD rip will sound worse than the rip that's out there now, because to me it sounds flawless when I play those tracks on stereo as they are now.

Same here. And it's one of the reasons A ONE is her worst album ever for me


And I so much agree with this:

Originally Posted by Aozora

This is the precise reason that I started losing interest in Ayu. I feel like from Party Queen on the quality of mixing and recording rapidly decreased.

This album sounds like it was actually put together by professionals and it's why it's the first one I've listened to multiple times since PQ.

[Baernash]

Originally Posted by Zeke.

Has anybody else noticed the difference in mixing quality with this album? I have been listening to the first two tracks + The bonus track during my workouts (on a stereo system), and when I switch to WARNING and other A ONE tracks I noticed a substantial difference. The tracks from MADE IN JAPAN sound fuller and fill my weight room much better, and I'm able to pick hear the layers more clearly than those other tracks. And this is merely a rip from the streaming service. I'm wondering if it's an issue with how people rip audio files. I'm curious as to whether the CD rip will sound worse than the rip that's out there now, because to me it sounds flawless when I play those tracks on stereo as they are now.

No, it's studio mixing/mastering. Actual trend in music industry is to making music less and less dynamic but more and more lauder. Such music sound "better" on your smartphone or mp3 player but when you put the CD to decent audio system it will hurt your ears. Turn on "GUILTY" album - it sounds like wall of sound (instruments are flat and mixed together - not separated from each other giving you feeling of space and air between them) and it's the worse (technically) album of Ayu (shame, because songs are good).

Install Foobar2000 and add Dynamic Range Meter to it - check some of your CDs and you'll see the problem (or here's some reference for Ayu recordings: http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/li...ayumi+hamasaki). Tracks from "M(A)DE IN JAPAN" are dynamic on level 6-8 (most of songs 7). Most of tracks from "A One" has level 4-5 (the only track with level 8 is "The GIFT"). A good level is 14+ but you can forget about it in modern mainstream pop - anything with level bigger than 7 should make us happy nowadays.

[Chibi-Chan]

Originally Posted by Baernash

No, it's studio mixing/mastering. Actual trend in music industry is to making music less and less dynamic but more and more lauder. Such music sound "better" on your smartphone or mp3 player but when you put the CD to decent audio system it will hurt your ears. Turn on "GUILTY" album - it sounds like wall of sound (instruments are flat and mixed together - not separated from each other giving you feeling of space and air between them) and it's the worse (technically) album of Ayu (shame, because songs are good).

To be honest I will never understand why people listen to music on their smartphones. It sounds horrible. I have a sony walkman (I'm pretty satiesfied for a mp3 player) for when I'm not home and sometimes I forget to charge it and have to use my phone. Everything suddenly sounds like a bunch of noise instead of music.
But it's no wonder that a lot of people don't hear a difference in quality regarding mixing/mastering when they just listen to their music through their phone and also use cheap headphones.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by Zeke.

Has anybody else noticed the difference in mixing quality with this album? I have been listening to the first two tracks + The bonus track during my workouts (on a stereo system), and when I switch to WARNING and other A ONE tracks I noticed a substantial difference. The tracks from MADE IN JAPAN sound fuller and fill my weight room much better, and I'm able to pick hear the layers more clearly than those other tracks. And this is merely a rip from the streaming service. I'm wondering if it's an issue with how people rip audio files. I'm curious as to whether the CD rip will sound worse than the rip that's out there now, because to me it sounds flawless when I play those tracks on stereo as they are now.

As others have mentioned, she got a new mixer around the time of Party Queen and it is super noticeable on both Love Again and A One. My main complaint about both of those albums was always that they both sounded flat. Like, pancake flat. I just don't understand how her sound took such an obvious downturn in quality. I wouldn't be surprised if Made in Japan has a different mixer.

[rainbow_smile]

^ A sticker with the sixxxxxx cover. I don't remember the other one though

[~angel*ayumi~]

Originally Posted by rainbow_smile

^ A sticker with the sixxxxxx cover. I don't remember the other one though

the sixxxxxx sticker was item of sixxxxxx^^

Winter diary was:
TeamAyu Pre-order Extra – Acrylic Charm
mu-mo Pre-order Extra – Can Badge

[rainbow_smile]

Oh, I thought the can badge came with sixxxxxx, sorry haha

[4Seasons]

I ordered the album through mu-mo! That sale counts towards Oricon right?

First Ayu item I've bought since LOVE again!

I really appreciate the meaning behind this album and her artistry. I must support it.

[truehappiness]

Hm... it should, but I have heard mu-mo sales do not typically count towards Oricon.

[rainbow_smile]

I remember someone saying that mu-mo sales don't count because it's owned by a recording company or something like that? But they never gave the source of this information... So I have no idea if it actually counts or not. I hope it does though.

[ExodusUK]

That would make sense...as Avex would probably report they sold a million copies in the first week if they could get away with it.

[Aderianu]

official textless cover 1654x1654

[Aderianu]

"Mad World" is black and white for better expression of the message in the lyrics. 100 liters of black liquid represent the modern society and era.

https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000128109

[js_surrealism]

^can confirm. the A ONE mixing sounds horrendous to me; MIJ sounds loads better

[thinkingoutloud89]

Just buy the damn album and rip it yourself...

[truehappiness]

Even with self rips and official digital versions, albums after a certain point had a really weird sound. Maybe it was just bad engineers or something.

[truehappiness]

I think she got a new engineer on Party Queen but it still doesn't excuse why the final tracks came out so oddly mixed compared to her older works.

[mi|kshake]

Wow, thanks for the insight! I don't really know much about mixing/mastering.