[bjorn]

To those having issues with distortion I have a very easy fix! I did a little more fiddling listening through headphones (yes, I may have OCD). The distortion decreases dramatically when you turn up the volume. I normally listen with the dial at around 1/4 or less so as not to drive my wife and kids crazy. When I push the volume closer to the halfway mark the distortion recedes significantly. The sound is not quite as clear and open as the opening tracks but much, much better. That fuzzy crackling I hear in the guitars and vocals pretty much disappears. This explains why the clips Billy shared sound good, he probably had the levels higher (either that or he was using one of these). I think the fact that some people are hearing the distortion while others aren't is mostly due to the fact that different equipment and settings will produce different results in resolving the music. Oceania is best played loud anyway right?

[PumpkinsRockOn]

A high quality video would be excellent, just to compare.

[HypnoRaygun]

I'll get on it..

[HypnoRaygun]

Going to bed.. It is uploading, once it is finished it will be here. Please embed it here if possible.. Video Location

[HypnoRaygun]

[bjorn]

@hypnoraygun

I honestly don't mean to be argumentative, but based on your video I hear even more distortion from your record than I do from mine. The vocals are especially fuzzed out. There is obviously some compression from the stream causing distortion as well, but the inner groove distortion is obvious to me. Nice collection by the way.

[HypnoRaygun]

bjorn, on 23 June 2012 - 05:38 AM, said:

@hypnoraygun

I honestly don't mean to be argumentative, but based on your video I hear even more distortion from your record than I do from mine. The vocals are especially fuzzed out. There is obviously some compression from the stream causing distortion as well, but the inner groove distortion is obvious to me. Nice collection by the way.

No to each their own, I hear a bit of fuzz/distorting as well, but when I have it turned up and I'm listening to it, It just doesn't bother me...? If this is worse than yours, then obviously we have a huge difference of opinions. ?.. I'm sure my "test" isn't 100% either. I mean I adjusted the signal up a bit when I recorded it. That could have something to do with it, but I've done that before on other records and it wasn't an issue.

That just goes to show you how different peoples options are.

I have the high quality downloads as well.. I'm listening to them for a comparison. To my old ears, there is just minimal difference, and not enough to make any kind of difference...? I think I've contributed all I can to this endeavor.. I just don't "hear" a big issue..

[bjorn]

Agreed. This is one of those things that is going to drive some people crazy (see the histrionics in my first post...sorry), while other will hardly care or notice. It's not a big deal at the end of the day, but I do think Getz could have avoided it pretty easily.

[crepe]

Went to 3 stores in downtown Montreal and I couldnt even found the damn LP

[HypnoRaygun]

Video was deleted by YouTube. Sorry if I upset anyone. I figured since it is streaming everywhere it wouldn't be an issue. But all the same, sorry.

[adamdanger!]

I just played my vinyl copy and it sounds bad on low volume and blasted. Especially Pinwheel. Guitars and vocals get scratchy distortion and breakup. Never had an issue with my setup and the dozens of new and 40 year old records. Definitely a problem with this record.

[Raoul]

I can't even find a copy of the thing in stores in Australia, just the cd.


Wondering if its even worth buying now. I don't mind spending the $$$ to get a vinyl copy, but i want the sound to be decent on the thing. Wondering if they will do another print of these with the mastering issue sorted. Would be nice to hear a offical word on the issue and if there is any intention of re-printing them.

[delvis]

got mine in the mail today and though somewhat skimpy on the package it sounds fantastic on my player.

i really do love this album.

d

[Raoul]

got mine yesterday and although i can hear a bit of the sound issues, nothing was there to make me overly disappointed - i have a Rega 3 with a Ortofon blue cart with an old amp crappy amp and a set of ol, slighlty worn wharfdales and i thought it sounded consistent with everything else i have played through that system. I did listen to it loud, but i am also a firm believer that the only way to listen to vinyl period is loud

And yes, it is a great album :)/>

[AlienCloak]

HypnoRaygun, on 22 June 2012 - 02:40 PM, said:

If anyone wants a video of a specific song with high quality audio posted on YouTube let me know. It would be a test to show how my vinyl copy sounds.

It's the least you could do...

HypnoRaygun, on 21 June 2012 - 08:16 AM, said:

if "jerk" or other names are thrown my way, I will gladly take them on with no ill will.

...Jerk.

[HypnoRaygun]

I contacted Stan Getz about the pressing. There is an article about the Vinyl on SPFREAKS

[AMEason52]

My copy is going back to Amazon. I noticed that they are no longer selling the record due to a problem with it.

http://www.amazon.co...s=oceania+vinyl

The vocals sound really fuzzy on a few songs, like others said, and there is a pretty nasty skip that happens in Pale Horse. There is some sort of bump on the record at the end of Pale Horse. I thought it was just my turntable until I googled it and found this thread. I guess I'm not alone. I really wanted to have Oceania on vinyl, but this isn't going to cut it.

[bjorn]

AMEason52, on 29 June 2012 - 03:11 PM, said:

My copy is going back to Amazon. I noticed that they are no longer selling the record due to a problem with it.

http://www.amazon.co...s=oceania+vinyl

The vocals sound really fuzzy on a few songs, like others said, and there is a pretty nasty skip that happens in Pale Horse. There is some sort of bump on the record at the end of Pale Horse. I thought it was just my turntable until I googled it and found this thread. I guess I'm not alone. I really wanted to have Oceania on vinyl, but this isn't going to cut it.

Interesting... mine doesn't have the issue with Pale Horse, it plays through that section just fine. Also, this is the first time I've ever seen Amazon stop selling a record like this, they must have received quite a few complaints.

Also, thanks for posting the link HypnoRaygun, it was interesting to see Stan Getz' response to the issue. I agree with him that the cartridge/stylus used to play the record will make a big difference in how it sounds. I still can't understand why he cut the grooves so close to the labels. He didn't do it on the Siamese Dream reissue. Side A of SD is a bit longer than side A of Oceania, yet SD has way more breathing room between the run-out groove and the labels. I just don't get it.

[RottingApples]

I finally listened to my Oceania LP, and I've run into the same issue. I can hear it distorting (particularly on the vocals, but additionally so on the synths). It is worst on Violet Rays, Pinwheels, Pale Horse, Chimera, and Wildflower (the last tracks on each side). I've noticed a really nasty warbling on Pinwheels and Pale Horse, making those tracks especially bad. Has there been any resolution given from anyone in regards of what to do? I've tried the volume adjustment (if anything, turning the volume up made it worse for me), and I've adjusted the cartridge (even tried a secondary one we have). Still no dice. A shame, because the LP packing really is quite beautiful.

[bjorn]

RottingApples, on 30 June 2012 - 02:40 PM, said:

I finally listened to my Oceania LP, and I've run into the same issue. I can hear it distorting (particularly on the vocals, but additionally so on the synths). It is worst on Violet Rays, Pinwheels, Pale Horse, Chimera, and Wildflower (the last tracks on each side). I've noticed a really nasty warbling on Pinwheels and Pale Horse, making those tracks especially bad. Has there been any resolution given from anyone in regards of what to do? I've tried the volume adjustment (if anything, turning the volume up made it worse for me), and I've adjusted the cartridge (even tried a secondary one we have). Still no dice. A shame, because the LP packing really is quite beautiful.

I use a low output cartridge so that might be why that trick worked for me. Besides spending a few hundred dollars on a better cartridge there's probably nothing else you can do. The warbling sound you mention is odd, I don't think I've run in to that.

[AMEason52]

What is the artwork on the CD like? Is it different than the vinyl?

[whywontyoulisten]

AMEason52, on 01 July 2012 - 07:24 AM, said:

What is the artwork on the CD like? Is it different than the vinyl?

CD artwork pictures here: http://www.smashingp...ndpost&p=697664

[.absof.]

HypnoRaygun, on 29 June 2012 - 03:49 AM, said:

I contacted Stan Getz about the pressing. There is an article about the Vinyl on SPFREAKS

Interesting article.

I'm not gonna buy top-end equipment to listen to it; especially when there are other listening options available.

Mine will just stay sealed until I inevitably sell all my SP shit.

[AMEason52]

I got my refund from Amazon. That was quick. Well, I hope there is a future pressing that doesn't sound like shit on the album's best songs.

[hotoriousDICK]

Ok just to add to all this i got the vinyl too and yeah totally hear the static/distortion on Violet Rays - mine has a skip on violet rays. I started hearing the static on the S sounds on Celestials then violet rays goes static crazy.

I did notice that Violet is cut REAL close to the label. I think this should have either been a 3 LP set OR should have been resequenced for the album if THIS is the reason why it sounds like that - i know that quieter songs are put closer to the centre because of how much smaller the groove gets there.

On Side B now and i hear a slight static on the S sounds for My Love is Winter...

side B is ridden with static/distortion

[RottingApples]

hotoriousDICK, on 16 July 2012 - 05:25 PM, said:

Ok just to add to all this i got the vinyl too and yeah totally hear the static/distortion on Violet Rays - mine has a skip on violet rays. I started hearing the static on the S sounds on Celestials then violet rays goes static crazy.

I did notice that Violet is cut REAL close to the label. I think this should have either been a 3 LP set OR should have been resequenced for the album if THIS is the reason why it sounds like that - i know that quieter songs are put closer to the centre because of how much smaller the groove gets there.

On Side B now and i hear a slight static on the S sounds for My Love is Winter...

side B is ridden with static/distortion

It sucks, but I still don't understand why. Siamese is the same length, and I've never had a problem with any vinyl copies I've owned. Add to that, the recent takes from fans that the bonus disc to Pisces is shitty overdriven and clipping, makes you wonder just what the fuck is going on here.

[16RPM]

I can tell you that A&R only masters the Smashing Pumpkins LP" re-issues here.
They have nothing to do with the actual pressing here.
EMI is having the records pressed and I'm not sure where EMI is having them pressed or if they own their own presses.
A&R Records actually tried to get EMI to do the Oceania as a 3 disc release but they thought that 2 would be just fine.
Billy approved the test pressings and let me tell ya, Billy is a record freak and he listens to the test pressings like a madman.
It is possible for a record to sound good on one record versus another record. Plates for a record to be pressed is only good for about
1000 copies and if the pressing plant lets them go much more past 1000, they can start deteriorating and then you have a record that sounds
like crap no matter how the record was mastered..

[adamdanger!]

Interesting info.

[adamdanger!]

16RPM, on 26 July 2012 - 10:35 AM, said:

I can tell you that A&R only masters the Smashing Pumpkins LP" re-issues here.
They have nothing to do with the actual pressing here.
EMI is having the records pressed and I'm not sure where EMI is having them pressed or if they own their own presses.
A&R Records actually tried to get EMI to do the Oceania as a 3 disc release but they thought that 2 would be just fine.
Billy approved the test pressings and let me tell ya, Billy is a record freak and he listens to the test pressings like a madman.
It is possible for a record to sound good on one record versus another record. Plates for a record to be pressed is only good for about
1000 copies and if the pressing plant lets them go much more past 1000, they can start deteriorating and then you have a record that sounds
like crap no matter how the record was mastered..

This seems to slightly contradict the SPFreaks interview with Stan Getz. That says A&R did the manufacture (which could be an error), but Getz clearly states he did the vinyl master. Does that mean he created a master and sent it elsewhere to be mass-pressed? I'm a little confused now.

[16RPM]

adamdanger!, on 26 July 2012 - 11:10 AM, said:

This seems to slightly contradict the SPFreaks interview with Stan Getz. That says A&R did the manufacture (which could be an error), but Getz clearly states he did the vinyl master. Does that mean he created a master and sent it elsewhere to be mass-pressed? I'm a little confused now.

That is correct. He only cuts the music to the lacquers and then those lacquers are sent off to the place that creates
the stampers. From there, the stampers are sent off to the place that will actually press the record.
Test pressings are pressed and Billy himself approves these, Believe me, Billy approved these.
Test pressings are going to sound great because they are at the very front of the pressing and they are the first 5 to 8 copies pressed from those particular plates. If a plant ever goes beyond say 1200 records pressed on one set of stampers, it’s then doing a huge disservice to the record buying public.

[adamdanger!]

16RPM, on 26 July 2012 - 01:45 PM, said:

That is correct. He only cuts the music to the lacquers and then those lacquers are sent off to the place that creates
the stampers. From there, the stampers are sent off to the place that will actually press the record.
Test pressings are pressed and Billy himself approves these, Believe me, Billy approved these.
Test pressings are going to sound great because they are at the very front of the pressing and they are the first 5 to 8 copies pressed from those particular plates. If a plant ever goes beyond say 1200 records pressed on one set of stampers, it’s then doing a huge disservice to the record buying public.

Thanks for clarifying. Man, I hate to bitch and whine (see the Pisces thread for my ranting) but my Oceania copy sounds awful. It's definitely not my setup either, as much as the blame wants to be shifted/pointed at that. I have vinyl from the 70's to now and I don't have issues with any other albums like this.

[hotoriousDICK]

pressing on 3 would probably be better... so the songs closer to the centre would get more breathing room... how ever i don't know if that takes away from the static/distortions sounds heard higher up in some instances... though judging from the few responses on this thread either:

a) not many people bought the vinyl
b) people bought the vinyl but only a few are getting these issues which proves the over pressing from the plates theory
c) it's across all vinyls and only a few care to comment on the issues.

[paulandgemm]

i got the vinyl... cost me an extra £13 in customs charges getting direct from the bands website,. and yes, it sounds shit.

[adamdanger!]

hotoriousDICK, on 29 July 2012 - 01:20 PM, said:

pressing on 3 would probably be better... so the songs closer to the centre would get more breathing room... how ever i don't know if that takes away from the static/distortions sounds heard higher up in some instances... though judging from the few responses on this thread either:

a) not many people bought the vinyl
b) people bought the vinyl but only a few are getting these issues which proves the over pressing from the plates theory
c) it's across all vinyls and only a few care to comment on the issues.

d) it's widespread and people either haven't taken the time to actually listen to their vinyl yet or don't notice the issue. Let's face it, the world is getting used to listening to music of compromised quality.

[bosmanad]

I buy a lot of vinyl. Picked up Oceania before the release date, so it was my first listen. I have a decent set up, and good headphones (Bose). My copy sounds great. You can tell it's a different master than the CD, but it's crystal clear even towards the center of the press. Maybe I got one of the first off pressings, or people are being picky. I'm not judging either way, just want to go on record that my copy sounds fine.

**edit** I tend to agree that most of these were probably pressed WELL past 1000 copies on one set of plates. I work in manufacturing industry (not music...Printing), and see this kind of cost cutting often in other areas.

[monkeysnot]

My sounds great as well.

[hotoriousDICK]

guess y'all got earlier pressings then.

[adamdanger!]

CAIC would probably know: does the matrix on a vinyl contain any specific numbers that would give clues like maybe a lot# or something related to the pressing? I'm guessing it doesn't or this would have been looked at already.

[cleric]

my copy from amazon.co.uk sounds fine. says "Made in EU. SDRM/Biem LC00148 818610010070" on the back.

[delvis]

i got a new copy of this today. apparently from the batch of the repress. who knows.
has it even been confirmed that they did a repress? i am in canada and i purchased through amazon.
hope it's cool.
d

[delvis]

so my new copy is just the same shitty sounding copy.
what a stupid thing.
oh well.
d

[Raoul]

Has there been a definitive answer to this? I have a copy which also gets stuck on Pale Horses and has questionable sound quality. I don't mind re-purchasing the album, but i don't want to do it if it has the same issues.

Is there a way to tell if we have a"good " copy or a "bad" copy based on serial numbers or something?

[simontreal]

I just bought one copy (printed in USA) but I don't dare to open it, just in case that I learn that a real new pressing was done...

[werideatdusk]

bought mine on release date, thought it sounded fine, but i wasn't really listening. the vocals definitely sound blown out on Violet Rays, Pinwheels, and Wildflower. Other songs to a lesser degree. Oops!

I will say though that Quasar still sounds EPIC