seventiesfilmnut

Hey folks.

I used dbpoweramp's (paid for version) professional sample rate converter which to my ears sounded just as good as using Adobe Audition using it's fancy settings on a few test tracks I ran beforehand.

I'm afraid this will be the last post here for a while. I need to concentrate on getting better and getting out more (or trying to). In the words of an ex-terminator.... "I'll be back!" ;)

Thanks to ABC for all his hard work :)

- 7FN

Why don't you convert from FLAC to Apple Lossless? No quality lost at all and you can then use the files with your iPod? Using something like dbpoweramp makes the conversion VERY fast and painless (did it myself last year).

netgurucr: You DO realise we are talking about colour correcting an entire movie (a 24fps MOVING movie) not just static screen grabbed images right??!?

I don't mind you posting either version - as long as you include a note somewhere in the file if you have made any slight sound changes: "LP Transfer by 7FN, Remastering by ABC" or something. Or you could call mine the 'pure' version. Whatever you feel like :)

I'm going to work on a v.2 of both Star Wars and Empire when I am well enough, and have already contacted a source about having all LPs professionally cleaned (twice each to be on the safe side!): http://www.keithmonks-rcm.co.uk/precision.html

I'll be doing the transfers on a fully restored Garrard 301 turntable: http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/garrard/301.html

Cartridge will be a Denon 103-R

Still until I get better this is a long ways off (end of the year in all likelyhood), but just wanted people to know there will be 'ultimate' LP editions out there before too long. However the existing versions are very good and I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out.

- 7FN

Just a note on remastering in general, one has to make 100% sure that it is a positive change, not just 'a change'.

If - for example - your headphones are quite cheap and emphasise the treble, one can put too much bass into a remaster, and it will sound GREAT on those headphones, but on a better 'flat' system it will sound awful.

I made sure on these LP transfers that I used the best gear I could afford (sometime write reviews for Hi-Fi magazines and/or internet so know a bit), and a decent pair of headphones for monitoring (Audio Technica ATH-AD700), and transferred them with no EQ at all. Just a little manual click/pop removal on the worst spots on the LP. It's always a good idea to try your work on several different systems too to make sure it sounds good every time. Hope some of this helps ;)

There really is absolutely no quality difference between FLAC and APE files - they are both 100% lossless (which you can easily test by compressing, then un-compressing using either codec).

I always use Apple Lossless simply because I can 1) use it in Foobar2000 using the M4A plug-in, and 2) can easily put the files onto my iPod.

I use dbpoweramp which makes the task of converting between different lossless (or lossy MP3 or Ogg etc etc) formats a piece of cake.

The only way there is a sound difference between the two formats is if you use two different programs, and one - for example - has some EQ settings which are not 'flat' for example. Believe me, lossless means lossless ;)

Glad you are enjoying the music :)

I live in the south - hampshire - and Star Wars was screened on TVS back then. I'd love to get hold of a copy of that screening too. I seem to remember the Smurfs was on before-hand?!?

We were one of the last people to get a VHS recorder, so I remember recording this onto cassette at the time... ahhh memories!

Thanks guys - much appreciated :)

I'll be getting the WAV files off to ABC tomorrow or Friday, and hopefully he can take charge from there.

Cheers,

- 7FN

Chainsawash: I'll certainly be able to do that, though the 24/96 files sound so much better ;)

Mike: Thanks for your kind words mate :) Thanks for that link too - I'll have a good look at that. $35 sounds reasonable too. Cheers!

Background hiss exists in just about every recording ever made... even digital (it's called 'Dither' in this instance)... I don't have a problem with it. Get rid of the hiss digitally, and 9 times out of 10 you get rid of some of the music/ambience too... check out the 2-CD set of Return of the Jedi to learn how NOT to do this... lol! Sounds as dull as dishwater!

A digital music file (i.e. CD) exists as a series of samples of the real thing. Analogue (LP or tape) is closer to the original master in this respect... this a HUGE over-simplification however to those that know about this stuff.

Technical differences aside, many prefer the sound of a good clean LP and a decent record player (and by decent I mean something that costs at least £300 if new...) - often sounds more natural and gets you into the 'vibe' of the music than alot of digital players.

On a decent system there are many LPs which have less hiss than CDs... it all depends on the mastering. for some colourful discussions (to put it lightly) type LP vs CD into Google.... ;)

Interestingly the same arguments are raging in the blu-ray camp... some (thankfully a small minority) claim that film grain should be digitally erased to result in a 'perfect' picture... most claim that the film grain is a part of the original look of the film, and should be retained. It's part of the aesthetic rather than a fault per-se. I feel the same way about master-tape hiss...

- 7FN

.....considering many of us donated to this project it would at least be 'the done thing' to release whatever was completed of the XØ project. I'm not being 'funny' but I think it's a bit off to set up a website, ask for donations - which many gave - and then just leave the thread without even some statement saying 'sorry folks but the project is officially dead' and an apology or something?

Thanks for those links Mike, but I've used LPEX and it's a bit hit or miss to say the least. I've also puchased audio dvd creator, but this can be a bit flakey too in operation. Why the bods who decide these things decided to create 'DVD Audio' discs, in ADDITION to 'DVD Video, audio tracks' is beyond me, when EVERYONE has access to 24/96 files from any DVD player using the standard DVD-Video audio track... madness Lol!

Anyways I'd like someone to make it all look professional with an appropriate picture for each track. I would look into doing this myself but am at home suffering from M.E. and the simplest tasks often seem dauting at the moment unfortunately :(

The files are all there and ready to go, I just need some DVD whiz who fancies the challange ;)

Cheers,

- John

Hi folks!

After having lurked on these forums for many a year, and seen all the fantastic fan created preservations, edits, expanded scores, documentaries and so on I thought it was high time I offered a little something in return to everyone.

I’ve always been a huge fan of the original LP presentations of the Star Wars and Empire LPs (Jedi was unfortunately relegated to single LP status, and half of that is concert suites I believe), as well as the pure analogue presentation which - in many ways - surpasses the quality of the 16-bit CDs.

I’d love to share these with others here, and have produced very high quality 24-bit/96kHz transfers of each using some pretty good quality equipment (Rega P3 turntable / Modified RB250 tone-arm with Mitchell counterweight / Goldring G1042 cartridge / Modified Creek OBH-15 phono stage… just incase anyone is interested 😉 ).

My problem is I don’t have a clue about DVD video/audio authoring! If I provided the raw captures, would someone here be willing to author these 24/96 files to a DVD Video, audio track (NOT ‘DVD Audio’ - as many players don’t offer this functionality - confusing I know!) and perhaps have a few purty pictures on display per track to complete the package? I was thinking of one of Ralph McQuarrie’s superb production paintings per track…

Any offers of help please PM me. These will be released ‘out there’ at some point (hopefully soon) so please no PMs for the raw files… patience 😉

Cheers,

• 7FN

I don't post much here anymore as I'm suffering from an illness at the moment, but just wanted to say I'm so excited by this project - perhaps more so than for any other fan release so far (which is saying something!). Even with a dirty print, there's just something so 'pure' about seeing Star Wars this way - no digital schenangiagns (which I've probably spelt wrong lol!) and a roll back to "a simpler age" of film making/watching. I love the quality of the image and the sound clips!

Bravo Puggo, and MANY thanks for sharing your progress on this project step by step!

Hi there. I have a VERY high quality transfer of the double Empire LP in 24-bit 96Khz using a restored Garrard 401 turntable, Rega RB250 arm (modified) and a Goldring 1042 cartridge.

I am just about to make a transfer of the original Star Wars double LP as well, though - regrettably - I do not have the Jedi LP.

If they're of any help to you please let me know.

Cheers!

I don't really post much on forums these days, but felt compelled to respond to this.

I think nearly the entire visual success of Star Wars can be SOLELY contributed to Ralph's amazing sketches and paintings and of course imagination. True to form, Lucas never seems to mention these too much. Heck Ralph CREATED the visual look of Star Wars! Imagine Star Wars without many of these iconic images... What with talent like Ralph McQuarrie - who furnished Lucas with astoundingly realised finished visual references which were often copied on screen, John Williams' simply genius score, the guys at ILM, the set dressers and cutome departmens, set builders, Gil Tayler's amazing lighting, and the chemistry between the three main leads, I wonder how much of Star Wars' success was really the work of Mr Lucas... Certainly he came up with the story - and a damned fine one it was to, the way it borrowed from classic fairy tales, mythology, Kurosawa movies and so on.... But.....

With Lucas 100% in charge of everything, well we've seen the results haven't we - lol! I've never seen so much money and talent wasted on a bunch of shallow films.

Yep I often think of Mcquarrie's images when listening to the scores and agree it is a lot purer version of Star Wars. Even more so if you read the original novels, and/or listen to the original Radio Dramas too while looking at the paintings.

Great post :)

Phenomenal!!! Ady does it again!

Just seen this on fleabay - you might be interested -1:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Star-Wars-35mm-Revenge-of-the-Jedi-Film-not-Return_W0QQitemZ250306310940QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item250306310940&_trksid=p3286.m63.l1177

Original REVENGE of the Jedi trailer.

cheers,

- 7FN

Likewise I'd love to get hold of the dual-layer version of this. I've only ever seen the theatrical edition and this looks incredible!

I'd be grateful if someone could PM me if they have the DL version.

Thank you,

- 7FN

Wow those look GREAT! You just cannot beat the look of the real McCoy can you! Film just 'lives' visually - pops out at you.

G-OUT be damned!!!

Damn my apologies - that's my fault for dipping in and out of threads and not keeping up.

Walks slowly away trying to keep his cool, then runs! Lol!

:)

Sorry if this has alrady been suggested/discussed, but woudl there be an advantage at all to scanning the film as-is, and THEN perform the anamorphic adjustment in the computer domain? Might be more accurate and result in a slightly sharper transfer?

- 7FN

Hi Max.

Not sure if you still need them, but a while back I transferred all the extras on the superb 1997 SE Laserdisc boxed set (NTSC version). Have all the docs. and trailers etc in nice quality - used a Panasonic stand-alone DVD -recorder directly linked up to a Pioneer CLD-2950 LD player using pro-fi gold leads.

If these are any good to you I'll send you copies of the discs.

- 7FN

I think those screen grabs look GREAT! OK so the aspect ratio needs massaging and it will need to be colour-timed, but MAN just seeing those grabs without any edge enhancement, sharpening, DVNR, CGI... it's a beautiful thing to behold! THAT'S how I remember Star Wars looking at my local cinema - ahhh the good old days of the Basingstoke flea-pit Lol! To see this transfer with the lovely 'filmic' quality of the sound clips you posted earlier... aghhh I can't wait!

Is it the ScanStream Sniper 16 you're using for the transfer? Looks like a lovely piece of kit!

I have a feeling this project will turn out to be as important/well-loved as AdyWan's edit - certainly I think they'll be the only two versions of Star Wars I'll ever need.

I wish I was an expert in transfers so I could offer some help and contribute in some way :/

- 7FN

Wow this project sounds amazing - I'm particularly jazzed about the untouched mono-soundtrack as well. I WOULD LOVE a raw copy of this without any clean up work done to stick on my iPod. I still think this is the best mix of Star Wars Ben Burtt achieved. Is there any chance you'd be able to fix me up with a copy of the raw soundtrack transfer Puggo? I have a couple things you might be interested in too - please PM me if/when you get the time.

Looking forward to seeing this project progress immensely, and THANK YOU for it :)

- 7FN

P.S LOVE the clip - lovely warm analogue sound which hasn't had the life squeezed from it like many digital re-masterings. Please don't attempt to clean it up in any way - sounds lovely the way it is.