OK - problem solved. There are two things going on here. First, my HDMI de-embedder, which ensures that PCM at full resolution of the source gets to my outboard DAC (Benchmark DAC 3 HGC) was not set properly for these discs. Second, DTS-HD is still the only format available on these discs, but with my HDMI de-embedder set properly, they are 192/24. If I read the Pure Audio spec correctly, the program should be linear PCM, not DTS. But, since my Oppo player does decode DTS HD properly, I am now getting lossless audio at full resolution.
Sorry for the confusion on this.
Best,
Gary
____________________________
Gary Galo
Audio Engineer Emeritus
The Crane School of Music
SUNY at Potsdam, NY 13676
"Great art presupposes the alert mind of the educated listener."
Arnold Schoenberg
"A true artist doesn't want to be admired, he wants to be believed."
Igor Markevitch
-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Gary A. Galo
Sent: Friday, December 08, 2017 6:23 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Universal Mexico Decca Remasterings
Thanks, Eric. I'm not on Facebook, but my wife is. I may have her contact him and ask if I could contact him by email. The credits in the booklets read as follows:
New Series prepared and digitally remastered by Victor Suzan Reed at Universal Music Mexico
2016 Super Digital Transfer at 24-bit/192 kHz from the Original Master Tapes using a Studer A820 transport.
Analog to Digital Transfer Supervisor at Abbey Road Studios: Jared Hawkes Analog to Digital Transfer: Pete Cole
Mike Gray tells me that all of the Decca tapes are now back in England, after having been in Germany for many years. That explains Abbey Road Studios' involvement in this project, since there are no Decca studios in England any more. On the back cover of the booklets it says:
High Fidelity Pure Audio Blu-ray authoring made at White Label Productions Ltd.
So, Reed did not do the transfers. Just exactly what he did do is unclear - perhaps the restoration including hiss reduction, fixing dropouts, and maybe some EQ where needed? Who knows? I'll try to find out.
If there is, indeed, a Pure Audio program on these discs, they have certainly hid it well, and not used any standard method of getting to it (see my answer to Corey).
I've emailed Almaraz Records, the dealer, to see if they know anything about accessing the Pure Audio program.
Best,
Gary
____________________________
Gary Galo
Audio Engineer Emeritus
The Crane School of Music
SUNY at Potsdam, NY 13676
"Great art presupposes the alert mind of the educated listener."
Arnold Schoenberg
"A true artist doesn't want to be admired, he wants to be believed."
Igor Markevitch
-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Eric Nagamine
Sent: Friday, December 08, 2017 4:56 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Universal Mexico Decca Remasterings
Victor Suzan Reed, Universal Mexico engineer who did the transfers is on Facebook. You might contact him that way.
_________Eric Nagamine
-------- Original message --------From: "Gary A. Galo" <[log in to unmask]> Date: 12/8/17 9:22 AM (GMT-10:00) To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [ARSCLIST] Universal Mexico Decca Remasterings Does anyone know anything about the Decca Analog Golden Era recordings that are being issued by Universal Mexico? I just got the four Blu-ray discs of the Del Monaco operas. Despite the claim that these are PureAudio Blu-ray discs at 192 kHz/24-bit, the only program I can find on my Oppo UDP-205 or my wife's BDP-93 is DTS HD at 48 kHz/24-bit. Have you heard anything about these? I'm wondering if I am the only one who noticed. The reviewers in Fanfare all seem to have only the CD versions of these remasterings, not the Blu-rays.
It seems very strange that these are coming out of Mexico only. The booklets say that the actual tape-to digital transfers were done at Abbey Road Studios, which I also find strange. I thought all the Decca tapes were in Hanover.
Based on sampling these last night, I will say that even at 48 kHz, the sound is superb - better than anything Decca has issued here of this material. Strangely, I have found a lot of the Decca Originals remasterings to be very bright on top, including the Karajan Otello and the Solti Salome and Elektra. Regarding Salome and Elektra, the Blu-ray editions are just as bright as the two previous CD releases.
Best,
Gary
____________________________
Gary Galo
Audio Engineer Emeritus
The Crane School of Music
SUNY at Potsdam, NY 13676
"Great art presupposes the alert mind of the educated listener."
Arnold Schoenberg
"A true artist doesn't want to be admired, he wants to be believed."
Igor Markevitch
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