Intrada Soundtrack Forum

All this talk of boycotts is stupid because it's impossible for ANY company to inspect every item that comes out of the factory[/img][/url]

Sorry to correct you Doug, it's not like I just threw this thing into a car CD player, gave it one hasty listen and overheard the problem.

I have listened to this CD on various machines - sony hi-fi, pc, dvd player with surround sound. Nothing. I sent it through an equalizer and increased the higher frequencies where these errors are usually more noticeable. Again nothing. Even with headphones there is just nothing comparable to the errors posted before. I even compared it to the DVD score and a copy of the original album. Really, I took a lot of effort to actually hear the problem but there is simply nothing there on my copy. If you want, I can rip a clip of Maleficio for everyone to hear for themselves.

As for the bad indexing. I have no idea what is wrong with it apart from a strange arrangement of the track listing on the back cover. The indexing on the back goes like this:

1. The Township of Eastwick
2. The Dance of the Witches
3. Maleficio
4. The Seduction of Alex
5. Daryl's Secrets
6. The Seduction of Sukie and the Ballroom Scene
7. Daryl Arrives
8. The Tennis Game
9. Have Another Cherry
10. Daryl Rejected
11. The Ride Home
12. The Destruction of Daryl
13. The Children's Carousel
14. End Credits (The Dance Of The Witches Reprise)

To my knowledge, this corresponds with the original release. Or maybe I just misunderstood whats wrong with it because I really can't see an error.

Okay, the catalogue number may be helpful now: mine is CCM-685-2. Maybe there are different catalogue numbers for the re-pressing? Is there any other way to identify a copy from a re-pressing?

I am preparing sound clips now of the section where you normally would hear those error shaker sounds. Hang on!

Okay, you wanted proof so you shall have it.

I prepared 4 clips. All 4 are maleficio starting from 2:07 and going until the end. The first two are the faulty version as posted before, the first one as originally posted and the second one with EQ changes: higher frequencies have been increased and lower frequencies have been decreased - note that the error is even more noticeable.

Clips 3 and 4 are extracts from my own copy, same procedure: First one is the original, unaltered sound as it comes from CD and second one has the same EQ changes. As you will hear, there is NOTHING!

All mp3 have been generated in 160 kbps

<<<CLIPS REMOVED>>>

Oh, and please don't load these clips too often because my traffic is limited. So far I stayed within the limit but please just watch your hits a little ok? Thanks for your understanding!

To any CCM/WB officials who are seeing this: These clips are not meant to infringe anyone's copyright in any way but instead should hopefully help to solve the mystery surrounding faulty copies of YOUR very own product. Thanks for your understanding.

Well, this is intriguing. I listened to your mp3s and can plainly hear the glitches on the first samples and the total absence of glitches on the other samples. So, what does this mean? Have SAE somehow gotten hold of corrected copies? Or were the faulty copies restricted to a certain batch and SAE were lucky enough to snag a different batch?

Now I'm wondering if I should risk buying one of these from SAE, just as you did ... but knowing my luck I will end up with a faulty one anyway!

I wish there was some way to determine in advance - with 100% certainty - which CDs are faulty and which are not. I can't ask SAE to unwrap the CD and test it before mailing it to me, can I?

Frustrating

[quote="Stephen Lister"][snip]

I wish there was some way to determine in advance - with 100% certainty - which CDs are faulty and which are not. I can't ask SAE to unwrap the CD and test it before mailing it to me, can I?

Frustrating [/quote]

Ugh!

I would think that the simple, yet still frustrating, solution here is to simply NOT BUY THIS CD AT ALL, from any retailer and let them know why. If the message does ultimatly and eventually get back to COLLECTORS CHOICE, then they will start to address the issue seriously. That we should have to take a risk in wondering which version is safe, or which retailer carries what, is ridiculous. INTRADA has had recent issues with copies with TOMBSTONE and they did the right thing by issuing a recall on the bad CDs that they received from the pressing plant, and further replaced anyone who had originally bought a copy from them. This seems like a reasonable solution to not only correct the problem, but to also guarantee good customer service and keep them coming back for more.

But I preach to the masses, right?

- Oz

INTRADA is also very right to specify that their Witches CDs are defective. At least customer knows what he's buying and still have the choice. A boycott is a serious thing to do for a company and I understand Doug doesn't look for troubles.

Hey folks, I am going to remove the sound clips from here soon to save some webspace and traffic. If anyone wants to hear them again, please let me know individually, ok? Thanks.

As a deep fan of John T. Williams' work, and despite the fact I've got the original WB 1987 CD of WOE, I bought the reissue because CCM claimed it was remastered (it is, in fact, but that's not a revolution)...

I'm able to tell you my version of the CCM reissue has no sound problem and no bad edit. Here is my story:

1* I received a first copy directly from CCM late april but there was 2 problems: the now-famous sound problem on track "Maleficio" (clik-clik-clik over the music during 2 minutes) and an edit error: the flute solo "The Seduction of Saki" was not at the begining of cue 6 but on cue "The Seduction of Alex" and the cuts were not good !!!

2* I sent back to CCM my CD (they were okay).

3* After one month or so, I finally received another CD (I payed the shipping rates a second time). This one was PERFECT, no problem !

4* I contacted pals with the bad sounding and editing CD reissue, which they bought from variable sources in order to understand (I like to understand) what was happening.

5* Here are my conclusions: there may exist 2 pressings of this reissue.

6* NOTHING allow to make the difference beetween good CD and error CD ! EXCEPT to turn back the CD and read the small numbers and letters around the center.
The wrong version of the reissue has this :
"Z53065"
"MOS1"
"45 CCM2 685-2 01"

The right version (no wild edit, no sound problem) has this:
"Z53065"
"MOS1"
"45 CCM2 685-2 RE-1 01"

This RE-1 changing is the only way to make the difference beetwing bad sounding reissues and good sounding ones (except to here it of course) ! So you don't know what's you're buying: good or bad version. A shame !

Hope this will help. I go back to my pyramid, waxing Elisabeth...

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Rame Tep! Rame Tep! Rame Tep!