Culture Factory USA - New Re-Issue Label

Blair G. · 03 Aug 2006

As noted over at the SH Forum, there is apparently a new label Culture Factory USA based in Nashville re-issuing CDs in mini LP format with obis and 24/96 mastering.
First group of discs available now through Amazon.

Has anyone here seen/heard them?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?search- ... g=imwan-20

http://www.culturefactoryusa.com/

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Cultur ... 4307253980

Walter P · 20 Sep 2006

Wow...sparse website, but an interesting mix of titles to start with. They're certainly worth watching.

Jimbo · 19 Jul 2006

Good to see another reissue label on the market. Their prices are quite fair too.

Kym · 11 Nov 2006

I'm getting that Moon Martin!

JohnG · 03 Aug 2006

Always like Kim Wilde and those Robert Palmer CDs are nice too.

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

How does one do a CD in 96/24 when the format is limited to 44/16???

Dean Harris · 19 Dec 2007

For completists, the Kim Wilde debut cd carries the track order of the original US release. Someone on the Hoffman board mentioned that the first 4 Motels albums were coming up, but I can't find anything beyond the first. A hi-def "Careful" is on my wish list!

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

CD is physically incapable of hi-def. Straight cd is locked into the standard 44/16. One can do 96/24 on tape & DOWNSAMPLE to cd. There are both benefits (the original hopefully quality hi-def mastering) & detriments (my understanding is the downsampling introduces quantization problems that wouldn't have occurred in a straight 44/16 master; I have experienced / listened to this personally).

The reason this sort of thing pisses me off so much is the record co's have been lying about it for years. I have no problem with them saying something like "remastered from tapes that were archived as 96/24". But stating a cd is "96/24" or "hi-def" is a flat out lie.

Other than digital tape, the only hi-def physical media I am aware of is SACD, DVD-V, DVD-A & Blu-ray. HDCD theoretically adds 2 bits to a standard cd, but it's nowhere near 96/24..

David Baker · 31 Oct 2006

If anyone buys the Motels and/or the "Phantom of the Paradise" soundtrack, please let me know what you think. I play the old CDs that I have pretty regularly (at least the Jessica Harper songs on PotP), and would definitely be interested if there's a noticeable sound upgrade. Will stick with the recent UK Kim Wilde reissues, though; I'm very happy with them and with all the bonus material that is included.

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

I would also be interested in any reports as to how this label's releases sound.

fldrmaus · **Joined:** 05 Mar 2009 **Posts:** 42

I'm going through the Quicksilver Messenger Service reissues and they sound great! I just ordered the Motels and am waiting to order the Hot Tuna reissues for Sept. 11th... :yay:

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

fldrmausm thank you. Do you have any of the Capitols or One Ways for comparison?

I love Shady Grove, & the One Way cd was one of the first cd's I ever heard that sounded better than the vinyl.

fldrmaus · **Joined:** 05 Mar 2009 **Posts:** 42

Geff R. wrote:

fldrmausm thank you. Do you have any of the Capitols or One Ways for comparison?

I love Shady Grove, & the One Way cd was one of the first cd's I ever heard that sounded better than the vinyl.

No, I don't have any other QMS CDs other than the Culture Factory USA reissues.... But they sound great to me... Just finishing up listening to Just For Love...

Desert-Sailor · **Joined:** 06 Apr 2010 **Posts:** 5

Geff R. wrote:

fldrmausm thank you. Do you have any of the Capitols or One Ways for comparison?

I love Shady Grove, & the One Way cd was one of the first cd's I ever heard that sounded better than the vinyl.

I have a few of the various versions including the Japanese mini lps (I'm a sucker for the mini's) and overall found these Culture Factory versions to be the best sounding. The Japanese mini's have better packaging, brighter graphics on the covers and the nice cd "condoms" for protection. (BTW - I did find the sound quality from the 2002 "Classic Masters" (best of) to be close to if not the same as the new Culture Factory versions.)

Geff - To my ears, the One Way version of "Shady Grove" sounds good, the Japanese mini sounds better but the Culture Factory version is by far the best.

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

Desert-Sailor, thank you! i need to put a couple of these on my want list.

I also find the upcoming Hot Tuna debut also intriguing, I really didn't think the last RCA remaster could be improved on, but you never know!

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

Desert-Sailor wrote:

Geff R. wrote:

fldrmausm thank you. Do you have any of the Capitols or One Ways for comparison?

I love Shady Grove, & the One Way cd was one of the first cd's I ever heard that sounded better than the vinyl.

I have a few of the various versions including the Japanese mini lps (I'm a sucker for the mini's) and overall found these Culture Factory versions to be the best sounding. The Japanese mini's have better packaging, brighter graphics on the covers and the nice cd "condoms" for protection. (BTW - I did find the sound quality from the 2002 "Classic Masters" (best of) to be close to if not the same as the new Culture Factory versions.)

Geff - To my ears, the One Way version of "Shady Grove" sounds good, the Japanese mini sounds better but the Culture Factory version is by far the best.

I just got to compare Shady Grove CF VS OW. I prefer the One Way. The CF is obviously much closer to the master tape, but it's horribly compressed.

Z phage · **Joined:** 10 Dec 2006 **Posts:** 247

Geff R. wrote:

I would also be interested in any reports as to how this label's releases sound.

Hoffmanites are trouncing these for compression and eq tweaks

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

I just ran the Dynamic Range meter software I discussed in the AF thread on the 2 Shady Grove Editions

The Culture Factory Scored "DR7" (terrible)
The One Way Scored "DR11" (Slightly below par)

Kym · 11 Nov 2006

I have the Moon Martin - Escape From Domination reissue, and it sounds pretty bad. "Metallic" and "harsh" are the words that come to mind.

pghmusiclover · **Joined:** 15 Jul 2007 **Posts:** 3360

As a non-audiophile, I have all of the Robert Palmer CDs and they sound fine to me. However, try as a friend might to explain, I still don't understand what compression or brickwalled mean -- nor does it particularly matter to me...

Dr. Chris Evil · 26 Jul 2006

pghmusiclover wrote:

As a non-audiophile, I have all of the Robert Palmer CDs and they sound fine to me. However, try as a friend might to explain, I still don't understand what compression or brickwalled mean -- nor does it particularly matter to me...

If they sound fine to you, then they are fine.

It's all in the ear of the beholder.

pghmusiclover · **Joined:** 15 Jul 2007 **Posts:** 3360

Dr. Chris Evil wrote:

pghmusiclover wrote:

As a non-audiophile, I have all of the Robert Palmer CDs and they sound fine to me. However, try as a friend might to explain, I still don't understand what compression or brickwalled mean -- nor does it particularly matter to me...

If they sound fine to you, then they are fine.

It's all in the ear of the beholder.

Culture Factory USA - New Re-Issue Label

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