Differences in the sound quality/mixing of the Kikuchi soundtrack releases?

Discussion regarding any musical aspect of the franchise, from game soundtracks to BGM to remixes. Upcoming & classic CDs, reviews, where to find them, and more!

Moderators: General Help, Kanzenshuu Staff

User avatar
saiyanprimalforce
Beyond Newbie
Posts: 168
Joined: Thu Sep 01, 2011 12:20 am

Differences in the sound quality/mixing of the Kikuchi soundtrack releases?

Post by saiyanprimalforce » Sat Dec 01, 2018 8:01 pm

Hey everyone,

I was wondering if anyone who knows a lot more about audio than me might be able to shed some light on some questions I had regarding the various Kikuchi CD releases.

I hadn't really put much thought to it before, but the other day I noticed there seems to be slight differences with how some tracks sound between the 5-disc BGM set and the 3-disc BGM set. Ditto for the 4 Movie OST releases as well. The 5-disc and Movie OST tracks sound a bit louder than their counterparts on the 3 disc BGM set, but the 3-disc BGM set seems to have a more distinct "separation" between the various instruments where as the 5 disc set the instruments can sound more lumped in.

So, I was just wondering...what might people view as the definitive version for tracks shared between the releases? The 3-disc BGM set is labeled as "Remastered," so would those versions of those tracks be considered for all intended purposes the best mixes?

I find it a bit odd since normally older CD releases tend to be lower on volume than newer ones (which I know is supposed to be a bit of a problem with artificial loudness damaging the the quality of the original track). But yeah, I'm really not the one to evaluate such things.

Reason I'm asking is I'm working on a re-scoring project for Kai, and the issue hadn't really occurred to me till now about which particular CD release is possibly the best to source from.

Thanks.
Official Discord Server: https://discord.gg/auNXDruqEb
Dragon Ball Z Kai: Ultimate International Edtion + Super: Ultra Instinct Cut http://www.kanzenshuu.com/forum/viewtop ... 07#p491107

User avatar
linkdude20002001
I Live Here
Posts: 2613
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2005 4:22 pm
Location: Marysville, Washington

Re: Differences in the sound quality/mixing of the Kikuchi soundtrack releases?

Post by linkdude20002001 » Sun Dec 02, 2018 12:34 am

You must have downloaded the albums then. I just ript (in wave format) track three of both the 5-disc set and the 3-disc set, and they appear to be nearly identical, aside from the 3-disc set version being inverted and having .1 second more silence at the beginning. And the volume is the exact same on both.
The Many English Dubs of DB, DBZ, and DBGT
Viz Release Censorship Guide

Scsigs: "Y'know, it actually makes sense that they waited till today to announce [the 30th Anniversary] set. It's Akira Toriyama's birthday."
Shaddy: "I too want my legacy destroyed as a birthday gift."

User avatar
saiyanprimalforce
Beyond Newbie
Posts: 168
Joined: Thu Sep 01, 2011 12:20 am

Re: Differences in the sound quality/mixing of the Kikuchi soundtrack releases?

Post by saiyanprimalforce » Sun Dec 02, 2018 2:01 am

linkdude20002001 wrote:You must have downloaded the albums then. I just ript (in wave format) track three of both the 5-disc set and the 3-disc set, and they appear to be nearly identical, aside from the 3-disc set version being inverted and having .1 second more silence at the beginning. And the volume is the exact same on both.
I just finished doing more spot-checks, and yeah, I don't think there is a difference between the 5 and 3-disc sets after all as you mentioned. I've never owned the 5-disc set myself, but all the others are my own personal rips.

However, there is definitely a difference with the 2nd and 3rd movie OST soundtracks compared to the Suite versions in the BGM sets. Spot checking "15 The Demonic Brolli" on 2nd OST and "18 Don't Lose, Gohan!!" on the 3rd OST, they are very clearly louder and more distinct sounding, while the suite versions in the BGM sets are more muted and subdued . Guess that's what confused me. I can't tell a difference in regards to the 1st or 4th OST, but there's definitely something different about how the music for the 2nd and 3rd OST releases were mastered compared to the BGM sets.

So, not really that big of a deal, but it's an interesting thing to notice. Thanks for chiming in!
Official Discord Server: https://discord.gg/auNXDruqEb
Dragon Ball Z Kai: Ultimate International Edtion + Super: Ultra Instinct Cut http://www.kanzenshuu.com/forum/viewtop ... 07#p491107

Post Reply