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"Bridge Over Trouble Water" sounds artificial

During the pandemic I've been upgrading my sound system.  I used to enjoy Simon & Garfunkel, "Bridge Over Trouble Water".  With my upgraded equipment the hi resolution audio sounds very synthetic, with one track on top of another, not like real music at all.  The voices are doubled and violins just layered on top.  On my same system, I played a live concert of Andre Previn playing Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue".  It sounded real and beautiful, like a live performance.  Am I doing something wrong?
aeschwartz
wolfie62
353 posts
 
I have original vinyl recordings of S&G. Bridge Over Troubled Waters is an excellent recording and mix, as it was originally mastered by Columbia.

No idea what the OP is listening to, what mix or who mastered it.
gosta's avatar
gosta
839 posts
 
Happened to listen to Bridge over Troubled Waters cd this weekend (and other S&G stuff) and thought it was surprisingly well recorded and sounding. Not all tracks though. The joy with a fine system is to hear it all, even the bad parts. I mean it is a studio product. Didn't listen to them as young so have no nostalgia here. If you want to hear what is possible to create in a studio today try Sierra Hull and the above mentioned Sarah.
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
Of all the CD’s released this 1985 made in Japan is the one with least compression.
http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/view/76411

And there’s 3 used ones on ebay
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313&_nkw=CDCBS+63699&_sacat=0

Look what they are getting for the later Sony SBM (Super Bit Mapping Mastersound) ones.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=CK-64421&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=%095-099746-248826
And they don’t have the dynamic range, of the older ones http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/view/5716

Cheers George


pjr801's avatar
pjr801
192 posts
 
Take some time and listen again. Sometimes the difference in information you're receiving through your system takes a while for your ears to become accustomed to. If it's not sounding brash or sibilant or harsh take some time and enjoy the bits that are new discoveries. I think mapman sums it up perfectly.
clearthinker's avatar
clearthinker
1,582 posts
 
Sorry pjr801 and wolfie, there's no remedy for this recording.
Agree entirely with jctf and mozartfan.

Right from the get-go this was a poor recording showing terrible distortion in the repeated sung choruses towards the end.
I bought the LP when issued and immediately found this track is unlistenable.  Most of the rest of the record is OK.  I have always picked the stylus up rather than listen to this.

I think the engineers set the levels too high and the sound pressure near the climax pushed into straightforward distortion.  Arrangement and engineering by P. Spector?? (not really, only joking).

Obviously this will not sound so harsh on a less critical system.

What a pity!
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