New album is called Hope

[dani]

It's official. Merlin sang all the high bits in "Venite Adoremus". There was some studio editing. A mother knows.

Thank you so much for confirming this

[fan_de_LoK]

So I was wrong not to recognize Merlin on high notes. The overlap has also deceived me.
Thank you for clarify things John

[filiarheni]

Thank you for asking, John, that's good to know and I'm so glad that they did not miss crediting a boy in the booklet!

Joe SW was dubbed for the video as it was Joe who did both parts on the cd.

Could you please post your source you base that upon?

It’s just a known fact that Joe did both parts. Most stuff from Libera is word of mouth and you can ever accept as the truth or you can have doubts.

Occupational habit. I learnt to work scientifically, so normally I don't easily believe without a proof. So far, this proof for me has been the video showing Joe Sanders-Wilde and the fact that he was mentioned accordingly on youtube (among other websites) and - above all - that it remained without contradiction there. Who would not rely on this?

I think that with some fantasy there are several ways to make a wonderful video without pretending that somebody else sings.

But we can now leave it at that at least in this thread, as this is probably not the one for a deeper discussion. Furthermore, it's long past. So I hope that, if it is true (and I admit it saddens me), it was a one-time event. (Well, this song has never been a favourite of mine anyway , which, of course, has nothing to do with the discussed issue, and its musical/singing quality is undisputed! )

[bachmahlerfan]

I found something on another forum regarding the LP version of this album that I thought you guys might find interesting. I know the LP was discussed somewhat on this thread, but I didn't see anybody here talk about the sound quality in much detail. I don't have a record player, so I can't agree or disagree with the statements on the forum. I'll put a link to the forum, and it should be noted that the message regarding this album is at the bottom of the page, and there are numerous responses to the post on the following page of the forum thread.
http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/y ... 33/page-22
The person who initially brought up the album also mentions contacting the mastering engineer Miles Showell in the following link: http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/y ... t-18466438

[Surpinto]

I found something on another forum regarding the LP version of this album that I thought you guys might find interesting. I know the LP was discussed somewhat on this thread, but I didn't see anybody here talk about the sound quality in much detail. I don't have a record player, so I can't agree or disagree with the statements on the forum. I'll put a link to the forum, and it should be noted that the message regarding this album is at the bottom of the page, and there are numerous responses to the post on the following page of the forum thread.
http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/y ... 33/page-22
The person who initially brought up the album also mentions contacting the mastering engineer Miles Showell in the following link: http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/y ... t-18466438

I have mentioned before in prior discussions about the high audio quality of Libera's music. I have not heard the LP and do not own a record player but the advantages and disadvantages of LP's were discussed earlier in the thread.

I do not know if a different mix was used for the LP that might be superior to the CD mix so I cannot comment on that. Nevertheless, I find the author's remark that the CD "was just a blurry mess with no placement of voices or instruments" to be unfairly derogatory. I wonder if perhaps the very high-end audio equipment the author uses to listen to the music, which is extremely likely to be of a higher quality than even the equipment the music was recorded on, creates some issues as well. Although I have some rather basic and very general knowledge about music recording and equipment, my knowledge is too amateurish to make any definitive conclusions or analyses here.

All the same it is a very positive development that Libera's music has made it's way into the audiophile sphere! I still posit that it would be far better if they release their music, for a higher price, in studio master quality FLAC than LP, but that is just my own preference.

[dani]

That’s very interesting about the Vinyl version of Hope being a different cut from the cd version.

I don’t have a record player so I can’t compare but it’s certainly intriguing how they used different finished finished versions of the album.

[andmar]

I do not know if a different mix was used for the LP that might be superior to the CD mix so I cannot comment on that. Nevertheless, I find the author's remark that the CD "was just a blurry mess with no placement of voices or instruments" to be unfairly derogatory.

The "was just a blurry mess with no placement of voices or instruments" remark disturbs me too. I had a chance to listen to the Hope CD on a pretty good audio equipment belonging to a friend of mine. The audio equipment: a CD player, an amplifier, two loudspeaker amplifiers and two loudspeakers plus high-tec audio cables is worth the price of a new medium car. I must say I was fascinated and delighted with the sound quality of the CD. Keeping my eyes closed I felt like being in a small concert hall with pretty warm acoustic and having the choir and the orchestra just a couple meters in front of me with a very distinct placement. I felt like being able to distinguish clearly each part, each harmony, almost each touch of a violin string. The sound was as natural as it only could be - just like during the best live performance.

I'm not an audiophile, but I can hardly imagine anyone to notice such a big difference between the LP and the CD quality provided both were played with an comparable audio equipment.

[feinstei]

I'm the guy who made the postings in the Steve Hoffman forum. As far as my comment about the "CD being a blurry mess", I was only making that remark in a comparative way to the LP version. I'm sorry if it seemed harsh, but IN COMPARISON TO THE LP, it's true. The LP is an audiophile masterpiece and was being used as a demonstration disk by a very high end manufacturer at an audio show in Chicago whose name is the same as an Apple computer model but spelled differently (in other words... McIntosh demonstrating their new $8,000 MP-1100 vacuum tube phono preamp)......

What's so great about the "Hope" LP?
The placement of the voices in the stereo soundstage (especially on Mr. Montero's solo "From A Distance") and the overall balance of harmonies and the distinct separation of the complex choral voices are the highlights of the LP version. Listening to it, I could place each voice and their relative position in the choir. Not so on the CD version, either Japanese or UK.

I had the privilege of conversing with the mastering engineer at Abbey Road, an industry veteran named Miles Showell. He was responsible for the recent Queen LP's as well as mastering for the new Beatles mono LP set both of which are very highly regarded by audiophiles. Mr. Showell educated me by mentioning that the mastering for an LP is a different beast than mastering for digital. The 24/192 digital master tape has to be equalized for LP playback (such things as the RIAA curve and cutting balances) and various tonalities are equalized for a more "analogue" experience. Both the LP and digital versions derive from the same 24/192 master, its the cutting and LP mastering where the difference comes in and the effect of this difference is EXTREMELY satisfying and revealing on the LP version of "Hope" ("satisfying and revealing" is a quote from Mr. Showell). Mr. Showell also mentioned the cutting and pressing quality of the white vinyl LP was extraordinarily done when he heard sample pressings of "Hope"....

I can really only point out one deficiency of the LP version --- it should have been a double LP set so that all 15 tracks from the combined U.K. and Japanese releases of "Hope" could have been put on this incredible LP....

I urge everyone here, whether or not you have LP playing capability to pickup a copy of this exceptional album. First of all, the artwork in 12"x12" format is fabulous. Secondly, as is the current state of the record pressing business, this LP will be unavailable after the single "run" of 3500 to 5000 copies is sold. It's not going to be re-pressed. It's going to go out-of-print and will be a collectors item, just like the 2 St. Phillips LP's (and CD's for that matter) are. Our audiophile society after hearing it played on my McIntosh vacuum tube system, ordered 50 copies of it. As the other fellow commented, a bunch of copies were ordered by Steve Hoffman audiophiles (I've had conversations with about 10 audiophiles there and they're all amazed by the job that Miles Showell did on this LP). So it ain't going to be around forever.

[Yorkie]

I urge everyone here, whether or not you have LP playing capability to pickup a copy of this exceptional album. First of all, the artwork in 12"x12" format is fabulous. Secondly, as is the current state of the record pressing business, this LP will be unavailable after the single "run" of 3500 to 5000 copies is sold. It's not going to be re-pressed. It's going to go out-of-print and will be a collectors item, just like the 2 St. Phillips LP's (and CD's for that matter) are. Our audiophile society after hearing it played on my McIntosh vacuum tube system, ordered 50 copies of it. As the other fellow commented, a bunch of copies were ordered by Steve Hoffman audiophiles (I've had conversations with about 10 audiophiles there and they're all amazed by the job that Miles Showell did on this LP). So it ain't going to be around forever.

I read what you had to say about the LP and bought one It arrived today but I haven't opened it because i don't have a record player and I haven't used my cd player for about 10 years! I don't think it is likely that i will be spending a huge sum of money to buy top quality audiophile gear, but if i ever do I have a copy of that LP

[feinstei]

Glad you were able to get a copy. The artwork on the gatefold is wonderful and, as I said before, once they're sold out, they're gone forever and your copy will retain it's value to collectors.

[Surpinto]

I'm the guy who made the postings in the Steve Hoffman forum.

Thank you for coming here, joining us, and explaining your review. All is well now that you have clarified what you meant about the CD .

It was enjoyable to read about the details of the LP that I was previously not aware of. Since I have long been an advocate of Libera entering the audiophile sphere it makes me very happy that others here share this vision, and can bring their knowledge of the technical aspects to bear on the discussion. Thank you for that!

I doubt I'll purchase the LP as I would feel obliged to be be able to play it some day - something that is financially unjustifiable for me seeing as I do not own a player. It would sit at home taunting me to play it. Unbearable!

[feinstei]

That's part of the evil conspiracy of buying the beautifully packaged display-worthy LP version.... It'll force you to buy an expensive turntable, an ultrasonic record cleaner, and an expensive vacuum tube phono preamp!!!! (Just kidding of course). Thanks for your comment....

[filiarheni]

I've got a turntable, but only for the purpose of digitising my old LPs that I like ... as I just love the uncomplicated handling of a CD, and it's so great to never have any "hanging" in a song! And I'm not super-demanding on acoustics and am very satisfied with just having the songs to listen to.

[filiarheni]

Around these days, it has been about one year since "Hope" was released. Time to reflect! I'm very curious about the development in your likings, so:

Have your initial song preferences remained stable up to now and are they still as strong as they were then? Or has something changed with the time going on?

And are the "Hope" songs the ones you (still) listen to most after this year or is it rather an equal mix with older songs now?

[andmar]

Around these days, it has been about one year since "Hope" was released. Time to reflect! I'm very curious about the development in your likings, so:

Have your initial song preferences remained stable up to now and are they still as strong as they were then? Or has something changed with the time going on?

And are the "Hope" songs the ones you (still) listen to most after this year or is it rather an equal mix with older songs now?

Oh gosh, It's been a year, really.
Interesting questions. Yes, my song preferences remained stable not counting the initial phase of getting familiar with the CD. Sometimes I need simply more time to fully enjoy a particular song, but after that my perception remains rather stable. To be honest, I don't listen to "Hope" very often. This is because of three reasons:

• I don't want the album to become a routine affair.
• As "Hope" has a big emotional impact on me I want to savoy it to the fullest and not to get overwhelmed by it.
• The older songs are beautiful and equally worth listening to.