FM Reissues: Black Noise and Direct To Disc

[Arkangel3]

FINALLY we get to hear the Canadian trio on CD for the first time from the master tapes, and it sounds terrific. UPS dropped the package off just before the bad weather hit, and it was perfect music to listen to on a rainy afternoon. Talk about bringing back memories! Black Noise sounds better than ever having been finally released using the original master tapes. The power prog trio many of us loved finally get two releases that not only bring back the classic albums, but bring them back sounding better than ever. Esoteric once again gets it right by releasing two beloved classics. Direct to Disc sounds phenomenal, although my only complaint lie in the 31 minute running time of the original album (I wish we could have had some outtakes or bonus tracks). Black Noise is vastly superior than the original One-Way records release. If you're thinking about getting these, don't hesitate because they are well worth it, (despite the slight mark-up on Amazon for an import).

How's this...short, sweet and to the point...and I'm not even tripping over myself gushing?

A nice mid-week surprise. Now all I have to do is wait for next month's forthcoming Surveillance and City of Fear re-releases and I can finally rest easy after waiting for these albums get released on CD since about 1985!

[enpdllp]

FINALLY we get to hear the Canadian trio on CD for the first time from the master tapes, and it sounds terrific. UPS dropped the package off just before the bad weather hit, and it was perfect music to listen to on a rainy afternoon. Talk about bringing back memories! Black Noise sounds better than ever having been finally released using the original master tapes. The power prog trio many of us loved finally get two releases that not only bring back the classic albums, but bring them back sounding better than ever. Esoteric once again gets it right by releasing two beloved classics. Direct to Disc sounds phenomenal, although my only complaint lie in the 31 minute running time of the original album (I wish we could have had some outtakes or bonus tracks). Black Noise is vastly superior than the original One-Way records release. If you're thinking about getting these, don't hesitate because they are well worth it, (despite the slight mark-up on Amazon for an import).

How's this...short, sweet and to the point...and I'm not even tripping over myself gushing?

A nice mid-week surprise. Now all I have to do is wait for next month's forthcoming Surveillance and City of Fear re-releases and I can finally rest easy after waiting for these albums get released on CD since about 1985!

I am very glad to hear that the Black Noise and direct to disc CDs sound good.

With that said, there is no recording tape used on FM's direct to disc album. I strongly doubt that Esoteric would make a claim that they used "the original master tapes" for this particular release. That's is pretty much the reason for the name of the album, although on some versions it is titled Headroom. The recording was done live without overdubs into a master disc which was later used to press the LPs. After a limited amount of LPs, the master disc is pretty much thrown away. More details on FM's direct to disc on the following link.

Unless something had changed in recent times, I am also under the impression that the master tapes for the other three FM titles that Esoteric was going to release have never been located (Cameron Hawkins has been searching for the tapes for many years without any luck). I am almost certain that just like the CD of Black Noise released in the mid 1990s by One Way Records, Esoteric was going to use a pristine copy of an LP as their source for this release.

[Koreabruce]

Weren't FM on Passport Records back at that time? I understand, perhaps incorrectly, that the company went bankrupt and many masters were effectively locked away because of that.

[Rarebird]

Still waiting for the right time to order. It has been an expensive start of the year for me. Cat had to leave all her teeth at the vet and it looks like my computer had some serious problems as well. But I'm defenitly looking forward to the CD's.

[enpdllp]

Weren't FM on Passport Records back at that time? I understand, perhaps incorrectly, that the company went bankrupt and many masters were effectively locked away because of that.

Black Noise, Surveillance & City Of Fear were released by Passport Records in Canada. There are other labels that released some of those albums in Canada and other territories in addition to Passport. Passport Records was shut down after their parent company, JEM Records, went bankrupt in 1988.

You can read a recount from Cameron Hawkins on the search of the tapes for Black Noise from a 1994 press release when the album was first offered on CD format on the following link.

[zeprogmeister]

I just got Direct to Disc and it sounds great. I kind of think though that it's probably a vinyl transfer. No where in the credits does it mention tapes.

I didn't buy Black Noise because I have the previous issue, and I would bet the new Esoteric version is from the same source. Nowhere have I heard that the master tapes were found and used. If it specifically mentions that then I would like to know.

Alan

[Trane]

How are the booklets and liner notes on these first two reissues??

[ItalProgRules]

Finally! Seems like the wait has been endless.

I'll be picking up both titles. Great news!

[Arkangel3]

OK...I hate getting my facts wrong. So, I did a bit of research and have come to the conclusion that nothing is really stated so much as implied re source tapes (particularly Black Noise as I kind of figured Direct to Disc was from a new tape derived from the original lacquer master). Interestingly enough, the sticker tried to be removed by someone at either Amazon or elsewhere before I unwrapped the disc.

I'd love for Vicki or anyone else from Esoteric to please drop in on the thread and just fill in the blanks regarding the masters for these two discs and the forthcoming Surveillance and City of Fear releases. Regardless, Esoteric did an excellent job for both these albums.

Sorry if this is confusing as all hell...because it is!

[Rael]

I just got Direct to Disc and it sounds great. I kind of think though that it's probably a vinyl transfer. No where in the credits does it mention tapes.

I didn't buy Black Noise because I have the previous issue, and I would bet the new Esoteric version is from the same source. Nowhere have I heard that the master tapes were found and used. If it specifically mentions that then I would like to know.

Alan

Wasn't the old version of Black Noise also sourced from vinyl? I haven't played it in a while but I don't remember it sounding too bad.

[Arkangel3]

Wasn't the old version of Black Noise also sourced from vinyl? I haven't played it in a while but I don't remember it sounding too bad.

Yes, it was. That's the only truth I know regarding that release!

[zeprogmeister]

Yes it was. It sounds great to me though, no complaints.

[enpdllp]

Wasn't the old version of Black Noise also sourced from vinyl? I haven't played it in a while but I don't remember it sounding too bad.

Yes. More detailed information on the link I provided on post #5 of this thread.

[ItalProgRules]

Back in the day, CFNY always called it "Headroom." I keep forgetting that's what we're discussing when we say "Direct-to-Disc."

[nearfest]

just spun Direct to Disc and it smokes...especially Ben Mink. wowzers. one 'negative'... I got used to pops and clicks at a few points from my vinyl copy. It was actually a little jarring that they weren't there.
the sound quality is really excellent, very crisp highs and beefy bass. When those bass synth sequences kicked in, my floor was vibrating...
additionally, it's not compressed much. I had to goose the volume a bit to fill the room and that's always a good sign. Props to the mastering engineer and the whole Esoteric team in getting this masterpiece out into the light of day.
glad a year's worth of pestering Cam Hawkins bore fruit!!

[nearfest]

It was also good to see extensive liner notes in the reissues. I do wish Esoteric's quality control in terms of proofreading was a touch higher, Aldebaran is misspelled on the back cover track listing of Black Noise, and the violinist on Black Noise was spelled "Nash the Lash" in the Direct to Disc liner notes in one instance. That's gonna bug me ;-) Now time to try Black Noise and do an A/B with the old One-Way CD.

[enpdllp]

Back in the day, CFNY always called it "Headroom." I keep forgetting that's what we're discussing when we say "Direct-to-Disc."

Some versions of the album were titled "Head Room" instead of "direct to disc". Some pictures of the LP titled "Head Room" could be found on the following link.

[enpdllp]

just spun Direct to Disc and it smokes...especially Ben Mink. wowzers. one 'negative'... I got used to pops and clicks at a few points from my vinyl copy. It was actually a little jarring that they weren't there.
the sound quality is really excellent, very crisp highs and beefy bass. When those bass synth sequences kicked in, my floor was vibrating...
additionally, it's not compressed much. I had to goose the volume a bit to fill the room and that's always a good sign. Props to the mastering engineer and the whole Esoteric team in getting this masterpiece out into the light of day.
glad a year's worth of pestering Cam Hawkins bore fruit!!

Any idea of which take Esoteric used for direct to disc? Most albums used takes A4 and B4. A few used B1 and B2.

[nearfest]

I would think they used A4 and B4 because in the liner notes Cam Hawkins says they were happiest with the fourth take of each piece. But I'll ask Martin Deller for sure and post the answer here.

[trurl]

Generally, they would have run a safety tape concurrently with the cutting of the master disk on a direct-to-disc recording. Hopefully that's what was located and used for this new transfer...

[Birdy]

I sense it's time that Vicky chimed in about how and from what sources these were remastered.

[zeprogmeister]

Good work on the pestering Rob

I assume on the previous Black Noise versions that One Way was the same as the Now See Hear version (NSH is what I have).

[trurl]

Sweet- now pester them to do Fireballet!! I (think I can) can hook you up

[enpdllp]

I sense it's time that Vicky chimed in about how and from what sources these were remastered.

The question has been asked many times by different folks since Vicky did the original announcement of the FM reissue program back in August 2012, but it has been ignored. Unless the tapes have been recently located, I strongly doubt that we will get an admission that a "needle drop" was the source for the reissue, since some people might perceive it as an inferior product. FWIW, I do not considered a CD sourced from an LP as an inferior product.

I assume on the previous Black Noise versions that One Way was the same as the Now See Hear version (NSH is what I have).

Yes it is.

[nearfest]

My best guess is Direct to Disc, Black Noise, and Surveillance are high-quality, well-done needle drops (yes, this is feasible). From virgin vinyl with top-shelf pro equipment like I know Martin Deller has, it can end up basically the same as using a 2-track backup safety master tape. The backup 2-track masters for City of Fear were located by Larry Fast and I'm quite sure these were used in the upcoming CoF remaster.