A few weeks ago we had announced that our entire Octave Record’s catalog was now available in DSD256. Many of you got excited (me too!) and purchased them…..
…..only to discover there was no music on those downloads.
Doh! This was 100% my fault and I apologize.
Now, the files are repaired and available again for download. If you previously purchased them your old download code still works. If you lost it or whatever, reach out to the sales team and they’ll get you fixed right up.
Again, mea culpa and apologies.
For those who didn’t know about this, you can go here and find (hopefully to your delight) the following formats now available for download:
DSD
PCM
This is pretty exciting for us. In the future, we will likely lose 192kHz and go instead to a more native format of 176kHz (a true multiple of 44.1).
All new Octave recordings are natively recorded in DSD256, but the older classics were in DSD64. How did we get to these new sample rates? With a great deal of sweat and time.
As many of you know, the process of mixing and mastering DSD requires conversion to either analog or DXD. The older catalog was first converted to analog, then reconverted back to DSD64. For remastering, we did basically the same thing only instead of converting the final mix to DSD64 we instead selected DSD128 and DSD256.
Why a lot of time and sweat? The entire remastering process is done in real-time. Meaning each track is converted at a painstaking 1:1. So an hour-long album takes an hour to remaster in each new DSD rate (so two hours for each album to get DSD128 and DSD256).
You do the math.
The results are spectacular and worth grabbing.
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Well, glitches will happen…machines built by humans will err.
Meanwhile, I scored Art Blakely’s – ‘Blusania Triangle’ CD featuring Dr. John & David ‘Fathead’ Newman & a Vital Records (VTL 008) – ‘Toolbox’ CD with James Earl, Michael O’Neill, Walfredo Reyes, David Garfield & Larry Kilmer…FOR TEN BUCKS EACH on ‘Discogs’ 😮 (Deceased Estate)
Both of these CDs are rare to find in near mint condition, but if you can find them, & you love wonderful foot-tapping jazz that is extremely well recorded & produced (shimmering, crystal clear cymbals), I do highly recommend both of these CDs…5 stars!
Bluesiana Triangle–one of my favorite CDs, FR. You have good taste. 😎
“For All We Know”, the last cut, was the last dance at my most recent wedding–some 23 years ago.
Sounds like you had your hands fuller than normal for a bit of time?
I have many questions but learned that this is not the place to ask multiple ones. So I’ll keep it to one basic one.
If you’re listening on the DSDAC, What do you hear that is different between the 64 and the 256 version? (Trying to justify if the previous OR downloads are worth the expense again of purchasing again)
I like the even multiples. – thanks.
Show me an odd multiple 😉
Easy,
Get 3 mirrors – place them in front of you and stare – 😀
Oddly enough there’s 3 images of an oddly unique individual 😎
Then do that 4.3537415 times to make things even
Not because they’re odd multiples but because it’s fifty years old for goodness sake!
Please insert ‘highway’ or ‘autobahn’ as appropriate.
https://youtu.be/psEuhRPc8rk
Great memory Rich.
Haven’t heard that one for decades 😀
Thanks, Mike. Drop me an email and let me know what album you downloaded already and I’ll send you a link to try a higher sample rate so you can see and let us know what you think. That work?
If we previously purchased the physical media or downloads prior to the DSD 256 is there a way to upgrade to the 256 files? Or do they need to be repurchased? Thank you.
If you purchased the SACD thast isn’t the download which is separate. If you purchased a download before then contact our sales people and they’ll help you get a new one.
One of the reasons I don’t buy downloads. Could run into a problem from the source or later on the harddrive. I prefer the physical disk. I’ve never got a blank disk unless someone burned one for me and messed up. I hear that the silver disks have a lifespan. We were told in the beginning that if you took care of them they would last forever. 24K Golds fair a little better. Nothing is forever. Better back up your hard Drive too but I bet copyright software prevents that. Do CDs actually oxidize over time rendering them unplayable? Or is it all in how they are stored good or poorly?
I got upset when I tried to re-rip some CDs after a hard drive crash for that very reason. I do think how they’re treated has some bearing on longevity, the ones of mine that spent the most time in vehicles were the first to develop holes that you can see in the metal foil layer. I’m not certain the gold ones fare much better as my gold Dark Side of the Moon was trashed too. Now instead of discs I keep multiple backups.
In addition to the one I listen from 1 on hard drive in another machine and 2 backups on 2 sets of USB thumb drives. One of which was sent to my daughter on the other side of the country. Just in case of a localized EMP. . There are still a few albums I haven’t replaced, but I’m about 75% there.
Edit: I don’t worry about the copyright issues, neither me or my daughter is selling copies so they’re actual backups that aren’t being shared.
The best way to preserve was to buy a first pressing LP and transfer it to a cassette for the car. When the cassette got effed up just make another copy from your album. As long as you use a high quality turntable arm and cartridge that album is good for a long time. Seems no storage method is full proof. I wonder how those original master tapes are doing after 50 years? They must be stored in a climate controlled room. Need to get those all burned to new albums and onto DSD.
I think they are encoded to prevent multiple copies being made. If you want another copy you must pay for it or in this case with PS Audio get permission to do another download.
My streamer (Mano II) is limited to DSD64, but I have a PS Audio SACD player. Can I rip a DSD256 download to a DVD-R and play that, or download to a USB stick and play that on the SACD player? Thanks!
The SACD player is limited to 192kHz PCM and 128fs DSD. It won’t handle 256 but you can play 128 through the front panel USB input. Sorry for the original comment where I said it wouldn’t.
Paul, So will the DS DAC play the DSD256? So the front USB port on the PST will not handle DSD256?
No, I believe only as high as 128
Thanks Paul. I might have to return my Matrix to the daisy chain!
That’s what I did.
I asked this a few weeks ago and assuming you have the PST then the USB stiick is the way to go.
According to Paul – old link should work for those that had all ready purchased even though my link says it expired on 8/21. I’ll give it a go later.
So this doesn’t work for downloading the 256DSD for people that bought 3 weeks ago and the downloads were bad. The link from the email says it expired when you click on it now. I was looking for a history of my downloads on the site to try there but it doesn’t seem to have it either. Help!
Hi Tim. I updated and extended the cutoff for the code. Can you try to download now and let us know?
Thanks Paul. Trying now. It kicked. So that is a good sign. I just have to wait a bit as these big files take awhile
They are playing. 256DSD on the DS. That worked by extending the date. Thanks Paul. We have several others out there waiting for this fix
Great. I am traveling but able to answer emails and help with downloads if they reach out to me via email. [email protected]
How’s it sounding?
Well I listened to it 3x yesterday if that says anything. It sounds fantastic. The 256 to me just have a quietness to the background others don’t seem to have. Almost like the sound comes from this black hole. The GasPops 256 shows those qualities off. The guitar solo in the first track has this ‘walk around the musician ‘ feel.
But the best thing about this album is the music. It’s just a great musical album with a lot of catchy tunes. Not typical of audiophile ‘stuff’ but very much welcomed. It’s an album I’d show off my rig with as well as listen to on a daily basis. You need to get them in the studio again. 🙂
That’s great. I agree with you. It’s a great album both musically and sonically. Thanks for sharing.
timm, How are you able to play DSD256 on your DS. Pl;ease explain how get the DSD256 data into the DS?
I go out usb to matrix. Matrix out to DS via I2S.
timm, Sorry for being so dense about this, but which Matrix Audio product are you using to go from usb to I2S?
I believe it is the matrix spdif2? It converts usb to I2S or other protocol. Huge thread on the forum.
Yes, for the moment (until the AirLens is available, I do the same: https://www.matrix-digi.com/product/20/X-SPDIF_2 I think they are $500 and work well.