NIN - The slip

[noddin0ff]

Go here.

[Jim Clark]

Go here.

I'll admit to not being anywhere near the NIN fan that I should be. Got the albums-NEVER play them. Maybe this one will be different. Thanks for the link. I'm going Flac!

jc

[Slosh]

I snagged the hi-rez 96kHz/24-bit WAV version. Now I need to figure out how to get this on a DVD-R that'll play on any DVD player (ie - not a data disc). I assume I need to create a VOB with the included album art files, although I have no plans to actually view them upon playback.

[jonnyhambone]

there's this too.

http://ghosts.nin.com/main/home

click on 'listen' and then download if you want it (free). All instrumental...very atmospheric. I'm that way too with nin, have a couple but rarely listen to them. This one I found myself playing late night in the studio the past week or two.


edit: ha, just read the 'hey noddinOff' post...guess this isn't new news anymore.

[Slosh]

Okay, I burned it with Nero 7 but it down-converted it to 48kHz/16-bit for some reason. Still sounds good but I want the full hi-rez files on disc. Hmmm . . . . guess I'll have to try again with different software. Anyone got a recommendation?

[Jim Clark]

Okay, I burned it with Nero 7 but it down-converted it to 48kHz/16-bit for some reason. Still sounds good but I want the full hi-rez files on disc. Hmmm . . . . guess I'll have to try again with different software. Anyone got a recommendation?

computer boy, if you get it figured out I'd appreciate a lesson. I don't stand a chance on my own.

Thanks,
jc

[Slosh]

computer boy, if you get it figured out I'd appreciate a lesson. I don't stand a chance on my own.

Thanks,
jc

After a bit of digging I found a free little utility called DVD-Audiofile that converts 96/24WAV or 96/24FLAC to a DVD-Audio ISO image, that in turn you can burn with Nero, DVD Decrypter, etc. There's also one called Lplex that does the same thing but makes a 96/24 DVD-Video ISO.

Go to http://24bit.turtleside.com and scroll down until you find which one you want. I'm using DVD-Audiofile so I can make DVD-A discs from some of the 5.1 FLAC concerts I have downloaded.

[Slosh]

So this DVD-Audiofile program worked great! There's no video or menus. Fine by me, you just pop it in your DVD player and it plays just like a CD. I can confirm it definitely is indeed a 96/24 stereo DVD-A disc. That being the case I probably should have used Lplex to make a DVD-Video disc but my DVD players in both systems do DVD-A (Pioneer Elites) so not an issue for me.

[kexodusc]

After a bit of digging I found a free little utility called DVD-Audiofile that converts 96/24WAV or 96/24FLAC to a DVD-Audio ISO image, that in turn you can burn with Nero, DVD Decrypter, etc. There's also one called Lplex that does the same thing but makes a 96/24 DVD-Video ISO.

Go to http://24bit.turtleside.com and scroll down until you find which one you want. I'm using DVD-Audiofile so I can make DVD-A discs from some of the 5.1 FLAC concerts I have downloaded.

Hey that's a pretty sweet find!

[Slosh]

So it turns out this DVD-Audiofile program apparently is specifically designed to work with FLAC files. Although it does support WAV some people have reported issues. I can't say with any certainty as the first thing I did after The Slip downloaded was convert the album to 96/24FLAC so I could tag the files and embed the album art. In any case it created a flawless DVD-A disc with my FLAC files (perfect gap timing, no pops or glitches). Also it doesn't work with multi-channel (currently). Still, I may use it for other purposes in the future. For example, I can now create 44/16 DVD-A discs so I would be able to put entire discographies on a DVD-R. DVD-V doesn't support 44.1kHz so in order to do that you'd have to convert to 48/16, which will not only make your files bigger but also compromise sound quality (not to mention there's no lossless compression like DVD-A has).

As for The Slip, I haven't really had much chance to listen yet. Seems just about as dynamically compressed as most other new albums. Cymbal rides sound nice and smooth and extended though. I don't actually have much interest in NIN anymore. To me the music is yet another rehash of The Downward Spiral, and personally I always liked Pretty Hate Machine the most. In fairness I should listen to the album several times before commenting. Problem is I have a bunch of other new-to-me albums that are much more interesting to get through first so it'll likely be months before I give this any proper attention, hi-res or not.

[bobsticks]

...To me the music is yet another rehash of The Downward Spiral, and personally I always liked Pretty Hate Machine the most. In fairness I should listen to the album several times before commenting. Problem is I have a bunch of other new-to-me albums that are much more interesting to get through first so it'll likely be months before I give this any proper attention, hi-res or not.

To an extent, I feel the same. "Pretty Hate Machine" is my favorite NIN work by quite a margin and new stuff of all stripes is coming pretty quickly these days. A few cursory listens has me liking this one though. It's very atmospheric but not in the traditional caustic NIN way. Almost like NIN-meets-Sigur Ros, which works for me.

Frankly, it's gonna be a hot minute before I even think about listening to both "Ghost" and "The Slip" back-to-back to formulate a preference.

[kexodusc]

To an extent, I feel the same. "Pretty Hate Machine" is my favorite NIN work by quite a margin and new stuff of all stripes is coming pretty quickly these days. A few cursory listens has me liking this one though. It's very atmospheric but not in the traditional caustic NIN way. Almost like NIN-meets-Sigur Ros, which works for me.

Frankly, it's gonna be a hot minute before I even think about listening to both "Ghost" and "The Slip" back-to-back to formulate a preference.

First albums are usually my favorites, but in the case of NIN, "The Fragile" just did so much more for me. Even if it came 2 years too late.
Since then though I think they've changed they're sound substantially. "With Teeth" was very similar to "Pretty Hate Machine" in that it wasn't more a collection of songs instead of a relentless concept, just didn't have as many memorable tunes. "Year Zero" was a concept but it was quite different from "Broken", "The Downward Spiral" and "The Fragile" etc and quite frankly, refreshing to hear. Awesome album. Ambitious campaign. Ghosts has its moments, but that's going to be music to fit a mood for this guy, probably background music or something I'll use to jam with when I practice solo. Can't expect much for a bunch of bits of music collected over several years that didn't make other albums. It actually works when put together like it was.

"The Slip" so far has its own feel. I figured it would be stuff cut from Ghosts (in other words ideas, song fragments, and themes that didn't make other albums) but it's way better than that. I'm a bit shocked there's no price tag considering Reznor could have sold it for $2 and probably made half a million in easy cash. Can't say I'd resist that temptation (just bein' honest). Good to see fame and fortune haven't commercialized all the artists out there. Here's to hoping I can get more half decent free music from established acts in the near future - but I won't hold my breath.

[Slosh]

Good to see fame and fortune haven't commercialized all the artists out there.

I have a ton of respect for Reznor; not only as an artist but also as a person of integrity. He walks the walk, as they say. When OiNK got shut down he not only admitted to being a user, but expressed the reality of its worth, and how the other users weren't really there to steal music, but rather were avid fans who wanted to share their passion with others and in turn buy more albums and go to shows from acts they otherwise wouldn't have heard of, never mind heard. Basically he was saying OiNK was the world's best, fully stocked music library, with a delivery system that far exceeded that of conventional means. It's the record companies' short-sightedness for not recognizing an opportunity to get in on it, say by allowing low bit-rate mp3 streams for free with lossless downloads for less-than-CD pricing.

He understands the importance of getting your art out there. CD and ticket sales will follow if the art merits it. Now I know it's easy for NIN to do this as they're already well-established, and no longer need a record company for promotion and distribution, and frankly Reznor probably has all the money he'll ever need. But I can say with all honesty that I have literally hundreds of albums in my collection that I would not have bought if I hadn't the chance to try them (for free) first. And I'm far from being alone in this.

As for the ones I downloaded and didn't buy, well, I wouldn't have bought them anyway so how is that hurting sales?

[kexodusc]

Now I know its easy for NIN to do this as they're already well-established, and no longer need a record company for promotion and distribution, and frankly Reznor probably has all the money he'll ever need.

Yeah, I have a lot of respect for him too - he's way smarter than the media gives him credit for. And despite his rep as being a drug addicted ******* in the 90's, he took time out to sign my Downward Spiral CD and T-shirt when I was a star-struck teeny bopper. That goes a long way with me cause I've been ignored by more artists than not.
As for his personal wealth - I never did follow up on what happened with his old his old manager and that whole lawsuit. I remember reading he was down to a measly $400k in cash after making millions over his career back in 2004 or so. No wonder the guy's so disenfranchised with the biz.

I don't care how much money these guys make, if they do it in a reasonably honest way. If someone wants to be a rich and famous rock star and has the talent to make me part with my money, power to them. I've never understood the subpop-culture's prejudice against wealth and success. Seems like the more money and success an artist has, the cooler it is to not like them.

But I can say with all honesty that I have literally hundreds of albums in my collection that I would not have bought if I hadn't the chance a try them (for free) first. And I'm far from being alone in this.

As for the ones I downloaded and didn't buy, well, I wouldn't have bought them anyway so how is that hurting sales?

You and me both. Most of my downloading happens are equivalent to sampling, no different than what I might do on a band's website or in the booth at a music store. Yeah, I still have a few I've downloaded I didn't end up buying that I probably should, but for the most part it's cost me more money, not saved me money.

Here's to guessing the record companies start figuring out how to sign aspiring young musicians to ridiculously long deals that prevent them from signing with virtual labels and distributing their music themselves in the future.