This is actually not a Suara-chan album, but I think it still makes more sense to list it under her name than under Misc-Compilation.
First, some basic notes. This is a hybrid disc containing CD layer (closer to the label side) in addition to the SACD layer, and can be played on regular CD players. Most DVD players can also play this, unless it scans the DVD layer first. In that case, it may get confused and refuse to play. CD layer is *identical* (as in bit-by-bit exactly the same) to the CD-only version (KICA-1450). I suspected as much, but wanted to be sure. You hear something? That's the sound of my $30 disappearing for no good reason.
In my opinion, everything is a combination of science and art. For example, software development is as much art as it is science. And in the same sense, music is as much science as it is art. Understanding both aspects is required to generate quality outcome.
I usually complain about how lacking CDs are from the science perspective. For example, they lack dynamic range, their frequency response curve is terrible, and what not. Surprisingly, this disc has the other problem. Actually, it has both problems, but by far the dominating deficiency is in the art side.
Individual recording quality is outstanding. Final mixing result is not. Things are too up front and in-your-face. This is where art-science compromise comes into play. To get the maximum signal-to-noise ratio, multiple microphones must be used in proximity to the sound sources, such as instruments or the singer. However, doing so eliminates the natural relationships and ambiences among sources. Using a fewer (possibly just two) microphones put further away from the whole group produces much nicer (natural, laid back, realistic staging) outcome, but with much reduced signal-to-noise ratio. It's basically an *art* to produce a recording that contains both qualities in abundance. And that's where this disc fails. It may sound much better if played in a large room, but let's be realistic here. What percentage of people buying this disc do you think will have a *large* dedicated listening room?
Despite what I wrote above, that isn't even the main problem of this disc. If above were the main problem, I wouldn't have given it a 7-star audio quality rating, the highest given out to date. The *real* problem I have with this disc is the music itself! The arrangements are boring, unmusical, or sometimes, downright weird, with mismatched instruments and strange effects. I'd have much preferred the original arrangements, just with Suara-chan singing, and with good audio quality to go with it all. I would have *loved* to hear "Powder Snow" in original arrangement (or close to it) sung by Suara-chan.
After writing all that above, it might not mean much saying this, but I like the last track. Oh, and I don't have a multi-channel capable SACD player, so I can't comment on track 4's multi-channel mixing.
Sample waveform (track 4) from SACD, analogue rip at 24 bits per sample using M-Audio Audiophile 2496, normalized to -3db.
Matching sample waveform from CD, analogue rip (same process as above). It is obvious that there's significantly less dynamic range in this CD version (SACD version has much thinner body despite the fact that both have the same maximum amplitude). In some areas, amplitude differences have been nullified (Peak bars that have different height in SACD version have the same height in CD version). Oops, wrong window frame got in the way. Just ignore that.
Matching sample waveform from CD, digital rip, normalized to -3db, just to show that analogue rip quality is quite good, at least for comparing ballpark dynamic range differences.
Sample random 10-second spectrum analysis from SACD rip. It has true wide frequency response curve this time. See? My equipment wasn't lying about Yumeji SACD not being true high-fidelity recording and mixing.
Matching sample spectrum analysis from CD. It obviously dies off beyond 22kHz. This is from analogue rip at 96kHz, the same as SACD rip.
Sony SCD-C333ES player has multiple digital filter options available (CD playback only). When it's set to filter 1 (aggressive), interesting things happen to the output. Where did all those high-frequency information come from?
