2013 Bootleg sound quality is exceptionally good

vaggar99
vaggar99 San Diego USA Posts: 3,431
edited December 2013 in The Porch
I just sat down to listen to the first bootleg from this tour and couldn't help but instantly feel like their is an obvious improvement in quality. At first I thought well maybe i'm just excited since I hadn't listened to a live PJ show in some time. But, it is true, the sound is WAY better.

To benchmark, I found versions of Given to Fly, Animal and Elderly Women from the 2009 tour. And sure enough, my suspicion was confirmed. Those sound like audience recordings compared to this one.

I'd honestly started to lose interest in PJ's bootlegs because it was starting to feel like they weren't being recorded and mixed professionally. Not anymore. Anyone know if they are doing something different this time around?
Post edited by Unknown User on
«1

Comments

  • vaggar99
    vaggar99 San Diego USA Posts: 3,431
    sorry, hate to bump my own thread. still curious to find out if anyone else has noticed the improved sound quality on pittsburgh boot.
  • Sane Mary
    Sane Mary Posts: 223
    Which type of recording did u buy?
  • dimitrispearljam
    dimitrispearljam Posts: 139,747
    i heard the first 2 shows only..need to listen to more..
    sounfs really great..i feel 2012 was a bit better,but im not sure
    "...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
    "..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
    “..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
  • vaggar99
    vaggar99 San Diego USA Posts: 3,431
    Sane Mary wrote:
    Which type of recording did u buy?


    just basic mp3
  • dimitrispearljam
    dimitrispearljam Posts: 139,747
    and you are right..2013 are 10 times better than 2009 boots,no question
    "...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
    "..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
    “..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
  • vaggar99
    vaggar99 San Diego USA Posts: 3,431
    dimitrispearljam wrote:
    i heard the first 2 shows only..need to listen to more..
    sounfs really great..i feel 2012 was a bit better,but im not sure

    i hadn't listend to any of 2012, but perhaps the improvement started at the tail end of the Backspacer tour. I really only have 2009 to compare to
  • Mike D88
    Mike D88 Tampa Posts: 769
    They really do sound great. 2008 was a low point for bootlegs, and they improved steadily from there.
    i-Brzk3Rdjpg
    2008 Tampa - 2013 Buffalo - 2016 Tampa - 2016 Fenway II
    Audioslave 2005 MSG
  • deftones
    deftones Athens, Greece Posts: 2,444
    dimitrispearljam wrote:
    and you are right..2013 are 10 times better than 2009 boots,no question
    2013 boots are much better than 2009 for sure but I still prefer 2012 boots
    ATHENS / 30-9-2006, MANCHESTER / 20-6-2012, MANCHESTER / 21-6-2012, AMSTERDAM / 16-6-2014, AMSTERDAM / 17-6-2014, AMSTERDAM / 12-6-2018, AMSTERDAM / 13-6-2018, PRAGUE / 1-7-2018, KRAKOW / 3-7-2018, BERLIN / 5-7-2018
  • dimitrispearljam
    dimitrispearljam Posts: 139,747
    deftones wrote:
    dimitrispearljam wrote:
    and you are right..2013 are 10 times better than 2009 boots,no question
    2013 boots are much better than 2009 for sure but I still prefer 2012 boots
    yesah,same feeling here..ill wait to listen more official 2013
    "...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
    "..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
    “..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
  • MayDay10
    MayDay10 Posts: 11,914
    Just started Pittsburgh Flac HD boot.

    :shock:
  • jumbojet
    jumbojet Posts: 1,484
    I listened to basic mp3 downloads of the first 2 and I agree. THe mixing is good. I just wish I could hear the bass a little more but overall, I am quite content.
    What's your part, who you are?

    2012: Arras, Berlin 1-2
    2013: Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires
    2014: Milano, Trieste, Vienna, Berlin
    2016: NY MSG 1
  • DewieCox
    DewieCox Posts: 11,432
    The reason the 09 boot sounds like an audience recording is b/c all 09 boots sound like audience recordings, with or without your frame of reference.
  • vaggar99
    vaggar99 San Diego USA Posts: 3,431
    DewieCox wrote:
    The reason the 09 boot sounds like an audience recording is b/c all 09 boots sound like audience recordings, with or without your frame of reference.

    I wasn't referring to one particular boot from 2009. I was referring
    to the whole. Not sure what the 'frame of reference' thing is about.
  • DewieCox
    DewieCox Posts: 11,432
    vaggar99 wrote:
    DewieCox wrote:
    The reason the 09 boot sounds like an audience recording is b/c all 09 boots sound like audience recordings, with or without your frame of reference.

    I wasn't referring to one particular boot from 2009. I was referring
    to the whole. Not sure what the 'frame of reference' thing is about.

    The 09 bootlegs are not good, whether you're comparing them to this years' or any other years. You get more clarity and there's a better balance with about any soundboard boots, but the bad ones lack all the fullness and atmosphere that a good audience recording can have.
  • Gern Blansten
    Gern Blansten Mar-A-Lago Posts: 22,919
    agreed! Very happy with the sound so far
    Remember the Thomas Nine !! (10/02/2018)
    The Golden Age is 2 months away. And guess what….. you’re gonna love it! (teskeinc 11.19.24)

    1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
    2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
    2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
    2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
    2020: Oakland, Oakland:  2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
    2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
    2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana; 2025: Pitt1, Pitt2
  • 2-feign-reluctance
    2-feign-reluctance TigerTown, USA Posts: 23,461
    I find the 09' shows in great form! Berlin 09' and Portland are highlights. Maybe its what you are listening to them through that is the culprit?
    www.cluthelee.com
  • Veddernarian
    Veddernarian Posts: 1,924
    The 2000 boots are horrible sound and I think 100% using high quality mics from the audience. Last Exit, Tampa, was pure soundboard and sounded awesome. Otherwise the sound stunk.

    I have the entire 2003 set and it is better than 2000 but the upper midrange is harsh, bass is lacking and it creates listening fatigue big-time. However, in the Southeast through Champaign, it is actually pretty good.

    The 4 2009 LA Gibson shows sound amazing. Maybe due to the great sound in the Gibson.

    Really glad to hear 2013 sounds good. Can't wait to get a few of them.
    Up here so high I start to shake, Up here so high the sky I scrape, I've no fear but for falling down, So look out below I am falling now, Falling down,...not staying down, Could’ve held me up, rather tear me down, Drown in the river
  • Spencer
    Spencer Posts: 867
    Veddernarian wrote:
    The 2000 boots are horrible sound and I think 100% using high quality mics from the audience.
    This is incorrect. They're professionally mixed multi-track recordings, just the same as all of the official bootleg series. 2000 is pretty much the 'gold standard' as far as I'm concerned: great sound combined with some of the band's best performances. I think they're easily the best series of shows the band has released.

    The reason the 2008 to 2010 bootlegs sound appreciably worse is that they weren't mixed by long-time Pearl Jam live sound engineer Brett Eliason. Brett mixed the band's live sound from 1991 to the early 2000s and handled the mixing of the bootlegs on the 2000, 2003, 2005 and 2006 tours before having a break.

    He returned to mix the 2011 bootlegs and has continued doing so through 2012 and 2013 - thankfully, with Brett back on board, the boots sound great again.
  • dimitrispearljam
    dimitrispearljam Posts: 139,747
    Veddernarian wrote:
    The 2000 boots are horrible sound
    no
    "...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
    "..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
    “..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
  • dimitrispearljam
    dimitrispearljam Posts: 139,747
    DewieCox wrote:
    The reason the 09 boot sounds like an audience recording is b/c all 09 boots sound like audience recordings, with or without your frame of reference.
    not all
    Berlin 09,London 09 and LA 3-4 have great sound
    "...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
    "..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
    “..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”

Categories