Human League - (Keep Feeling) Fascination

Just a quick heads-up to those who collect 12" versions of the hits: Virgin in 2008 re-released the EP "Fascination!" by The Human League in digital format to Amazon (320 kbps mp3) & iTunes (256 kbps AAC).

This would perhaps not be news, except for two things, one good & one bad.

First the good: I have this original 12", and the iTunes file matches my vinyl rip (after click & pop removal and noise / rumble removal) curve-for-curve. It appears that they used NO compression or limiting or clipping on this digital file; in fact, Adobe Audition actually says the iTunes file has a slightly BETTER (lower) RMS than my vinyl!

Also, it appears to be a straight rip from the original tapes; I listened very carefully at the beginning and end and find no record noise, no rumble, but no noise reduction, either... the (very mild) tape hiss remains at full throughout the end fade.

Additionally, for those of you who had this 12", you already know "Fascination" ends its fade just as "Mirror Man" kicks in. The individual digital file keeps every bit of the original "Fascination" ("...moving on...") right to the point of the segue on the original record & then drops the volume to nothing before "Mirror Man"s first beat.

Now, the bad: I've found three digital "glitches." They are small pops that don't appear to be record scratches, but some sort of digital "tick" that didn't get removed before creating the files for download. They are at:

0:39 -- This is almost more a "grit" sound, but if you zoom in on the wav at this point, you'll see the problem, right on the trailing edge of a beat. In fact, I found TWO issues right at this point: one with 2 spikes on the left channel & one on the right, then a few milliseconds later another spike in both channels.

0:40 -- Just one second later, a much easier to find and correct "click," very traditional spike down, then up, then back to normal. It's between a couple of beats, so this should be easy to see. It is in the right channel only.

1:22 -- Once again, a fairly easy to find & fix "click" between two beats; this one is identical to the previous problem at :40, & again is between two beats.

There are two other "noises" in the file which I have decided are NOT noise: one is at 2:14, the next at 2:28. In both cases, what could be clicks I believe are actually the lip smacking of the artist preparing to sing! :)

I'll contact iTunes and let them know; I don't know if they'll do anything or if there's anything they CAN do. I also don't know if the same problems exist on the Amazon mp3 file... nor do I know about the other files from this EP.

I hope this is helpful to someone! I still would recommend this purchase... just prepare to do a little "touch-up work."

I've got the 12" version (4:56) on a 3" CD along with
the (6:12) Dub mix and Total Panic. Virgin CDT24 Made in Austria. I don't hear anything that isn't a synth noise.

The Dub mix is also on "Original Remixes & Rarities (2005) Made in England

Edited by Indy500

NightAire wrote: 0:39 -- This is almost more a "grit" sound, but if you zoom in on the wav at this point, you'll see the problem, right on the trailing edge of a beat. In fact, I found TWO issues right at this point: one with 2 spikes on the left channel & one on the right, then a few milliseconds later another spike in both channels. 0:40 -- Just one second later, a much easier to find and correct "click," very traditional spike down, then up, then back to normal. It's between a couple of beats, so this should be easy to see. It is in the right channel only. 1:22 -- Once again, a fairly easy to find & fix "click" between two beats; this one is identical to the previous problem at :40, & again is between two beats.

These muffled clicks are in my early '90s Austrian 3" CD single (Virgin CDT24). I would never have thought they were something that shouldn't be there if you hadn't pointed them out.

NightAire wrote: I have this original 12", and the iTunes file matches my vinyl rip (after click & pop removal and noise / rumble removal) curve-for-curve.

Okay, but have you compared them BEFORE click and pop and rumble removal? Because if these sounds were on the original vinyl copy, declicking it would remove them whether the source of them is the vinyl itself or the master tape.

Brian W., you are genius... and I am an idiot!

I am SO EMBARRASSED right now that if I could delete this whole thread, I would! Oh, man...

I read your post and thought, "good idea! Why didn't I think to check that?" So, I pulled out my vinyl copy & lined it up in Adobe Audition...

40.84 - Yup. There on the record. 40.93 - There on the record, too. OK, but I said both of those might be part of the song...

41.788 - %$#@!!! There it is, too!!! 1:22.296 - I already knew what was coming... and there it was...

I NEVER would have looked for these noises on the vinyl because the surface noise wouldn't have allowed it. Even if I heard it, I certainly would have thought it was noise in the groove... NOT clicks in the master tape!

I'm going to have to write iTunes an apology letter... and I apologize for raising the false alarm on this board... *grumble-grumble*

Clearly, I listen to this song WAY too loud. :)

Great catch, Brian... I can't believe I missed this one.

No need for apologies, Gene. ;) I never analyze those things too deeply. There have been occasional instances where a small tick appeared on a CD copy, and after checking a vinyl copy I discovered it was on there, too. One glaring example is the 45 version of "Sad Songs" by Elton John, where it sounds like a wire shorts out in one of the channels for a second. It's like that on CD and vinyl copies.