The release of a new song in particular for a group as well-known as The Beatles is always an event. “Now and Then” was composed by John Lennon in 1978, and finalised by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr in 2023.

All this was made possible by the AI used to produce the song.
So the question arises as to what kind of artificial intelligence was used, and for what purpose, in the production of this new track.
Generative AI is used to create content and is increasingly used in all areas, from text and images to music.
But in the case of this track, it’s not generative AI that’s been used, so there’s been no creation of new content or new paths in relation to a text, for example.
It’s a tool that uses AI to optimise the separation of a track already mixed on a demo cassette, in this case John Lennon’s voice and piano, to produce different tracks with restored quality.
The voice and piano are separated again, so we’re not talking about creation by AI, but rather the use of AI as part of a demixing tool.

A specific tool was used here, the same as for the ‘Get Back’ series on the Beatles, but this type of tool can be found in online services as well as in applications such as Izotope RX , RipX DeepRemix and Steinberg Spectralayer.
For a clearer understanding of what was done, the diagram below shows the part where AI was used in relation to the entire production chain for this piece. As you can see, this is only a small but important part of the overall work.

Only the main tracks are shown in the graph below (other backing tracks and instrument tracks are not indicated).

For this review, you will find 5 versions tested: vinyl record maxi45, blue vinyl record, Tidal MAX flac in 24 bits 96 kHz, Amazon UltraHD in 24 bits 96 kHz and Tidal Dolby Atmos.

Below you will find the description of the different editions, as well as the measurements of each edition in the following chapters.
The synthesis of the review and the samples are available here

The album is composed of 2 tracks:

1. Now And Then
2. Love Me Do (1962 Single Version 2022 Remaster)

The Beatles: the 1962-1966 (The Red Album) album review is also available.

The Beatles: 1967-1970 (The Blue Album) album review is also available.

First we will analyze each edition in detail (technical and qualitative analysis), then we will compare the successive editions with their dynamics and assign a final score, and you will be able to listen some samples.

The streaming versions may evolve over time, those presented here correspond to the version tested at the date of publication, or update of the review.

Review of the editions:

Part 1: Presentation of the editions

Part 2 : Waveform and dynamique comparaison

Parts 3 : Spectrum comparisons

Part 4 : Spectrogram comparaisons>

Part 5 : Spatialization

Part 6 : Summary, scoring and Sample

Part 1: presentation of the editions

Ed 1: Maxi Vinyl record – 2023

Presentation

The maxi 45 vinyl record is a very fine edition on a 12-inch spindle with a rotation speed of 45rpm (ref: 602458129526).

Ed 2: Single blue vinyl record – 2023

Presentation

The 7-inch leu vinyl record has the same content as the maxi45 (ref: 602448631084)

Ed 3: Tidal Max Flac – 2023

Presentation

The Tidal Max Flac is presented in Flac 24 bits 96 kHz.

Ed 4: Amazon UltraHD – 2023

Presentation

Amazon UltraHD is presented in 24 bits 96 kHz.

Ed 5: Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2023

Presentation

The Tidal Dolby Atmos version is presented in Dolby Digital Plus 768 bits/s) or Dolby AC-4.

Part 2 : Waveform and dynamic comparaisons

Waveform

The waveform represents tracks of the album.

The waveform of the 2 vinyl records is not very dynamic. But what’s interesting is that both vinyl records have been digitized with the same recording level. We can see that the level of the maxi45, which is on a 12″ record, is almost 3 db higher than that of the single vinyl record, which is on a 7″ record.
This is explained by the fact that there is more useful surface area for recording information on the 12-inch record than on the 7-inch record, enabling a wider track cutting (and therefore a louder level), as shown in the photo comparing the tracks on the 2 vinyl records.

The waveforms of the Tidal Max clearly show the use of a dynamic limiter, as confirmed by the Dynamic Range measurement with a DR5.

The waveform of the Tidal Atmos version downmixed in 2.0 show good dynamics, as the graphs below confirm, with a dynamic range of at least DR11 (2.0) for the song “Now And Then”.

The graph below represents the waveforms of the Tidal Max version, the vinyl maxi disc and the Dolby Atmos version downmixed to 2.0 for the song “Now and Then”.
The 3 waveforms are adjusted to -14.7 LUFS for comparison.
The most dynamic version is the Dolby Atmos version downmixed to 2.0. As for the vinyl version, it seems to have been burned directly from the dynamically compressed stereo version.
The difference in DR between the Tidal Max version and the vinyl disc is due to the vinyl being burned against a source that has undergone a dynamic limiter (see explanation “Does analog media force a dynamic on music?“).

Dynamic

Dynamic represents the ability to reproduce a wide range of sounds from the softest to the loudest. The target is to compare the dynamics of the music and not of the media (CD, digital files or vinyl).

For our 5 editions reviewed have obtained the following Dynamic Range (DR) :

	Maxi Vinyl record – 2023	Single blue vinyl record – 2023	Tidal Max Flac – 2023	Amazon UltraHD – 2023	Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2023
Global	DR10	DR10	DR8	DR8	DR12
Min	DR8	DR8	DR5	DR5	DR11
Max	DR12	DR11	DR11	DR11	DR14
Now And Then	DR8	DR8	DR5	DR5	DR11
Love Me Do (1962 Single Version 2022 Remaster)	DR12	DR11	DR11	DR11	DR14

The streaming stereo version (Tidal MAX Flacc) has a reduced DR6 dynamic range. You’ll need to listen to the vinyl record or Dolby Atmos version to get a higher DR, up to DR11 for the Dolby Atmos decoded in 7.1.4. The digital stereo version is far from the original spirit of the Beatles’ mixes. Compare this with the second track, “Love Me Do”, which, although remastered in 2022, retains a DR11.

As a reminder, the scale goes from 0 to more 20, but the dynamics are considered good from 12, quite good between 10 and 11, and deteriorate below 10.

Part 3 : spectrum comparisons

Spectrum

The Spectrum allows to check the tonal balance of the music (balance between treble, medium and bass sounds) and to detect process that may have been carried out during the recording, the mixing, mastering or manufacturing phases. It is also possible to detect frequency interference issues.

The curve represents the average frequency distribution of sample of the track Now and Then.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the maxi vinyl record (white curve) with the spectrum of the blue single vinyl record (blue curve).
The curves overlap perfectly, with the levels of the two vinyl records adjusted to the same level.
The yellow arrow shows that the noise is greater on the blue vinyl record, due to its lower engraving level (see waveforms), causing the background noise to rise.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the vinyl record (white curve) with the spectrum of the Tidal MAX streaming version (blue curve). The curves overlap perfectly from 300 Hz to 4kHz, and above this frequency (yellow zone), there’s a drop of a few dB for the vinyl record (up to -5 dB).
The yellow arrow indicates the noise of the vinyl compared to the digital version, as there is no signal above 24 kHz.
The green zone shows a very slight difference in bass (with a maximum of 1 dB).

The graph below compares the spectrum of the Tidal Max version (white curve) with the spectrum of the Dolby Atmos streaming version downmixed in 2.0 (blue curve). The two curves are very different, due to the use of two different mixes. The yellow arrow indicates that the maximum frequency of the Tidal Max version is 24 kHz (for the son “Now And Then”), despite the use of a 96 kHz sampling frequency.
This raises the question of whether it has been mixed at 48 kHz.
For the Dolby Atmos version, the 20 kHz limitation is due to the Dolby Digital Plus encoding.

The spectrum of Tidal’s Dolby Atmos version decoded in 5.1 shows that all channels are well utilized. The bass channel is filtered at 120 Hz, as indicated by the green arrow. The yellow arrow shows the high-frequency limit at 20 kHz due to Dolby Digital Plus encoding.
The white arrow shows the 24 kHz limit due to the 48 kHz sampling frequency used for Dolby Atmos.

Part 4 : Spectrogram comparaisons

Spectrogram

Spectrogram is another representation of frequency versus time of a track. For each channel (right and left), horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents frequency. The amplitude is represented by the intensity (brightness) of the color of each point in the image.

The spectrogram of the vinyl record below shows that the frequencies of the audio signal rise above 20 kHz (yellow arrow). The signal above 20 kHz (white arrow) is due to music and distortion caused by the vinyl playback principle.

The spectrogram of the stereo version Tidal MAX shows that the signal rises above 24 kHz (yellow arrow) for the song “Now and Then”. No signal above this frequency (white arrow), Despite 96 kHz sampling frequency. This is different for the song “Love Me Do”, which has frequencies rising above 24 kHz.

The spectrogram of the Dolby Atmos track downmixed in stereo is limited to 20kHz (yellow arrow) with no signal above (white arrow). This limitation is due to Dolby Digital Plus encoding, which is a lossy encoder that limits bandwidth to optimize data size for a bit rate of 768 kbits/s.

Part 5 : Spatialization

Spatialization allows you to define the sound distribution of the music on all the channels. The spatialization indicator and the description of the graph are described here.

Spatialization is available for Tidal Dolby Atmos .

Spatialization is perfectly achieved while respecting the original spirit. The voice remains well up front, with great clarity and nuance, while the music and backing vocals make full use of all the channels.

Spatialization : ●●●●●●oooo (6.2)

Part 6 : Summary, scoring and Samples

Ed 1: Maxi Vinyl record – 2023

The maxi 45 (12-inch) vinyl record has always been considered the best version of vinyl record, with a short duration (often less than 10 min per side) that allows a higher sound level thanks to a wider groove engraving. The result is a dynamic, quiet record. “Now and Then” benefits here from the best vinyl support for this song finalized in 2023.
It’s just a shame not to take full advantage of the medium’s dynamics by offering a version that sounds a little better than digital, but lacks the dynamics of its stereo digital counterpart.
It’s a bit of a paradox to use AI to restore John Lennon’s voice perfectly, and not to maintain the quality right through to the final support!

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●ooo (2)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Surface noise: ●●●●o (4.5)
• Restitution: ●●ooo (2.5)

Sample : ”Now and Then” 16 bits 88.2 kHz:

Ed 2: Single blue vinyl record – 2023

The blue-colored vinyl single falls short of the maxi 45 in terms of sound level, and is slightly inferior in terms of quality.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●ooo (2)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Surface noise: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●ooo (2.5)

Sample : ”Now and Then” 16 bits 88.2 kHz:

Ed 3: Tidal Max Flac – 2023

When you see all the work that’s been done, with the restoration using AI and the addition of new tracks, you can only congratulate the work that’s been done and expect an exceptional result.
Well, in the end, it’s a dud, even the Beatles suffer from loudness war, but why spoil the exceptional work that’s been done by compressing the dynamics? Once again, you have to turn to the Dolby Atmos version to recover the full dynamic range.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●oooo (1)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●ooo (2.5)

Sample : ”Now and Then” 16 bits 96 kHz:

Ed 4: Amazon UltraHD – 2023

The Amazon Music version (like the AppleMusic version) is similar to the Tidal MAX Flac version.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●oooo (1)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●ooo (2.5)

Sample : ”Now and Then” 16 bits 96 kHz:

Ed 5: Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2023

The Dolby Atmos version stands out from the others in terms of rendering quality, whether in 7.1.4 or stereo (downmix 2.0). The voice is perfectly clear and transparent, unlike the stereo versions. In spatial listening, the soundstage is very wide, with instruments distributed over all channels. The voice remains clear at the front, immersing the listener in the music.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●oo (3.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Spatialization: ●●●●●●oooo (6.2)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4.5)

Sample : ”Now and Then” downmixed in 2.0:

Sample : ”Now and Then” downmixed in 5.1:

The sample is in 5.1 wav format, if you can not play the sample in your navigator, you can save it, right button menu and “Save Audio As…” and play it with an external player.

Digital technology can be capable of the best, but also of the worst. Let’s start with the best: AI has been used to separate the voice from the piano with fantastic results, not AI-generated voice. Unfortunately, the dynamic range compression allowed by digital technology tarnishes the result on stereo editions.
Fortunately, Dolby Atmos is there to save the day, offering a version that respects the dynamics of the mix, while rendering the voice more naturally and cleanly.
To see for yourself, listen to and compare the various extracts, with the Atmos 2.0 downmix in particular.

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Detail of the ratings :

• Dynamic :
  1. Significant dynamic compression, DR less than 7
  2. Compression of the present dynamics, DR between 7 and 9.
  3. Correct piece DR >=10
  4. No dynamic compression (DR >12), dynamic rendering
  5. No dynamic compression, high DR and very dynamic sound rendering
• Spectrum :
  1. Spectrum cut and less than 15 khz
  2. Spectrum cut at 15 khz
  3. Spectrum not conforming to the original and cut (not HD) or original but limited bandwidth (but less than 20 kHz)
  4. Spectrum conforming to the original (but not HD)
  5. Spectrum conforming to the original with HD resolution (higher than 24kHz)
• Surface noise (only for vinyl):
  1. Continuous audible noise
  2. Audible surface noise except on passages with a high level of noise
  3. Reduced surface noise, barely audible on low level crossings
  4. Low surface noise, very good quality
  5. Very low surface noise, no defects, almost inaudible on the quiet passages (exceptional disc)
• Spatialization :
  • Between 0 and 5 for 5.1 or 7.1 channels configuration
  • Between 0 and 10 for Atmos configuration (7.1.4)
  • For more information on spatialization, you can read the article describing this parameter here.
• Restitution :
  1. Low quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments.
  2. Average quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments.
  3. Quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments. Good record.
  4. High quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments. Very high level disc.
  5. Maximum quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments. Exceptional disc.

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