After the release of the first studio album Homework in March 1997, Alive 1997 is the first live album of Daft Punk recorded at the Que Club in Birmingham on November 8, 1997 during the Daftendirektour. This album is composed of a single track of 45 min!
Summer dance evenings are the perfect opportunity to rediscover this live show.
The review includes 3 editions: Vinyl , streaming Qobuz and Tidal.
You can also find the reviews of the Random Access Memories album here and Homework album here.
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.
This album includes 1 track reviewed:
- Alive 1997
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 : Summary, scoring and Sample
Part 1: presentation of the editions
Ed1: Vinyl ref : 0190296618116 – 2022
Presentation
This is the vinyl with a sticker sheet.
| Label | ADA (Alternative Distribution Alliance) |
| Reference | 0190296618116 |
| Format (speed) | LP 33 rpm |
| Type | Single LP with sticker sheet |
| Master | Digital |
| Mastering/Pressing | Recorded live in Birmingham |
| Original recording | Digital |
| State | EU |
| Year original | 1997 |
| Year production | 2022 |
Ed2: Qobuz – 1997
Presentation
This is the streaming Qobuz in 16 bits 44.1 kHz.
| Label | ADA (Alternative Distribution Alliance) |
| Reference | Qobuz |
| Format (speed) | Streaming |
| Type | 16 bits 44.1 kHz |
| Master | Digital |
| Mastering/Pressing | Recorded live in Birmingham |
| Original recording | Digital |
| State | EU |
| Year original | 1997 |
| Year production | 2022 |
Ed3: Tidal Master – 2022
Presentation
This is the streaming Tidal Master encoded in MQA 16 bits 44.1 kHz.
The review was done before the removal of Tidal’s MQA, this album is now available in 16-bit 44.1 kHz flac.
| Label | ADA (Alternative Distribution Alliance) |
| Reference | Tidal Master |
| Format (speed) | Streaming MQA |
| Type | MQA 16 bits 44.1 kHz decoded in 24 bits 88.2 kHz by Audirvana. |
| Master | Digital |
| Mastering/Pressing | Recorded live in Birmingham |
| Original recording | Digital |
| State | EU |
| Year original | 1997 |
| Year production | 2022 |
Part 2 : Waveform and dynamic comparaisons
Waveform
The waveform represents all the only track of the album.
The graph below represents the vinyl version (Ed1). There is no sign of level limiting, this editions is dynamic.
The graphs below represent the Qobuz and Tidal versions (Ed2, Ed3) , which are less dynamic than vinyl. The yellow area shows the effect of compression with dynamic range limitation.
The curves below represent a zoom on the sample for streaming Qobuz (at the top of the graph) and vinyl (at the bottom of the graph) with the same level of -17.5 LUFS. We can see the leveling of the compression on the streaming digital version which does not have the peaks of the vinyl.
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 3 editions we have obtained the following Dynamic Range (DR) :
| Ed1: Vinyl | Ed2: Qobuz | Ed3: Tidal | |
| GLOBAL | DR14 | DR5 | DR5 |
| Min | DR14 | DR5 | DR5 |
| Max | DR14 | DR5 | DR5 |
| Alive 1997 (face A and B for vinyl) | DR14 | DR5 | DR5 |
We find 2 categories, the digital versions with a DR5 and the more dynamic vinyl with a DR14. These values are coherent with the curves of the waveforms.
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 over the sample “Alive 1997”.
The interesting features on this curve Ed1 Vinyl (white) vs Ed2 Qobuz (blue) are the following:
- The two curves are almost superimposed from 30 Hz to 6 kHz.
- The yellow area shows a small increase (4dB) of the high frequency for the vinyl between 6 kHz and 12 kHz, and falls after 15 kHz.
- The yellow arrow indicates the 22 kHz limit of the Qobuz version due to the 44.1 kHz sampling rate.
- The purple arrow indicates the area of distortion due to the playback of the vinyl.
The curves of the Qobuz (Ed2) and Tidal (Ed3) versions are perfectly identical up to 22 kHz (yellow arrow). Above 22 kHz, Tidal’s MQA decoding produces complementary frequencies up to 44 kHz due to spectrum folding (red area), find more details here.
The problem no longer exists, as the MQA version has been replaced by a Flac version. So that’s good news.
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 below represents the vinyl version (Ed1). The signal goes beyond 20 kHz (yellow arrow). The white arrow represents signal and the harmonics generated by the reading of the vinyl.
For Qobuz (Ed2) below , we find the same representation with a maximum frequency of 22 kHz (yello warrow) due to the 44.1 kHz sampling rate. The white arrow shows that there is no signal above 22 kHz (black area) unlike vinyl.
The Ed3 Tidal Master shows an extension of the spectrum above 22 kHz (red rectangle) which is due to the Tidal MQA decoded sampling rate at 88.2 kHz which generate aliasing. The white arrow shows the no signal above 44 kHz. You can find more details here.
Part 5 : Summary, scoring and Samples
Ed1: Vinyl ref : 0190296618116 – 2022
This album contains 45 min of club music from Daft Punk. Everything is in the rhythm and we find more dynamics and precision in the treble for this vinyl version. The engraving is of good quality with a reduced surface noise. This is a live recording with the audience, but the whole recording is missing spatialization.
- Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●●●o (4/5)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4/5)
- Surface noise: ●●●●o (4.0/5)
- Restitution: ●●●oo (3/5)
- Sample : “Alive 1997” 24 bits 88.2 kHz:
Ed2: Qobuz – 2022
Presented in CD quality (16 bits 44,1 kHz), the version offers a very compressed sound with present and heavy basses without dynamics compared to the vinyl. You just have to turn up the volume a bit to realize the difference.
- Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●ooo (2.5/5)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4/5)
- Restitution: ●●ooo (1.5/5)
- Sample : “Alive 1997” 16 bits 44.1kHz:
Ed3: Tidal Master – 2022
The Tidal version is similar to the Qobuz version with also a strong compression that breaks all the dynamics, which is a pity for a club sound track!
- Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●ooo (2.5/5)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4/5)
- Restitution: ●●ooo (1.5/5)
- Sample : “Alive 1997” 24 bits 88.2 kHz:
We are far from a studio recording, Daft Punk present us their first live with 45 minutes of club music. This album is for the fans of the band, the vinyl is distinguished by its dynamics which gives the most punch of this club music, for the fans, the vinyl also contains a sticker sheet.
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Detail of the ratings :
- Dynamic :
- Significant dynamic compression, DR less than 7
- Compression of the present dynamics, DR between 7 and 9.
- Correct piece DR >=10
- No dynamic compression (DR >12), dynamic rendering
- No dynamic compression, high DR and very dynamic sound rendering
- Spectrum :
- Spectrum cut and less than 15 khz
- Spectrum cut at 15 khz
- Spectrum not conforming to the original and cut (not HD) or original but limited bandwidth (but less than 20 kHz)
- Spectrum conforming to the original (but not HD)
- Spectrum conforming to the original with HD resolution (higher than 24kHz)
- Surface noise (only for vinyl):
- Continuous audible noise
- Audible surface noise except on passages with a high level of noise
- Reduced surface noise, barely audible on low level crossings
- Low surface noise, very good quality
- 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 :
- Low quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments.
- Average quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments.
- Quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments. Good record.
- High quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments. Very high level disc.
- Maximum quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments. Exceptional disc.
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