As Mylène Farmer wraps up her Nevermore tour with the final 3 concerts. Her concert album, released on September 27, is a celebration of her 2023 stadium tour, which drew over 700,000 fans. Including classics such as “Libertine” and “Désenchantée”, as well as tracks from her latest album “L’emprise”, “Nevermore” offers an immersive experience into the world of Mylène Farmer.
In addition to the album, a film-show of the tour is scheduled for release on November 7, and will be followed by a video edition.

Review other Mylène Farmer albums :

For this review, you will find 8 versions tested: Tidal Max and Dolby Atmos, CD, Red vinyl record

updated with blu-ray stereo and DTS HDMA 7.1, blu-ray UHD Dolby Atmos and USB key.

Mylène Farmer concerts evolve and change over the years. To give you an idea of the re-orchestration, the difference in the mix, here are samples of “Sans Contrefaçon” from the “Timeless 2013”, “Live 2019” and “Nevermore” concerts:

The cinema version brings its own constraints and mixes, particularly visible in the use of spatialization between the Tidal Music Dolby Atmos version and the UHD Dolby Atmos video blu-ray, as shown in the spatialization graphs below:

Below you will find the description of the different editions, as well as the measurements of each edition in the following chapters.

The album is composed of 22 tracks:

1. Prologue (Live)
2. Du temps (Live)
3. Peut-être toi (Live)
4. Libertine (Live)
5. Optimistique-moi (Live)
6. à tout jamais (Live)
7. C’est une belle journée (Live)
8. Paysages glacés (Intro Tristana) (Live)
9. Tristana (Live)
10. Remember [Medley] (Live)
11. Rayon vert (Live)
12. Rêver (Live)
13. L’autre (Live)
14. Que l’aube est belle (Live)
15. Sans contrefaçon (Live)
16. Oui mais… Non (Live)
17. Que je devienne… (Live)
18. XXL (Live)
19. Rêve interdit (Intro Désenchantée) (Live)
20. Désenchantée (Live)
21. Rallumer les étoiles (Live)
22. épilogue (Live)

Summary, scoring and Samples

Ed 1: Tidal MAX – 2024

Presentation

This is the Tidal Max presented in FLAC 24 bits 96 kHz.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR8

The waveform of TIDAL max 24 bits 96 kHz shows a low dynamic range confirmed with DR8.

The spectrogram shows that the signal rises above 20 kHz (yellow arrow) with some signal above 30 kHz (white arrow) .

Synthesis and listening

The Tidal Max version presented in 24-bit 96 kHz makes good use of the full spectrum offered by high definition, but there is unfortunately a limited dynamic range on the loudest tracks (loudness war DR8) due to dynamic compression, which limits the rendering and energy of the concert at high listening levels.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●ooo (2)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●● (5)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3)

Sample : ”C’est une belle journée (Live)” 24 bits 96 kHz:

Ed 2: Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2024

Presentation

This is the Tidal Dolby Atmos presented in Dolby Digital Plus or AC-4 (link).

Below the spatialization for all tracks. Click on the images to zoom in.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR14

The waveform of Tidal Dolby Atmos shows a good dynamic range confirmed with DR14.

The spectrogram of the Tidal Dolby Atmos track downmixed in 7.1 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. The LFE channel is used with 120 Hz cut-off frequency (green arrow)

Synthesis and listening

This is the version that immerses you totally in the concert: you’re right back in the concert hall, listening in 7.1.4. You can hear all the dynamics of the music, with the presence of the audience. The mix is designed to reproduce the ambience of the concert, with the soundstage well up front and the full ambience of all the surrounds, including the highs.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●o (4.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Spatialization: ●●●●oooooo (4.6)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4)

Sample : ”C’est une belle journée (Live)” Downmixed 7.1:

The sample is in 7.1 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.

Sample : ”C’est une belle journée (Live)” Downmixed 2.0 :

Ed 3: CD – 2024

Presentation

This is the limited edition with a book with 2 CD.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR8

The waveform of CD shows a low dynamic range confirmed with DR9.

The spectrogram shows that the signal rises to 22 kHz (yellow arrow) with no signal above this frequency (white arrow) due to the CD’s 44.1 kH sampling frequency.

Synthesis and listening

The CD rendering is identical to the Tidal Max version, with good bass presence but limited dynamics.

Rating:

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

Sample : ”C’est une belle journée (Live)” 16 bits 44.1 kHz:

Ed 4: Red Vinyl record- 2024

Presentation

This is the spetial edition of the vinyl composed with 3 LP records in 33 1/3 rpm.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR13

The waveform of vinyl record shows a good dynamic range confirmed with DR13.

The spectrogram shows that the signal rises above 20 kHz (yellow arrow) with signal above this frequency (white arrow) containing musical information and distortion due to the vinyl record’s operating principle.

Synthesis and listening

The vinyl record is a very pleasant surprise, with a very dynamic rendering and a more open sound, albeit with shallower bass than the digital stereo versions. The pressing is of good quality, with reduced surface noise. It’s a very pleasant stereo version.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●o (4)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●● (5)
• Surface noise: ●●●●o (4.5)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4)

Sample : ”C’est une belle journée (Live)” 24 bits 96 kHz:

Ed 5: Blu-ray Stereo – 2024

Presentation

The video blu-ray of the concert contains the PCM stereo track in 24 bit 96 kHz and the DTS HD master Audio track in 7.1 24 bit 96 kHz, the blu-ray is in a book case (ref: 196588343797). The stereo track is tested here.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR10

The waveform of blu-ray stereo shows a correct dynamic range for digital stereo version confirmed with DR10. The sound level of the stereo track has not been adjusted in relation to the sound level of the Dolby Atmos track. As a result, there’s a significant volume difference when changing tracks on the blu-ray.

The spectrogram shows that the signal rises above 20 kHz (yellow arrow) with some signal above 30 kHz (white arrow) .

Synthesis and listening

With a tonal balance that brings the upper end of the spectrum a little more to the fore, and a slightly higher dynamic range, the stereo version on the blu-ray brings more detail and a little more naturalness to Mylène’s voice. This is the best digital stereo version available for this album.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●oo (3)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●● (5)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4)

Sample : “C’est une belle journée (Live)”:

Ed 6: Blu-ray DTS HDMA 7.1 – 2024

Presentation

The video blu-ray of the concert contains the PCM stereo track in 24 bit 96 kHz and the DTS HD master Audio track in 7.1 24 bit 96 kHz, the blu-ray is in a book case (ref: 196588343797). The DTS HDMA track is tested here.

Below the spatialization for all tracks. Click on the images to zoom in.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR12

The waveform of blu-ray DTS HDMA 7.1 shows a good dynamic range confirmed with DR12.

The spectrogram of this 7.1 DTS HDMA track shows that the signal rises above 20 kHz (yellow arrow) with some signal above 30 kHz (white arrow) .

Synthesis and listening

The DTS HDMA 7.1 track offers the same dynamic range as the Dolby Atmos version, with all the finesse of the DTS HDMA format in high-resolution 24-bit 96 kHz. The surround speakers also reproduce the ambience of the concert hall. The music remains forntale as on the Dolby Atmos version, a far cry from the mix on “Timeless”, which exploited the surround speakers more with the music mix, as mentioned in the review of the Dolby Atmos blu-ray track.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●oo (3.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●● (5)
• Spatialization: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4)

Sample : “C’est une belle journée (Live)”:

The sample is in 7.1 24 bits 96 kHz 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.

Ed 7: Blu-ray UHD Dolby Atmos – 2024

Presentation

The video blu-ray UHD 4K of the concert contains the PCM stereo track in 24 bit 96 kHz and theDolby Atmos TrueHD 24 bit 48 kHz, the blu-ray is in a book case (ref: 196588344091). The Dolby Atmos TrueHD track is tested here.

Below the spatialization for all tracks. Click on the images to zoom in.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR13

The waveform of blu-ray UHD Dolby Atmos shows a good dynamic range confirmed with DR13. The rendered sound level is low due to the Dolby dialog normalization level set at -13. To restore normal Dolby Atmos Blu-ray rendering, simply deactivate Dolby Dynamics management in home theater amplifiers to avoid attenuating the output level (test carried out with a Marantz amplifier).

The spectrogram of the Atmos downmixed in 7.1 version of blu-ray shows that the signal goes down to 24 kHz (yellow arrow) and that there is no signal above this frequency (white arrow), due to the 48 kHz sampling frequency used.

Synthesis and listening

Let’s start with the video. The video reproduces the atmosphere and settings of the concert. The dark atmosphere penalizes the video capture. It’s clear that the choice was made to reduce video noise to the detriment of image sharpness and sharpness, even on UHD blu-ray compared to standard blu-ray. By way of comparison, we’re a long way from the finesse and detail of the Indochine concert filmed in IMAX! Even though it’s only available on blu-ray.
In terms of sound, this is a theatermix, with the center speaker used to focus Mylène’s voice in the center, unlike the Music version available on Tidal, which makes very little use of the center speaker. For this Dolby Atmos version, you’ll need to turn up the volume to get back to the level of the stereo version.
The bass channel is also used more extensively, with a nice extension down to 30 Hz.
The music is distributed mainly on the front channels, with the rest of the channels reproducing the ambience. The Dolby Atmos mix on offer here is therefore very sensible.
I’d even go so far as to say that it’s very poor compared to the “Live 2019” concert, but especially compared to the “Timeless” concert, which, although in 5.1, makes perfect use of the surround channels with the music, providing a truly spatialized listening experience.
We’d have liked to see a mix of this type with the possibilities offered by Dolby Atmos.
As Simple Mind recently did with its “New Gold Dream – Live From Paisley Abbey concert” (soon to be reviewed).
At the start of the review, you can find excerpts from “Sans Contrefaçon” for the 3 Mylène concerts, to compare the different approaches and orchestrations.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●o (4)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Spatialization: ●●●●●ooooo (5.4)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4)

Sample : “C’est une belle journée (Live)”:

The sample is in 7.1 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.

Sample : “C’est une belle journée (Live)” Dolby Atmos (Downmixed 2.0) :

Ed 8: USB Key – 2024

Presentation

This is the FNAC special edition album on USB card, presented as 16-bit 44.1 kHz files (ref:198028652254).

Waveform and Spectrum: DR8

The waveform of USB Key shows a low dynamic range confirmed with DR8.

The spectrogram shows that the signal rises to 22 kHz (yellow arrow) with no signal above this frequency (white arrow) due to the CD’s 44.1 kH sampling frequency.

Synthesis and listening

It’s a very good idea to have the album version on a USB key, as it’s an additional support for fans. But the disappointment is the content, as offering the CD version is very limiting. Offering the stereo version of the blu-ray in 24-bit 96 kHz would have been more inspired. By way of comparison, Anne Bisson releases her albums on USB key in Hi-res 24-bit 96 kHz format!

Rating:

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

Sample : “C’est une belle journée (Live)”:

If you really want to experience the ambience of the concert, the Dolby Atmos version (streaming) provides the best rendering, with total immersion in the ambience of the hall in multichannel listening. There’s a fine dynamic range and spatialization of ambience.
The video version with a Dolby Atmos TrueHD track scheduled for the end of the year should provide the best possible rendition of this concert.
For the stereo version, the vinyl record offers a lively, dynamic sound that’s more open than the digital versions, but without the extended bass present on the digital versions. It’s up to you to choose according to your tastes by listening to the various extracts.

Updated with blu-ray and USB versions: The blu-ray brings the best versions of the concert, whether in stereo, 7.1 or Dolby Atmos with lossless formats. We would have liked the multichannel mix to have gone beyond simply reproducing the concert’s ambience, and to have been as expressive as that produced for the Timeless concert. To restore normal Dolby Atmos Blu-ray rendering, simply deactivate Dolby Dynamics management in home theater amplifiers.

Dynamic Range measurements and spectra are shown below.

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Measurements

Dynamic Range comparaisons

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).

The waveforms below illustrate differences in the dynamics of the audio signal, and show the effect of the limiter on the Tidal Max or CD versions.

For our 4 editions reviewed have obtained the following Dynamic Range (DR) :

	Tidal MAX – 2024	Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2024	CD – 2024	Red Vinyl record- 2024
Global	DR8	DR14	DR8	DR13
Min	DR6	DR10	DR6	DR11
Max	DR12	DR15	DR12	DR17
Prologue (Live)	DR8	DR15	DR8	DR12
Du temps (Live)	DR7	DR13	DR7	DR12
Peut-être toi (Live)	DR8	DR14	DR8	DR13
Libertine (Live)	DR7	DR14	DR7	DR14
Optimistique-moi (Live)	DR8	DR14	DR8	DR15
à tout jamais (Live)	DR7	DR13	DR7	DR12
C’est une belle journée (Live)	DR7	DR15	DR7	DR14
Paysages glacés (Intro Tristana) (Live)	DR9	DR10	DR9	DR14
Tristana (Live)	DR8	DR14	DR8	DR13
Remember [Medley] (Live)	DR9	DR14	DR9	DR14
Rayon vert (Live)	DR8	DR14	DR8	DR13
Rêver (Live)	DR11	DR14	DR11	DR13
L’autre (Live)	DR11	DR13	DR11	DR12
Que l’aube est belle (Live)	DR8	DR15	DR8	DR14
Sans contrefaçon (Live)	DR7	DR15	DR7	DR15
Oui mais… Non (Live)	DR8	DR14	DR8	DR13
Que je devienne… (Live)	DR6	DR12	DR6	DR11
XXL (Live)	DR6	DR13	DR6	DR15
Rêve interdit (Intro Désenchantée) (Live)	DR12	DR13	DR12	DR13
Désenchantée (Live)	DR6	DR13	DR6	DR13
Rallumer les étoiles (Live)	DR6	DR14	DR6	DR13
épilogue (Live)	DR8	DR14	DR8	DR12

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.

Spectrum comparisons

The graph below compares the spectrum of the CD – 2024 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Tidal MAX – 2024 (blue curve).The two spectra overlap perfectly up to 22 kHz (yellow arrow), the limiting frequency of the CD due to its 44.1 kHz sampling frequency.

The graph below represents the spectrum of the Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2024.
The spectrum of Tidal’s Dolby Atmos version decoded in 7.1 shows that all channels are used. The LFE channel is used with 120 Hz cut-off frequency. The white arrow indicates the high-frequency limit at 20 kHz due to Dolby Digital Plus encoding. The yellow arrow indicates the high-frequency limit at 24 kHz due to encoding at the 48 kHz sampling frequency used.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the Red Vinyl record- 2024 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Tidal MAX – 2024 (blue curve).The two spectra overlap between 200 Hz and 17 kHz, with high-frequency attenuation above 19 kHz (yellow zone) for the vinyl record, and a lower level for the vinyl record above 60 Hz (green zone) (with 5 dB attenuation at 40 Hz).

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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