Anne Bisson, singer-songwriter, set out to select her Guilty Pleasures her most eclectic musical favorites, deeply rooted in her musical identity since childhood.
Discover this acoustically driven album featuring great classics such as Wild Horses (The Rolling Stones), Harvest Moon (Neil Young), Comfortably Numb (Pink Floyd), In the Ghetto (Elvis Presley) and rediscover Les Feuilles mortes in a beautiful bilingual duet with Canadian singer Bruno Pelletier.
The album is available as a One Step Vinyl Record, on UHQCD, and in high-resolution format on USB card. The songs from this album are also being released on streaming platforms progressively in the form of EPs.
Here are the descriptions of the microphones, preamp, and piano used for the recording of the album :
- Recording System: Neumann U 87 Ai, DPA 4006 AKG 414 XLS, Gefell M930, AEA R44CE Telefunken M16 mkll
- Preamp: Moon 3500MP
- Pianos: Rhodes Stage Piano 88 Mark 1 1977 Yamaha C7 .
For this review, you will find 3 versions tested:
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 are available here
The album is composed of 11 tracks:
- I’m Leaving You
- Harvest Moon
- Once Upon a Summertime How Insensitive
- Autumn Leaves Les feuilles mortes
- Comfortably Numb
- In The Ghetto
- In Your Eyes
- The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
- Wild Horses
- Music and Travels
- Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Summary, scoring and Samples
Ed 1: UHQCD – 2026
Presentation
The UHQCD version is presented in 16-bit / 44.1 kHz to deliver the best possible CD format for this album. This album is Mastered by Bernie Grundman.
Waveform and Spectrum: DR10
The waveform of the UHQCD – 2026 version shows a correct dynamic range confirmed with DR10.
The spectrogram shows that the signal rises to 22 kHz with no signal above this frequency due to the 44.1 kHz sampling frequency.
The graph below compares the spectrum of the UHQCD – 2026 (white curve) with the spectrum of the USB CARD HD – 2026 (blue curve).The two spectra overlap almost perfectly up to 22 kHz, which corresponds to the UHQCD limit due to its 44.1 kHz sampling rate. A very slight difference can be observed above 7 kHz between the two spectra, most likely caused by the conversion from 96 kHz to 44.1 kHz.
Synthesis and listening
The UHQCD provides a high-quality CD format, delivering a sound very close to the high-resolution versions available on the USB edition, which likely served as the reference for producing this CD.
Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●●oo (3)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
- Restitution: ●●●●o (3.5)
Ed 2: USB CARD HD – 2026
Presentation
The USB card includes the high-resolution WAV versions, providing files that are as close as possible to the final master. This album is Mastered by Bernie Grundman.
Waveform and Spectrum: DR10
The waveform of the USB CARD HD – 2026 version shows a correct dynamic range confirmed with DR10.
The spectrogram shows that the signal rises to 48 kHz with no signal above this frequency due to the 96 kHz sampling frequency.
The graph below compares the spectrum of the UHQCD – 2026 (white curve) with the spectrum of the USB CARD HD – 2026 (blue curve).The two spectra overlap almost perfectly up to 22 kHz, which corresponds to the UHQCD limit due to its 44.1 kHz sampling rate. A very slight difference can be observed above 7 kHz between the two spectra, most likely caused by the conversion from 96 kHz to 44.1 kHz.
Synthesis and listening
The high-resolution version is the one closest to the original digital master. It preserves the full precision of this edition in terms of detail and definition, both in the instruments and the vocals. It is the best option for digital listening, although one may note a slight limitation in dynamics on certain tracks.
Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●●oo (3)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●● (5)
- Restitution: ●●●●o (3.5)
Ed 3: One Step Vinyl Record – 2026
Presentation
This is a hand-numbered limited edition of 3,000 copies. The album is pressed as a One-Step 180g vinyl LP at 33rpm. It was recorded and mixed at Studio Opus from May 26 29, 2025 by Jacques Roy, and mastered by Bernie Grundman. The pressing was carried out at RTI. An insert featuring photos and lyrics is included.
Waveform and Spectrum: DR13
The waveform of the Vinyl Record – 2026 shows a high range confirmed with DR13.
The spectrogram shows that the signal rises above 20 kHz with signal above this frequency containing musical information and distortion due to the vinyl record s operating principle.
The graph below compares the spectrum of the One Step Vinyl Record – 2026 (white curve) with the spectrum of the USB CARD HD – 2026 (blue curve).The two spectra overlap almost perfectly from 55 Hz to 12 kHz. Beyond that point (red zone), a significant level variation can be observed around 15 kHz on the vinyl record, a hallmark of Bernie Grundman s mastering style. The yellow arrow indicates the vinyl record’s background noise above 20 kHz.
Synthesis and listening
The One Step vinyl features a superb, ultra-quiet pressing that faithfully reproduces the instruments as well as the voices of Anne Bisson and Bruno Pelletier. This edition delivers the full warmth and smoothness characteristic of the analog format, compared with the digital version.
Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●●●o (4)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●● (5)
- Surface noise: ●●●●o (4.5)
- Restitution: ●●●●o (4)
Anne Bisson presents a remarkable album in prestigious editions, including the One Step vinyl and the UHQCD format, as well as the USB version, which offers the digital version closest to the original master.
These editions allow listeners to fully appreciate the recording quality as well as the sound of the instruments and vocals of Anne Bisson and Bruno Pelletier.
The quality of the rendering is particularly noteworthy on the One Step vinyl (beautiful, quiet pressing) and on the high-resolution USB version (despite reduced dynamics on certain tracks).
Dynamic Range measurements 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).
For our 3 editions reviewed have obtained the following Dynamic Range (DR) :
| UHQCD – 2026 | USB CARD HD – 2026 | One Step Vinyl Record – 2026 | |
| Global | DR10 | DR10 | DR13 |
| Min | DR9 | DR8 | DR11 |
| Max | DR11 | DR11 | DR15 |
| I’m Leaving You | DR09 | DR08 | DR13 |
| Harvest Moon | DR09 | DR09 | DR14 |
| Once Upon a Summertime How Insensitive | DR11 | DR11 | DR13 |
| Autumn Leaves Les feuilles mortes | DR09 | DR09 | DR11 |
| Comfortably Numb | DR09 | DR08 | DR14 |
| In The Ghetto | DR09 | DR09 | DR12 |
| In Your Eyes | DR11 | DR11 | DR15 |
| The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress | DR10 | DR10 | DR12 |
| Wild Horses | DR10 | DR10 | DR13 |
| Music and Travels | DR09 | DR09 | DR12 |
| Somewhere Over The Rainbow | DR11 | DR11 | 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.
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.