MPD040: Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest OST Recreated

[rpbtz]

These shipped out recently, but all copies have an issue where side A is sped up by about 8%. According to Sam Miller it's an issue with sample rate conversion. DKC3 Recreated have the same issue on side D.

Regardless of the cause it should've been caught in the test pressing phase, so the label either didn't bother listening or didn't know what they were listening to.

They have stated that they will "fix it" without mentioning what exactly that entails.

[LiquidAcid]

There's your 8%...

(48000.0 / 44100.0) - 1.0 = 0.088435

Total incompetence if you ask me.

[rpbtz]

Yep, that's what the screenshot I saw from Sam Miller said too. The digital copies sound fine, so I'm not sure what the label did to manage to get only the vinyl wrong AND only some sides... It's uh.. impressively incompetent.

[zierts]

Is it just the speed or also the pitch?

I feel kinda bad for the arranger here. His people probably submitted their stuff alright and someone down the chain messed up. Not to wreak havoc on the manufacturer but do we know who produced these? Own up to your mistakes and all.

[rpbtz]

They were pressed at French pressing plant MPO, but I'm guessing the label Mental Groove Records / Musique Pour la Danse are the ones to blame here. At the very least they should have received test pressings to verify that everything sounded correct before proceeding with a full pressing.

[rpbtz]

Replacements for the faulty copies are finally going out starting next week.

[rpbtz]

I never followed up on this, but the replacements for these came out faulty too. Both DKC2 and 3 originally had 1 track each, that played at the correct speed. So when the "slowed down" replacements came out those two tracks were now playing too slow.

To my knowledge the label has been completely silent about the issue with the replacements and it seems likely that no further fully fixed pressing will be made.

Full on shitshow.

[LuxKiller65]

woah what a mess-up...

it's so bad they store them with the door open and still nobody steals them

https://maps.app.goo.gl/kYdpfmnqDkD5rmBcA

[zierts]

Originally Posted by LuxKiller65

it's so bad they store them with the door open and still nobody steals them

Bah, how cruel! XD

Originally Posted by rpbtz

I never followed up on this, but the replacements for these came out faulty too. Both DKC2 and 3 originally had 1 track each, that played at the correct speed. So when the "slowed down" replacements came out those two tracks were now playing too slow.

To my knowledge the label has been completely silent about the issue with the replacements and it seems likely that no further fully fixed pressing will be made.

Full on shitshow.

Getting it wrong while trying to get it right. Probably shows how little some labels know the music they are selling. Most of us would notice. A similar sample rate conversion mistake also happened to the Resident Evil HD Remaster and its soundtrack release.

Out of curiosity: which were the tracks that were okay on the original print/too slow on the corrected print?

[rpbtz]

Originally Posted by zierts

Out of curiosity: which were the tracks that were okay on the original print/too slow on the corrected print?

iirc it was Token Tango on DKC2 and Baddies On Parade on DKC3

[zierts]

Originally Posted by rpbtz

iirc it was Token Tango on DKC2 and Baddies On Parade on DKC3

Ah, thanks.

Well, could have been worse for DKC2. Losing "Forest Interlude" or any of the great level tracks would have hurt more. But "Baddies on Parade" stings a bit for DKC3. Either way, sad this was overlooked.