Live audio comparison of select songs from this on-air broadcast satellite show at the now-shuttered Akasaka BLITZ. Only a small portion of this concert was televised (around 45 minutes total). Audio mix and quality (for television broadcast) was typical for the time (flat/virtually no bass/drums) via the house soundboard and PA equipment. This particular tour was also the last with the old band (except for guitarist Shingo "Jake" Saito who was new at the time). Comparison video of the same songs from the encore concert in November 2001 with the new band and what was then, the new Yamaha PM1D digital audio mixing system which I was fortunately part of the rollout for the summer leg of the tour. An advacement at the time, we were able to achieve a vastly improved live sound, excellent guitar tone, and very clear separation of the bass and drums.
- 00:00:00 Intro
- 00:00:14 be yourself
- 00:05:15 Discovery
- 00:09:45 -MC-
- 00:10:41 Still
- 00:17:32 Chance!
- 00:22:16 -赤い華- You’re gonna change to the flower
- 00:26:40 One
- 00:31:07 -MC-
- 00:31:55 抱きしめて
- 00:36:32 大切なページ
The actual full setlist for this concert: be yourself, discovery, 裸のプリンセスマーメイド, Chance!, Still, BESIDE YOU, あなたも知らない恋の果てに, MOON, live to love -もう少し早く逢えたなら-, -赤い華- You’re gonna change to the flower, 星の涙を, REAL LOVE, RIDE A WAVE, Dive into you, One, No,No,No！, invisible, Love Graduation, ENCORE: 抱きしめて, 大切なページ
ML upscaled/enhanced to 1080p60 (from what is basically 480p pro shot source). 480p to 720p upscale (using ffmpeg), and then 2x upscale/enhance + 60fps with Aiarty Video Enhancer. 1440p output was then downscaled to 1080p with Digiarty VideoProc Converter. I could’ve gone straight with the 480p to 960p (but I find the final downscaling after the ML processing gets that sharp quality; I would need to downscale that to 720p and my objective is to get these to 1080p with as much sharpness as the tech currently allows).
Updated ML upscaled/enhanced to 1080p60 live audio comparison of (2000.8.7 Nakano Sun Plaza) TOUR STARTING LEGEND 2000 "live to love" version of Dive into you. This was the old (second) live band which emphasized keyboards. Comparison video of the same song from the encore concert in November 2001 with the new band and what was then, the new Yamaha PM1D digital mixing console (with a vastly improved live sound, excellent guitar tone, and very clear separation of the bass and drums).
Notes: 480p to 720p upscale (using ffmpeg), and then 2x upscale/enhance + 60fps with Aiarty Video Enhancer. 1440p output was then downscaled to 1080p with Digiarty VideoProc Converter. I could’ve gone straight with the 480p to 960p (but I find the final downscaling after the ML processing gets that sharp quality; I would need to downscale that to 720p and my objective is to get these to 1080p with as much sharpness as the tech currently allows).
Updated ML upscaled/enhanced to 1080p60 live audio comparison of (2000.8.7 Nakano Sun Plaza) TOUR STARTING LEGEND 2000 "live to love" version of One. This was the old (second) live band which emphasized keyboards. Comparison video of the same two songs from the encore concert in November 2001 with the new band and what was then, the new Yamaha PM1D digital audio sound system (with a vastly improved live sound, more guitars, and very clear separation of the bass and drums): ** link to be added **
Notes: 480p to 720p upscale (using ffmpeg), and then 2x upscale/enhance + 60fps with Aiarty Video Enhancer. 1440p output was then downscaled to 1080p with Digiarty VideoProc Converter. I could’ve gone straight with the 480p to 960p (but I find the final downscaling after the ML processing gets that sharp quality; I would need to downscale that to 720p and my objective is to get these to 1080p with as much sharpness as the tech currently allows).
ML upscaled/enhanced to 1080p60 (from what is basically 480p pro shot source). 480p to 720p upscale (using ffmpeg), and then 2x upscale/enhance + 60fps with Aiarty Video Enhancer. 1440p output was then downscaled to 1080p with Digiarty VideoProc Converter. I could’ve gone straight with the 480p to 960p (but I find the final downscaling after the ML processing gets that sharp quality; I would need to downscale that to 720p and my objective is to get these to 1080p with as much sharpness as the tech currently allows).
Live audio comparison of STARTING LEGEND 1999 ～Face to Face ver 417～ ガンバレ. This was the old (second) live band which emphasized keyboard arrangements. The guitar tones from the Nobu K era band were really studio quality bright/crisp; I'm glad this song was pro shot during this period. Comparison video from the January 1, 2004 show at Nippon Budokan with the new band (from 2001) and the now 3 year old Yamaha PM1D digital mixing console (with a vastly improved live sound, excellent guitar tone, and very clear separation of the bass and drums): ** link to be added ** 30th anniversary (2024) performance (with most of the band from the 2004 video): ** link to be added **
#代々木第1体育館
ML Upscaled/Enhanced 1080p60. Live audio comparison of STARTING LEGEND 1999 ～Face to Face ver.417～ Kaze ga Fuku oka + ROLLING STONE. This was the old (second) live band which emphasized keyboards. Comparison video of the same two songs from the encore concert in November 2001 with the new band and what was then, the new Yamaha PM1D digital audio mixing/sound system (with a vastly improved live sound, more guitars, and very clear separation of the bass and drums):
#代々木第1体育館
ML Upscaled/Enhanced 1080p60 (using this newer process). This concert (thankfully pro shot) was also live streamed (Real Media at a slide slow/low frame rate 160p resolution).
ML Upscaled/Enhanced 1080p60. This concert (thankfully pro shot) was also live streamed via Real Media at a slide slow/low frame rate 160p resolution (which made the 480p source look good). To get this upscaled, I used a different process (cutting out the ffmpeg step) by using Digiarty VideoProc Converter to transcode the MPEG-2TS source to 1080p since the output looked pretty good (the de-interlacer worked much better). I then ran that through Aiarty Video Enhancer AI to upscale/enhance that to 2160p60 (video detail plus frame rate increase) and then performed the final downscaling to 1080p60.
Rare live version of Never Say Never from a 1988 spring break concert held at Isla Blana Park (South Padre Island in Texas). Video was ML enhanced and audio tweaked a little (the quality is what it is). That tour for their Surveillance release had only 4 more shows; the final one in September 1988 would be guitarist Rik Emmett's last with the band until they reunited 20 years later for the two shows in 2008; Sweden Rock Festival and Rocklahoma.
The fact this footage exists is incredible since back then, this was around the time when digital cameras (both photo and video) were just coming on to the scene; this was around the time of the analog 8mm camcorders (like the Canon ES-series and Sony Handycam); not very small handheld camcorders which was held to shoot this entire show (no pro shot recordings exist for any of the 1988 shows). I'm slowly "re-mastering" the entire footage but did this one section first given how rare this live version is.
ML upscaled/enhanced to 1080p60 (video source from the 80's is much more difficult to upscale since it really is garbage in, garbage out territory). From Surveillance (released in November 1987), the original official music video was released on July 27, 1987. This (a progressive rock tune with a guitar instrumental prologue entitled "Prologue: Into The Forever") was also one of my favorite Triumph tunes (the melody, the lyrics, the guitar riffs and solo). I still crank the volume on this one. Surveillance would also be the last release with Rik Emmett who left the group in 1988.
ML upscaled/enhanced to 1080p60 (video source from the 80's is much more difficult to upscale since it really is garbage in, garbage out territory). From The Sport of Kings (released in August 1986), the original official music video was released on September 11, 1986. This (a pop rock tune laden with synths and guitars) was also the bands biggest hit (27th place in the Billboard 100 over the course of 15 weeks).