Featured:
ML Upscaled/Enhanced 1080p60 (using this newer process). Live audio comparison with a new band + new modular digital mixing console (Yamaha PM1D) used beginning from the Starting Legend 2001 ~Precious Garden Summer~ tour which ran from July-September 2001 (an encore concert was held in November and pro shot). Old band + house soundboard (flat mix for on-air broadcast) from the first part of the Precious Garden tour. STARTING LEGEND 2000 performance of One with the prior band and sound system.
ML Upscaled/Enhanced 1080p60 (using this newer process). Live audio comparison with a new band + new modular digital mixing console (Yamaha PM1D) used beginning from the Starting Legend 2001 ~Precious Garden Summer~ tour which ran from July-September 2001 (an encore concert was held in November and pro shot). This was the live sonic edge being strived for (guitars, drums, bass with very clear separation) on songs like these two (Ken Kimura's short guitar solo in between the two songs is also included highlighting how great this system was). Old band + house soundboard (flat mix for on-air broadcast) from the first part of the Precious Garden tour.
ML Upscaled/Enhanced 1080p60 (using this newer process). Live audio comparison with a new band + new modular digital mixing console (Yamaha PM1D) used beginning from the Starting Legend 2001 ~Precious Garden Summer~ tour which ran from July-September 2001 (an encore concert was held in November and pro shot). Dive into you with the old band + older console/mixer from 2000.
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 Topaz. 1440p output was then re-encoded and downscaled to 1080p. 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). The zoomed out shots still present a challenge for the models/algorithms (then again, didn’t try dialing in the granular settings). Still, each software iteration is getting better quality.
First tour with the Yamaha PM1D digital mixing console. The slower songs like this tune were a "simple" preset change.
ML upscaled/enhanced to 1080p60 (from what is basically 480p pro shot source). 480p -> 720p upscale (using ffmpeg), and then 2x upscale/enhance + 60fps with Topaz. 1440p output was then re-encoded and downscaled to 1080p. 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). The zoomed out shots still present a challenge for the models/algorithms (then again, didn't try dialing in the granular settings).
First tour with the Yamaha PM1D digital mixing console. The slower songs (like these two) were a "simple" preset change.
ML Upscaled/Enhanced 1080p60 (using this newer process). Live audio comparison with a new band + new modular digital mixing console (Yamaha PM1D) used beginning from the Starting Legend 2001 ~Precious Garden Summer~ tour which ran from July-September 2001 (an encore concert was held in November and pro shot). Old band + house soundboard (flat mix for on-air broadcast) from the first part of the Precious Garden tour.
ML Upscaled/Enhanced 1080p60 (using this newer process). Live audio comparison with a new band + new modular digital mixing console (Yamaha PM1D) used beginning from the Starting Legend 2001 ~Precious Garden Summer~ tour which ran from July-September 2001 (an encore concert was held in November and pro shot). Old band + older console/mixer from 1999 with the two same songs.
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).
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).
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).