Reconstructed this tape yesterday - tracks 2, 3, 10, 12, 14 are in lower quality than other tracks, due to their status as being extended (or in the case of track 10, shortened!), and my being unable to find a version of the track in appropriate length. Track 21 also falls under that category, but it was so repetitive that I was able to reconstruct it to what I believe is a decent degree.

Tracklist as follows, since I don't have the tracks split individually on the link below (In order of Gibbs-ified names/Actual):
1 - Secret Crystal/Sanctuary - FUN1006/FUN1019
2 - Turquoise Harbour/Underwater Landscape - FUN1006 (EXTENDED)
3 - Angela’s Theme/Marcella’s Song - FUN1009 (EXTENDED)
4 - Lake Sunbeam/Blue Horizons - FUN1006
5 - Rainbow View/Brave New World - FUN1006
6 - Red Pearls/Elderberry - FUN1019
7 - Terra Nova/Zarin - FUN1019
8 - Forgotten Times/Cirrus - FUN1019
9 - Sandyhill/Sands of Time - FUN1009
10 - Highly Prized/Role Model - FUN1014 (SHORTENED)
11 - Flying Legend/Cruiseship - FUN1019
12 - Champagne Lady/Amethyst - FUN1009 (EXTENDED)
13 - Nightglade/Winter Sun - FUN1019
14 - Lycus/Newlife - FUN1006/FUN1019 (EXTENDED)
15 - Zaphonic/Purple Clouds - FUN1019
16 - Xycon/Time And Space - FUN1006/1019
17 - Deep Dream/Headlands - FUN1019
18 - Jersey Royal/Goodlife - FUN1019
19 - Beyond The Clouds/Tears For The World - FUN1006/1019
20 - Hilton Towers/Penthouse Suite - FUN1019
21 - Golden Touch/Images of Love - FUN1012 (EXTENDED)
22 - Sky Fly/Skiing - FUN1019

LINK: http$://mega.nz/file/4K9DwRIL#7xCCPvwsAbsuA9LQo4QBcv0So9IHssXLx72t6nhivks

P.S. if anybody knows where I might be able to find those extended/shortened tracks, do not hesitate to let me know - if I receive enough info, and the discs are available, I will make every attempt to update this tape with those tracks properly replaced.

So what is it I'm missing here?

Ignore everything I said before. You are correct in your assumptions. It COULD be legit a shit rip, but likely subterfuge is at play here.

I figured before I get all haughty I'd give it a try. A UPM download I have not tagged yet, IMLP1_Big Band Beat - 01 - Double Twelve.flac. Took a screenshot from Audition at full 16/48 then converted it to 128k mp3 and then resampled that to 24/32 and viola it looks like the file I shared earlier.

Results:

https://imgur.com/a/t6mvj5o

Here is 1191
in FLAC: swisstransfer.com/d/61a8e962-5348-4932-8041-a0279958abe4

Peace

BUT here's the catch. It is not a 16bit/44.1kHz flac file. It instead is a 24bit/32kHz flac file, making the maximum frequency per channel 16kHz instead of 22 like normal. This is reduced frequency range, not a lossy file

Thank you for the explanation BWP but I fear it has only helped to confuse me still further. If one takes a lossy file whose frequency range is, by nature, clipped at 16kHz and converts it to FLAC at 24bit/32kHz wouldn't it show the same result? The claim that this is a "reduced frequency range" could surely apply to any upscaled MP3 file? Visually it looks the same and the sampling rate/bit depth can always be manipulated via eg Audacity. So what is it I'm missing here?

Here's my copy of track 1 - Stonehenge. It is not lossy, as you can see in my screenshot from Audition



BUT here's the catch. It is not a 16bit/44.1kHz flac file. It instead is a 24bit/32kHz flac file, making the maximum frequency per channel 16kHz instead of 22 like normal. This is reduced frequency range, not a lossy file

https://i.imgur.com/mOSk8Kg.png


pixeldrain.com/u/5v7QJEr8