SH Spotlight Recording and Mastering Questions---Answered here. Any more?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Steve Hoffman, Apr 20, 2006.

  1. scottc1963

    scottc1963 Forum Resident

    Thank you
     
  2. EddieVanHalen

    EddieVanHalen Forum Resident

    On my teenager years I was always trying to spot pre-echo on every new record I got but nothing beat the pre-echo on Madonna S/T pressed by Alsdorf in Germany.
     
  3. George P

    George P Notable Member

    Location:
    NYC
    @Steve Hoffman - I know that elsewhere you mentioned that the Japan and USA Highway 61 DCC CDs were mastered slightly differently, with the USA having a .5 dB boost at 10kHz.

    Have you ever compared the sound of these two CDs? Do you prefer the sound of one over the other?
     
  4. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Never compared, sorry. Both are great though, or so I've been told. If you want a slightly more open sound, get the USA. I think the thing is open enough to begin with though..
     
    George P likes this.
  5. KAD

    KAD Forum Resident

    Location:
    Moscow, Russia
    Steve, I've got used Gabor Szabo - 1969 (DCC DZS-637) you mastered back in 1988. The music is absolutely stellar, great arrangements, great personel but the sound is a bit confusing. Either the source tape is not the master (dub or cutting master), bass is distorted and a lot of tape hiss on there.
    My second guess is that maybe hiss comes from early 16 track machines installed at United Recording Studio, Los Angeles early in 1969 with NO dolby A...
    Can you clarify this?
    Lena Horne & Gabor Szabo you also did sound fantastic in every way! I enjoy it too!
    Thanks for yor work, I am your listener since 1994 when I bought Cream Wheels of Fire Gold 2 CD set!
     
  6. yasujiro

    yasujiro Senior Member

    Location:
    tokyo
    @Steve Hoffman There are two editions of the DCC Sammy Davis Jr. album; DZS-055 and 627. How are they different (or same)?
     
  7. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product

    limiting and compression.
    i know it's a recording/mixing phase, but if you get that phase right the mastering is easier (unless i m just truly ignorant of the process)
    when i have done home recording, some assets i find i want to use these on to make them more clear, but then it seems to be that other assets become less clear and then there is the dynamic loss ... is there a better way to get that clarity across a whole song. am i just not recording well? or is it purely a game of inches in getting the balance?
     
  8. dartira

    dartira rise and shine like a far out superstar

    If you do your own recording and mixing, and you find yourself wanting to use mastering processing, don't forget you can always go back to your mix.
    When you're listening back, or compiling, you've probably had a little break from the work and your ears are fresher.
    And it is indeed a question of inches, small processing steps, expecially when it comes to compression.
    So, if you need more clarity, try to get it in the mix.
     
    mark winstanley, vonwegen and Plan9 like this.
  9. Plan9

    Plan9 Mastering Engineer

    Location:
    Toulouse, France
    Yes.

    Also, I want to add that limiting/compression can also be treatments used at mastering stage, obviously.
    And doing recording/mixing and mastering all by yourself, it's very hard to get the big picture... It makes it extremely difficult to be just a bit objective on what you're doing.
    I would recommend going to someone you trust for either one of these stages.
     
  10. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product

    cheers. see next post
     
  11. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product

    cheers guys.
    it probably is a mixing issue. i do it by myself for fun. my years of trying to make it are way gone. it's just something i can't stop doing.
     
    JamesLord and dartira like this.
  12. dartira

    dartira rise and shine like a far out superstar

    I know the feeling! Please do share some stuff if you feel like it.
     
    JediJoker and mark winstanley like this.
  13. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product

  14. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product

  15. dartira

    dartira rise and shine like a far out superstar

    Actually, I think that sounds really good @mark winstanley

    Great songs man. I really like that laidback but slightly menacing vibe and the build ups. Great lyrics too.
    Thanks for sharing!
     
  16. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product

    cheers mate. glad you liked them
     
    dartira likes this.
  17. vonwegen

    vonwegen Forum Resident

    Never cared for Naks either. Best ever cassette recorder I ever encountered was a Studer that resides in Nashville's Treasure Isle studio, had crystalline highs, warm mids and a bass response to die for.
     
    McLover likes this.
  18. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Can't remember. Track listing?
     
  19. yasujiro

    yasujiro Senior Member

    Location:
    tokyo
  20. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    JediJoker likes this.
  21. yasujiro

    yasujiro Senior Member

    Location:
    tokyo
    Thank you.
     
  22. vudicus

    vudicus Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Steve,

    I've always been baffled by the drum sound on "Peggy Sue" where it sounds like they're switching some kind of Echo on and off during the intro.
    After that, it seems to be left on during the verses, then turned off during the guitar solo.

    Can you explain what they're doing and how it was done please.
     
    latheofheaven likes this.
  23. Encore

    Encore Forum Resident

    I think I read somewhere that The Future was the last of Leonard Cohen's albums to be recorded analog. I always thought that at least "I'm Your Man" was a digital recording. It sounds very digital, IMO, and very different from "Various Positions". Do you know anything about this, Steve?
     
  24. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Nothing at all, sorry.
     
  25. yasujiro

    yasujiro Senior Member

    Location:
    tokyo
    @Steve Hoffman Is it safe to say that most of the US studios like, say, Tom Nola’s, Plaza, Contemporary, Bell Sounds, Reeves and A&R in the early stereo era were equipped with fairchild 660/670? Were they as common as Neumann mics?
     
    Last edited: Jul 11, 2018

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