Led Zeppelin III mastering engineers

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by cartologist, May 26, 2008.

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  1. cartologist

    cartologist Just the son of an Iowa girl Thread Starter

    Location:
    MA, USA
    For the Wikipedia article, I am trying to identify
    - The year Diament engineered the CD master (I'm guessing 1983)
    - name of the original mastering engineer

    I did some searches but am lazy. Will cite web if definitive.
     
  2. -Ben

    -Ben Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington DC Area
    Later than 1983. The CD first came out around 1985 or 86.

    Barry Diament on CD.

    Of course, the first mastering was done for LP. Paul Richmond and Terry Manning did the original mastering session at Mastercraft (Memphis TN, 1970)
     
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  3. Sckott

    Sckott Hand Tighten Only.

    Location:
    South Plymouth, Ma
    Yeah, Barry did it first.
     
  4. cartologist

    cartologist Just the son of an Iowa girl Thread Starter

    Location:
    MA, USA
    Thank you very much.
     
  5. LesPaul666

    LesPaul666 Mr Markie - The Rock And Roll Snarkie

    Location:
    New Jersey
    I can remember that the Zep CD's were released(I think) in this order:

    IV (1983 Target)

    Houses Of The Holy(1985 Target)

    I, II, III, all in one shot in 1986. It's possible that the remaining titles were released at this time, as well. It seemed to me at this particular time, Barry's masterings were flying to the store shelves.

    The LP was originally mastered at Mastercraft by P.R.(?)
     
  6. Dr. Tone

    Dr. Tone Forum Resident

    Location:
    Rockwall, TX
    Hi, All. I just picked up a copy Led Zeppelin III over lunch. Looks like a first pressing (SD 7201) with "Do what thou wilt" and "So mote it be" inscribed in the dead wax. Is this anything special?

    Thanks,

    Derek
     
  7. bdiament

    bdiament Producer, Engineer, Soundkeeper

    Location:
    New York
    Hi -Ben,

    Actually, I created my first CD master in '83.

    Zep III was, to the best of my recollection, done in '85 or '86, as you said.

    Best regards,
    Barry
    www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
    www.barrydiamentaudio.com
     
  8. Stefan

    Stefan Senior Member

    Location:
    Montreal, Canada
    Yes, that would be about right. I bought my first CD player in the summer of 1985. I recall walking into a store after picking it up and looking for CDs. The only LZ available at that point was LZIV. I also bought Tears for Fears' Songs From the Big Chair the same evening, and that wasn't released until February 1985. I believe HOTH was released in the autumn of '85 and then the rest in 1986.
     
  9. Stefan

    Stefan Senior Member

    Location:
    Montreal, Canada
    Nothing special other than being an early pressing. I don't believe the inscriptions were restricted to only the first pressings. I believe the story behind that is around here somewhere, but I don't recall where.
     
  10. Dr. Tone

    Dr. Tone Forum Resident

    Location:
    Rockwall, TX
    Thanks, Stefan. Well, for $8, it'll be fun to play it and see how it stacks against my 77 reissue I bought when I was a kid.
     
  11. Stefan

    Stefan Senior Member

    Location:
    Montreal, Canada
    Be sure to let us know how it sounds. People tend to talk a lot about the LZII RLs, etc., but not so much about III.
     
  12. Right, I bought a US copy once with those inscriptions, thinking (obviously before reading here or taking proper notes!) that it was the "best" one I could get my hands on in North America. However, it sounded plain and featurless. It was a "75 Rockfeller Plaza" one, but I don't recall if it was mastered by George Pyros or not.

    I guess that if this poster's copy is an "1841 Broadway" one, and it has the arcane inscriptions, then it is an early pressing, right?
     
  13. John

    John Senior Member

    Location:
    Northeast

    Hi Derek- I have a few of these, and mine are not anything special. Not to say that yours wont be, you never know. III is a tough nut to crack on vinyl, CD is easy Barry's sounds very good to these ears.
     
  14. Stefan

    Stefan Senior Member

    Location:
    Montreal, Canada
    Yes, the 1841 Broadway versions **should** sound better, but as John, the poster who followed you, said, III is hard to find in a satisfying version on vinyl. The Classic isn't bad, but there's too much goosing going on with the highs. The acoustic guitar tracks on side two remind me of some Cat Stevens reissues I bought, there' boosting on the highs that ends up sounding like compression, all the guitar transients on picking and strumming sound too "perfect" almost like they are midi guitar parts played by a sequencer at exactly the same level. Plus there's the weird problem with guitar jumping to one side a few seconds into Hats Off (I brought it up in another thread on here awhile back). Some of the older pressings I've tried have been better. I have an early UK pressing with the inscriptions on it and it's all midrange. I recently got an average Canadian pressing in an eBay lot and it wasn't too bad. Still, if I had to get rid of them all but one, I'd probably keep the Classic and turn the treble down when I play it.
     
  15. Sam

    Sam Senior Member

    Location:
    Rochester, NY
    I just got a 1972 Canadian pressing on ebay, and so far the sound is great in comparison to my original US 1st pressing. The US pressing sounds like a bad cd in comparison to the warmth of the Canadian pressing.
     
  16. Stefan

    Stefan Senior Member

    Location:
    Montreal, Canada
    Yes, I've had some good pressings from that era and some mediocre ones as well. Last weekend I found an old Canadian T.G. red label copy of LZIII for $6 at a record store. It was a bit scruffy but with a clean-up, it wasn't bad, not mint by any means but listenable. I mainly wanted to hear what it sounded like since TG pressings of LZII and Van Morrison's His Band... that I've owned have sounded great. It's actually quite a good mastering of the album. It really sounds if it was a tremendous "window into the master tape" when it was new. Same goes for a TG red label The Yes Album I found. I wish I could find mint copies of these!
     
  17. JPwalker

    JPwalker Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vancouver
    The Canadian red label is the best that I have heard as well. It is most similar to the original cd mastering in tonality. I don't like the high end on the Classic and the remaster.
     
  18. -Ben

    -Ben Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington DC Area
    Interesting how the CD release was put on hold for a few years.

    Thanks Barry. :thumbsup:
     
  19. dprokopy

    dprokopy Senior Member

    Location:
    Near Seattle, WA
    I don't think he's saying he mastered III in 1983. He's saying he mastered his first CD in 1983, and that III was done in 1985 or 1986.

    Ben said "The CD first came out around 1985 or 86" and I think Barry took that to mean that CDs in general came out then. But I think Ben was referring to the first CD of III.
     
  20. Sam

    Sam Senior Member

    Location:
    Rochester, NY
    I've continued to listen to my Zep III canadian lp and I'm absolutely blown away. This is the smoothest recording I have heard from Zep. What a complete difference over the U.S. original pressing. Makes me wonder what the other Led Zep lps sound like from Canada. So far, my list for best zeppelin pressings is Classic for I, RL pressing for II, this 1972 canadian lp for III. For IV, I have the classic records pressing. Anyone heard one better? I also have Classic Records pressings for Houses, PG, Prescence and Outdoor. Classic's Prescence is stunning. What about the others? Anything better than Classic?
     
  21. -Ben

    -Ben Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington DC Area
    You are correct, I was referring only to Zep III. I misunderstood Barry.
    Thanks for clarifying.
     
  22. Neilson77

    Neilson77 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nottingham UK
    Would the 1841 Broadways sound better due to less stamper wear Stefan? I think im correct in saying the SD 19128 reissues use the same mastering with the "Do what thou wilt" "So mote be it" inscriptions.
     
  23. fishcane

    fishcane Dirt Farmer

    Location:
    Finger Lakes,NY
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