Another SH Mastered Steely Dan post

Yes, do. One of the best-sounding Steely Dan discs I have. Variable sound, of course, from various sessions; but the Katy Lied tracks sound great. The 2 Pretzel Logic tracks though ("Rikki" and "E. St. Louis Toodle Oo") are low in volume. A keeper, though, very much so.

 

My copy's inner ring has MCAD37214 followed by a small 1J 1z MFD BY JVC Which version do I have?
On the back of the booklet there is a red line across the top then a pic of Fagen with a pic of Becker below. In the top right hand corner it says MCAD-37214
DIDX 55


Thanks
Tom

 

Tom,

Is your CD Made In Japan? Look on the disc face in the three-o-clock position, it will say either Made In Japan or Manufactured In USA.

If it is Manufactured in Japan for MCA Records, especially if it has "patent pending" embossed on the lower right of the back jewel box, and DIDX -55
21A1 on the disc inner ring, you probably have the Steve Hoffman mastering.

The Roger Nichols digital reel masters, from 1984-1986, are characterized by Manufactured in Japan for MCA Records on the disc face, and the catalog number stamped on the inner ring, readable from the playing side; for example Royal Scam MCAD 37044 M1E1S . The numbers look like they are stamped in and slightly crooked.

Later issues have JVC in bold letters prominent on the inner ring. These are made in USA, and are not the early Hoffman/Nichols versions.

Paul

 

Paul

Thanks for the info. I have the USA-damn. Now I'm on a mission to find Steve's version.

Tom

 

Paul said:

Yes, but it was said elsewhere in this thread that the CRC version of Aja, which was made in the USA and has DIDY 000055 in the inner ring, is a Nichols version. So I guess that not all Nichols CDs were made in Japan.

 

Out of curiosity, what's the q and center frequency of that hole?

 

You betcha!

Caught me out there: I dunno from GML! But thanks very much for the figures, which will be more adventures in ear-training for ol' Gardo.

You da man. Thanks!

 

The plot thickens further...
I just received Aja! Plain black back cover with white printing.DIDY55 MCAD-37214 in the bottom middle. No barcode. Made In USA at approx. 5 o'clock on the face of the CD. The inner ring says L384 5589 MCD37214 B70219-03.

I'm not sure who mastered this one, but I don't believe it has Steve's signature either. It is good but my ears still prefer the MFSL UD1. Just sounds more musical to me.

 

So you're saying...the hole itself isn't "bad", it's just that it's a bit too deep? Or that filling the hole completely wouldn't have been true to the tonality of the master tape, even though that tonality (the midrange hole) could be considered "wrong"?