DCC Beach Boys "Pet Sounds" question for Steve

DCC "Pet Sounds" question for Steve

Steve,

First off so my question won't be misinterpreted, I LOVE my DCC LP of "Pet Sounds". My first exposure to this album was the Pet Sounds box set. I think I've said this before on this forum, but when I listened to the mono disc in the box set, I could not understand what all the fuss was about regarding the mono and couldn't understand why anyone would prefer it to the new stereo version (aside from a couple of things they couldn't recreate on the stereo version). Sometime afterwards, I bought the DCC vinyl - THEN I GOT IT (why people prefer the mono). It took listening to your version Steve, to "get" the mono - one of the simplest and best compliments I can give you on your version Steve, since I was able to feel more music and emotion thru your mono versionthan any other (mono or stereo). "The "feel" thing. But this is not to bring up the mono vs. stereo issue - that's for another thread.

Why did you not use any Eq on this album Steve? Here's why I ask: I know you often try to use speakers/electronics like used at the original sessions so you can kind of hear it as they did back then. I remember you once saying (either in an interview or here on this forum) something to the effect that some of that missing upper midrange on "Pet Sounds" is the way it is because they didn't notice it in the studio back then - to them it sounded right because the speakers (or maybe part of the chain) had a rise in that area, so listening to the tape on the setup they used when it was mixed, it sounded fine, but on more neutral equipment, that region is a little depressed. However, on other projects you've worked on, say "Hotel California", you Eq'd it to compensate for the deficiencies of how the setup was when that album was mixed, since the sound of the tape on playback on more neutral equipment isn't so great, due to the deficiencies of their playback setup. This way you Eq it so your resulting LP or CD will sound the way they heard it back then when it was originally mixed, but on more neutral equipment/more correct setup. At the same time, also "improving" it so that the music comes to life better and is more believeable, but NOT a "revision" at the expense of the integrity of the music and what the artist was originally "going for", so their vision still shines through.

With "Pet Sounds" I've guessed to myself that you left it alone because messing with it would only make the sound worse - a case of the disease being better than the cure. It seems that the mono version in the "Pet Sounds" box is Eq'd to make the disc reflect how Brian heard "Pet Sounds" back in the day when he was mixing it with Chuck Britz. However, their disc is grainy and and somewhat agressive - not nearly as natural as your version Steve. But beyond that, the Eq done on the box set version to make it more like Brian originally heard it, also exposes more of the flaws of the tape.

 

You've answered my question well Steve - thanks. Your version really does come to life. "It needs leaving alone" - that's a good way of putting it. Reassuringly to me , I guess my thinking of why you didn't use any Eq was right - that it sounds best when left alone (which I agree it does), and altering the sound only would make it worse, so that's how you did it.

 

I'm very happy with the choice Steve made for the DCC 'Pet Sounds'. I have many different versions of this album on CD/vinly but none sound as real and alive as the DCC (vinyl). There's plenty of meat on that album and a lot of wonderful texture.

Todd

 

Agreed!

 

One thing I really appreciate is that Steve left the No-Noise monster out of the picture, as he always does.
There are percussion clicks on the track "Let's Go Away For Awhile" that were actually removed on the Capitol CD versions by the No-Noise monster!
Of course, Steve's version leaves them intact.
Yes, the DCC has a lot of bass, but then, Brian Wilson was emulating Phil Spector and used most of the Wrecking Crew, and the production style was to often have an acoustic and electric bass playing on the same song in unison.

Great job, Steve!

Paul

 

I sent a sealed copy of the DCC LP to Mirror Spock to remaster, and he sent me a couple of test discs. I can honestly say it is the best sounding Pet Sounds I have ever heard. Unfortunately, he has not released it, but I compared it to the DCC gold CD as well as the Capitol HDCD release, and it was a noticable upgrade to both. Just more "air" around the instruments, without adding EQ to exaggerate it. This has always been one DCC release that has sounded better on vinyl than CD, at least to my ears.

 

SH Mastered Pet Sounds

Steve and Friends,

I enjoy the way Steve mastered Pet Sounds - he mastered it a way that makes the recorded work stand as a "time piece". For a historical recording, this was a wise and prudent approach. Fortunately, on my set-up which has plenty of Amp headroom, the disc as mastered by Steve, sounds great, as is. The disc is very Analog sounding - warm, rich and thick and yet there are so many listenable layers. I have recorded tracks from this disc on Reel tape with great success. When music records well to Reel tape without a lot of futzing, that recorded work has been well-mastered.

Martin, this disc should sound wonderful on your JBL L-7's. It certainly does on mine!

Bob

 

We're not going to hear many opportunities when a classic LP was mastered without fuss or fluff. It's a pleasure to hear it natural. I concider Pet Sounds to be one mf my favorite titles in the heyday of DCC. It still stands up tall among other audiophile releases without being brassy.

When the DVD-A comes out, it won't sound like this anyway.

 

I agree with the previous posters that Steve's DCC vinyl is the best sounding version of Pet Sounds. I have the HDCD version (mono and stereo) from the Pet Sounds Sessions Box (or whatever it is called).

However, I find this thread interesting in that people seem to get so involved in the "mastering" and other details that the "soul" and "beauty" of the music seem to be ignored. I love Pet Sounds for the music!

In My Room makes me relive my youth, and the time spent daydreaming about girls and the future. Caroline, No touches me more that almost any other song. I only wish I had Brian's voice, because I always sing along when I hear it. If I didn't sing I'd get misty. Don't we all have at least one person in our pasts who changed so much, and not for the better?

Remember, using your analytical powers to find the best sounding, etc is great, but don't forget your heart when listening to Pet Sounds!

 

Exactly. Pet Sounds is NOT the most creamy, dreamy audiophillic treat. But it is something very near and dear to our hearts. I love the box set too, with seperate vocal and backing parts.

If you don't have the Pet Sounds Capitol box, don't miss it!!

 

Re: SH Mastered Pet Sounds

It does sound great Bob. No complaints on the mastering - it's the best out there, no question. I only brought this up because of a couple of comments I've seen Steve make regarding "Pet Sounds", something to the effect of the upper midrange being a bit missing and that half the songs not really hi-fi, etc., which made me wonder why Steve decided not to change it if he felt there were things "wrong" with it. I figured it was because any changes would have made the sound worse, but I wanted to hear it from the man himself to know for sure, instead of just guessing.

 

Was this flat transfer was used for the CD as well?

 

Yes

 

It's mine!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=934743430

 

I agree...I love that Set.

 

The Pet Sounds box set is great. There should me more sets of this sort, where an album is analyzed in depth.

The stereo mix is interesting but it bugs me that "You Still Believe In Me" lacks the double-tracked vocals. You would think that there was a way they could have synched them in.

Paul

 

They couldn't because the double-tracked vocal does not exist. It was recorded by Brian during mixdown, so the only tape of that is on the master 2-track.

 

DOH!

 

Got my copy of the DCC LP today...

Wow.

 

I've been bidding on the CD. One just went for $100 tonight.

 

Steve's CD is really the only one that does not have certain musical elements removed.
Sonic Solutions unfortunately cannot sometimes distinguish between noise and instruments.

Buy Steve's CD!

Paul

 

Geeze... All this talk of the DCC "Pet Sounds"... Now I gotta put mine in the CD player and listen to it again