Two absolute personal favorites are from 1975 - Born To Run (#1) and Katy Lied (not too far behind), and, yes I had to join this forum to realize that the sound was an issue for many. Hearing Dr Wu or Bad Sneakers without the hiss and weird sounds would be a shock.
Sound quality aside my import Kendum cut out pressing is a really nice looking piece of vinyl, all those pretty rainbow patterns, lovely..
The first-hand account linked by the OP (Katy and The Gremlin ) suggests that the DBX issue was bypassed: The two-inch 24-track masters were still sounding good, so we decided to re-mix the entire record using Dolby. Tim
I'm part of the "we" also. If there ever was an album that I had hoped some audiophile mastering might help this is the one. I love Katy Lied. Even with its shortcoming it has always been my favorite Steely Dan album.
Katy Lied is my favourite Steely Dan album. And then I read these threads and think there is something wrong with me. And then I listen again and you know what... still my favourite Dan album. Play on.
It does; but suggests that the DBX issue was with the mix to two-track, which was abandoned. I agree it is all pretty confused! Tim
Aren't you glad to have learned how many things in life you were wrong about since joining this forum?
As I recall, Fagen was quoted as saying something to the effect of feeling distraught upon learning of the DBX fiasco because the original recording was outstanding. Maybe that quote appears in the '99 CD remaster liner notes? In any case, I still like the original MCA CD mastering best (e.g., Japan-for-U.S. pressing). The sizzle in Fagen's vocals is odd, but the sound quality and mastering are still good. The music is, of course, first-rate. Now I have "Daddy Don't Live in That New York City No More" in my head. Thanks, guys.
My thought is that if the original 24-track multis didn't have DBX, this would be much ado about nothing. Why would such a deal (which pressing mitigates the effect more, etc) be made if they just went back to the un-compromised multitracks and remixed to Dolby?
Not sounding as good as some other Dan albums and sounding bad are two entirely different things for me. Our host's CD has always sounded fine as does a needle drop of the CSM vinyl I've heard. Love the album.
'Katy Lied' Vinyl Test.zip Has anyone beside @Leonthepro listened to the samples I uploaded (link above)?
It goes all the way back to the multi tracks. The cymbal splashing has always been the most obvious to me Are you with me Dr Wu?
Being a favorite album and having the sonics be off are not mutually exclusive. Katy Lied is a GREAT album, even a monster one. Yes, we listen past the sound, as we did on transistor radios, bad earbuds, and .mp3s. It's that many of us here have higher quality playback systems to maximize the impact of the music. It's in that context where we hear the significant flaws.
Nicely put. I heard about the problems shortly after it came out and they never really bothered me (IIRC the problems were definitely in the masters). In fact, I have always thought of this album as a prime example of how great music can trump technical screw-ups. It is what it is, and always has been; enjoy it.
In both cases, the third options sound the most palatable to me. You should do one for CD sources. Music Hall-5/AT 150mlx|PC, E-MU 0404|CambridgeAudio Azur 640P|Pioneer VSX D514|PolkAudio RT55|Tributaries 12 gauge|MIT 2 & 4,AR Optical,Belkin coax
Thanks. Interesting observations. I’ll reveal the key with the sources after I (hopefully) get more responses. I wouldn’t mind throwing a few CD samples into the mix but again, I’d like to see a few more responses to the vinyl test first.
Really. If I had not been on this forum and read all the ruckus about it, I would have thought it was just the character of the production. The material certainly eclipses any shortcomings in the sound quality. My Kendun pressing sounds quite good actually, and I always enjoy it.
in the early 80s I used to own a home DBX system for my tape deck Then I went to a Nakamichi those tapes were useless and the process always have some issues.
This is for a different thread... but I often wonder whether there is a point of diminishing returns with audiophile gear. Not in the sense of what you pay vs what you get, but in the sense of a system that is too revealing. On the whole, most recordings are not audiophile recordings. But then when they get played on systems that reveal every last detail -- the flaws jump out. Over time, I've come to believe that the best system for me (I'm not saying for everyone) strikes a balance between performance, warmth, AND being forgiving. Let's face it -- I don't listen to music as homework. I listen for enjoyment in a number of different settings... and for me a more 'forgiving' system... one that may sacrifice in terms of exact/perfect audio replication... provides more enjoyment. I'm ok with not having every flaw jump to the forefront. Obviously, this is entirely subjective.