MMT mono Your Mother Should Know question

Has anyone ever notice any phasing type problems with the either the U.S. or Canadian mono Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour LP, specifically "Your Mother Should Know"?

I didn't think you could have a phasing problem with a mono signal. When I record mono albums or 45s on to the computer I always use a y connector cord so I'm not hearing clicks and pops in stereo out of the left and right channels.

Yesterday I was mastering an original Canadian mono MMT to the computer along with a Canadian mono Sgt. Pepper. I played the disc on the way to the gym last evening to check for any outstanding clicks or pops that I missed when cleaning up the tracks and was horrified when I heard "Your Mother Should Know".

This "phasing" problem did not occur with any other song on either album, or the bonus track "Only A Northern Song". When listening to this copy of MMT on my stereo system I can still here some slight phasing, although not a severe as this.

For comparison I recorded a fold-down mix of YMSK from my original Canadian stereo pressing of MMT. It played back fine.

Here is a sample. Beatles - YMSK mono

 

Yes my canadian copy does that as well. So does the british mono ep.
I have no idea why, but I'm sure someone here can explain it to us.

 

Mike,

You can have a phasing problem when a Mono tape is played back on a Stereo head. As my audio teacher has shared with me, this is more common that we might want to think. In this case, it is difficult for me to comment.

Bob

 

People have commented that there is "phasing on the vocal at the end".

But I hear phasing on everything throughout the entire track...especially in the drums.

Not really - "phasing" more like everything is out of phase, flipped inside out.

 

Hmmmmmmmm.... methinks the effect was intentional as it is on all copies of the mono YMSK. Phasing was a very popular psychedelic effect in the 60's, and very often these effects WERE NOT recreated on the stereo versions (Baby Your a Rich Man and Lucy in the Sky are two other examples).

Just my 2 cents, but I think that effect is deliberate.

 

It is. Thats why the mono version is sought after.

mud-

 

Uh, the mono mix of the song is heavily phased (as an effect) all the way through.

 

I just checked my Spanish EMI-Odeon Beatles - "Por Siempre" mono LP. YMSK sounds the same.

I could see Martin/Emerick using phasing as a technique but this is not the case in the stereo mix. It just doesn't sound right to me.

 

Steve explained at some point months ago that this was not a phasing problem
but deliberate "flanging" (sp?). At least that is my memory when the question was
raised before. The different effects in the mono version (including this one)
make it a far more interesting mix than the stereo version (to these ears,
anyway).

 

Steve, Would it have been less of a project if they flanged the entire mix in stereo and not just the vocals...? Is that what makes it harder?.. In "Lucy" the flanging is on the vocals and the drums..at least they are the most obvious.

 

Thanks Steve. Flange was actually my first thought. When I wasn't hearing anything in the stereo mix, I wasn't 100% sure what it was I was hearing in the mono mix, or something like that.

 

I don't have my Lewisohn book handy but didn't they have some technical problem with this song when they recorded it?

I remember something along the lines of it being recorded at another studio (I want to say Trident but I think I'm confusing this with "Hey Jude") and then when they went to transfer it they had some problems with a speed or alignment issue?

Outside of what was previously mentioned, I always thought that that had an effect on the sound as well.

Craig

 

Thanks Steve!

Craig

 

I don't think it affected the sound, but YMSK was indeed recorded at Chappell, not Abbey Road. According to Lewisohn, they recorded at 30 IPS on 1/2" tape, rather than 15 IPS on 1" tape, which did cause transfer problems (although the specifics are not mentioned).