Adventures in Mastering: Warren Zevon "Excitable Boy" SACD from Audio Fidelity

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Steve Hoffman, Oct 1, 2013.

  1. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    After getting the original analog master mixes from Warner Bros. Records, I mastered this yesterday at Marsh Mastering in the Hollywood Hills.

    I love this album, still have my LP version that I bought back in 1978 or so. When the tapes were delivered to Marsh Mastering a few weeks ago, Stephen Marsh wrote me excitedly and asked if I wanted "flats", he was all into the album as well and loved the sound of the tapes. I told him I didn't need flats, knew this album like the back of my hand.

    Turns out one never really knows an album until hearing the master tapes. They sound so good, so much better than the old LP and CD versions that I was really blown away yesterday.

    The album has that "Record One/Sunset Sound Factory" house sound that I love so much, clean, punchy. giant, fat bass with great dynamics, close miked with a bit of reverb and a tiny touch of hollowness and a lot of LA Soul.

    Stephen Marsh spent a lot of time (A LOT OF TIME) adjusting the finicky Dolby A system to play back this tape just the way it was played back in the studio of The Sound Factory back in 1977. He does this before I arrive so all I have to do is walk in and sit down to begin. He pushed "play" and I looked at him and smiled. Ah, something to really work with!

    We looked at the accumulated mastering notes from over 30 years worth of head scratching mastering (mostly from A&M Mastering) and we had to laugh:

    +5 at 15K? combined with +5 at 10K? And a bass cut at 150?

    ...and so on, just to have that all clipped and compressed by the high frequency cutting limiter in disk mastering.

    Weird, wacky stuff.

    So, we ignored all of those notes and took a new approach. I wanted YOU to hear this great album just the way they heard it in playback at the studio back in 1977. So, I polished the sound, bringing out the highlights while still keeping the house sound intact. My usual "polishing" with a layer of tubes and some TLC.

    Since the album was mixed on (THANK GOODNESS) AGFA 468, the tape didn't have to be baked at all. In fact, it didn't shed a bit, NOTHING on the tape heads after a side. Nothing. Perfect tape from 1977. Even the tones (individually leadered) were rock steady after all of these years.

    When I found the "chill point" for each song (that shiver down the spine) we printed it with a split feed to the DSD SACD master and the CD master and I was done in 4 hours, just in time for some hipster pizza pig out action. If you listen carefully you will be able to hear the difference in Warren's vocal sound from track to track. The better your system the more it will be noticeable. I did not attempt to homogenize his vocal sound to keep it constant, that would have meant throwing everything else off, the drums, piano, etc. We kept it pure and true to the original intent of the mix.

    Heard the check disk this morning and it's just great sound and a great album. Warren, looking down from above, should be very pleased with our work. You will too.

    Patty Hearst
    Heard the burst
    Of Roland's Thompson Gun
    And bought it.


    Below: Stephen Marsh, getting it going:
    stephen marsh.jpg

    View attachment 291213
     

    Attached Files:

    billw, painted8, AnalogJ and 62 others like this.
  2. jfeldt

    jfeldt Forum Resident

    Location:
    SF, CA, USA
    Thanks Steve! I find your adventures in mastering notes super interesting.
     
    rxcory likes this.
  3. Macman

    Macman Senior Member

    I'm ready. Pump it out.
     
    BluesOvertookMe likes this.
  4. C6H12O6

    C6H12O6 Senior Member

    Location:
    My lab
    Awesome! If that sells well, I hope you guys do the self-titled one that preceded this one.
     
    Bill and Mohojo like this.
  5. Steel Horse

    Steel Horse Forum Resident

    Location:
    Uppsala, SWEDEN
    I feel the chill point just by reading Steve's comments. I really long for this release. First LP I bought with Warren, in 78 I think. Loved it from first spin. Sadly that LP was destroyed in a fire last year with my huge collection and my Hifi gear. To start a new collection with stuff like this is awesome.... :edthumbs:
     
  6. jh901

    jh901 Forum Resident

    Location:
    PARRISH FL USA
    I've gotta sit in on a mastering session someday. Would love to compare and contrast Steve's approach to finding the "chill point" at Marsh versus, say, Kevin Gray's approach when doing something for Analogue Productions.

    I don't have this title, but I'll be happy add another great sounding SACD to my collection!
     
  7. Terry

    Terry Senior Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee
    What are flats?
     
  8. Tyler Eaves

    Tyler Eaves Forum Resident

    Location:
    Greenville, NC
    Any chance for a vinyl reissue of this, or digital only?

    I've got an original, but I'd love a nice remaster - my copy sounds good but not great...
     
    tim_neely and Geee! like this.
  9. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Not sure, actually. Up to AF.
     
  10. Ken_McAlinden

    Ken_McAlinden MichiGort Staff

    Location:
    Livonia, MI
    Flat transfer copies of the tapes.
     
  11. Paul Saldana

    Paul Saldana jazz vinyl addict

    Location:
    SE USA (TN-GA-FL)
    Tremendously excited to hear this after reading your notes here!
     
  12. Emberglow

    Emberglow Senior Member

    Location:
    Waterford, Ireland
    This is great news, Steve. The original Asylum CD gets played a lot around here and I'm sure looking forward to hearing this on SACD. Will it be available before Christmas?
     
  13. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Sorry, no idea. I hope so!
     
  14. goodboyfred

    goodboyfred Forum Resident

    You have got to have one of the coolest jobs on earth.to have that much fun and make a living at it is should be everyone's dream.
     
    G E likes this.
  15. Dave B

    Dave B Senior Member

    Location:
    Nokomis, FL
    One of my favorite albums. I'll be adding this to my Buy list. Glad to hear the tapes were in such good shape. It's nice when things go right once in a while.
     
  16. stever

    stever Senior Member

    Location:
    Omaha, Nebr.
    I love this album. I never get sick of hearing Jennifer Warnes and Linda Ronstadt on the title cut.
     
    WhatDoIKnow and Steve Hoffman like this.
  17. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    I thought it was always a good sounding LP.
     
  18. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    Has to be a way to get a copy to Lettermen...would love to hear what he'd have to say.
     
    painted8, G E and greasepaint like this.
  19. arob71

    arob71 Capitol JAX

    Really looking forward to this. Hopefully my third time buying this CD will be my last!
     
  20. longdist01

    longdist01 Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    Thanks Steve! Will order when it comes up, hopefully soon enough too!
     
  21. art

    art Senior Member

    Location:
    520
    this will be incredible. Here's hoping for the Zevon Warner debut too.
     
    Bill likes this.
  22. HAmmer

    HAmmer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Milwaukee WI
    When can i preorder? I wore that album out in High School
     
  23. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    :thumbsup:
    When a preorder goes up, it'll be posted here. Always is.
     
    HAmmer likes this.
  24. Tracy Robison

    Tracy Robison Forum Resident

    Enough with the album talk... I want to hear about the PIZZA! :winkgrin:
     
    wayne66 likes this.
  25. dhoffa85

    dhoffa85 Well-Known Member


    wow thanks Steve, this is one of my favorite albums, for a lot of reasons. I have the original LP and some cd version not sure which but I am sure not audiophile stuff, but even the cd version cannot beat the soul out of this amazing album, it just refuses to die. Now it will surely live on forever, Thanks for your work on this one.
     
    vinylscuz likes this.

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