Wendy Carlos

The old CBS Masterworks CD mentions it being mastered with TLC at half speed as well.

 

She points out in the liner notes for the Switched-on Box Set that prior to the ESD remaster, all editions of SOB were sourced from at least a second-generation tape (and likely higher) with some EQ and limiting added. The ESD is the first time the album was assembled direct from the original masters.

I found the NR to be very unobtrusive. She took great care in remastering her back catalogue, to the point of restoring and using the original tape deck for Sonic Seasonings that it was originally recorded on.

 

I thought Switched On Box sounded incredible, especially given the vintage of the recordings. However, it had been years since I'd heard any of the originals, so I don't know exactly how they compared to them on vinyl or CD. I can't imagine the box would sound any worse, though. It would certainly sound closest to the original masters, since those are what she went back to and did her comparisons with.

 

The Switched On Box has been highly praised here on the forum as well as Amazon reviews and other internet sources as well as Wendy's website. I don't have the box myself, but I have the old CBS CD, The ESD CD and a Japan remix CD plus my vinyl and cassettes and one 8 track. They all sound great to me no matter what edition. The older CDs (non ESD editions) get good comments here as well.

 

I don't question that Wendy Carlos went back to the original tapes, but it didn't keep her from manipulating the final sound as she remastered them for the "Hi-D 20-bit" ESD releases. Thus, the result is more than clarity over the original Columbia Masterworks release... it was a rethinking by Wendy of the presentation.

The difference is easy to hear if you have an original Columbia "Switched-On Bach" from 1968 (or the Half-Speed Mastered edition (1981) I posted yesterday) and compare it to the East Side Digital (ESD) CD release. Play the Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 from both editions. The difference is very obvious: Wendy has not only added reverb to the ESD edition, but she has manipulated the dynamics--riding the gain, if you will--to emphasize "full orchestra" (louder) over some of the solo passages (quieter).

Of course, the original is her performance, her creation, and she's perfectly within her rights to tweak it as she sees fit. I personally prefer the 1981 half-speed remaster of the 1968 original, since it represents only a sonic improvement and retains the original, drier, in-your-face, full blast Brandenburg Cto 3, without the reverb and wider volume swings of the ESD. The "original" is what I was used to hearing for 30 years before the ESD came out, so I'm obviously biased towards it. If the ESD was your first encounter, I can imagine you'd prefer that one.


This is the single-release of "S-o B" from ESD... same as the one in the big box.

 

Or the difference is the dynamics aren't manipulated from the added limiting present on all CBS copies, and with the ESD, you're hearing the dynamics as they were originally recorded.

I had a similar experience when I first heard Tomita's "Daphnis et Chloe" on CD. I thought the LP was quite dynamic, but hearing the CD made me realize the LP actually had a lot of compression.

 

I'm happy with my original Columbia 2-eye pressing of Switched-On Bach. (Even the later non-2-eye Columbia pressings sound fine). They're not expensive or hard-to-find in good condition.

The 80's CD is fine too but admittedly more rare and expensive.

 

Perhaps... but it doesn't sound that way. The dynamics ride with the music on the ESD remaster.

I compared the Half-Speed Mastered LP with the ESD CD. When the music calls for full orchestra--and Wendy pulls out all the stops (full output and layering of voices)--both editions are equal in volume. Yet when the music calls for the theme to be handed off to various solo voices, the ESD drops off significantly--almost burying some voices by comparison to the LP...the latter maintaining a significantly higher db level for the same solo voice.

All that said, it is still possible that some compression was applied to the original master (2nd gen) back in '68. But with the reverb added for the ESD edition, it seems as though more manipulation was applied--maybe required?--as that false echo adds another layer of "busy" sound that had to be dealt when sorting out select voices to maintain clarity (which was not an issue on the LP).

 

The Quad version also sounds good

 

I heard somewhere that Wendy was/is not a fan of vinyl - too many sonic compromises in the cutting of it, in her opinion - I can't remember where I read it - anyway, I for one would love to have fresh vinyl editions that would benefit from modern cutting techniques, i.e shorter sides over a couple of LPs and perhaps cut at 45?

Failing that it would just be great to have her catalogue back in print again, even if only on CD...

 

That's exactly what compression or limiting with slow attack/release settings sounds like. The faster settings usually used on rock/pop have that punch/squash effect, while slow settings sometimes found on classical recordings sound more like someone riding the gain.

I've read that too. It's either somewhere on her website or in the liner notes to her reissues (or both). She's a staunch defender of digital audio.

 

Thank God I still have my vinyl copies of Switched On Bach (1 and 2), The Well-Tempered Synthesizer, By Request, Sonic Seasonings, Clockwork Orange, Switched On Brandenburgs, Digital Moonscapes, and Peter and the Wolf.

 

Exactly. For the most part the 70s Columbia reissue is usually what I would find in very good to near mint in shape and dirt cheap. The 2 eye pressings that I did find cheap were usually worn or had groove damage. I found a 2 eye not too long ago in the shrink for a dollar in near mint shape. It didn't jump out at me as sounding better than the reissue. This record just sounds darn good from the get go.

 

She talks about it in this interview:

Digital, of course, is essentially computer data which accurately describes an audio signal. It's easily manipulated and can be copied exactly -- all those ones and zeros, you know. Analog is how we usually describe sound waves, a continuous change of pressure or an electrical signal, what a microphone produces, what we used to record on tape. It's a much riskier way to handle audio, but historically was the method we first discovered.

Between the two, don't look for deeper meaning or arbitrary differences. There is a cult of near-religious dogma that proclaims analog sound on LPs ("vinyl") to be perfection (what a hoot that is for those of us who used to cut LPs for a living!). They think you have to use special wires and elaborate techniques they don't even understand, and they claim that digital is in cahoots with Lucifer. It's kind of pathetic, based on ignorance and flamboyant cheek. The simple answer for synthesizers or reproduction is: To the listener, it shouldn't matter at all, as long as it sounds fine. If you're a performer, it shouldn't matter at all. If you have a very advanced analog synthesizer and then you have another that is all digital--and you get a lot out of both--fine, use them.​

 

IMO the Tomita SACDs to get, as I write today include:
Clair De Lune
The Planets
Space Fantasy
Okhotsk Genso
Pictures at An Exhibition.
These are all of the re-released classic Tomita works from the 70s and 80s (to date, hopefully this catalog will continue to grow). All are fantastic. The Other releases which bear his name are much newer. And if you are looking for classic Moog synth recordings, you may be disappointed with these.

Sorry for the OT post. I'm just trying to answer the question.

FWIW: I too would love it if Wendy would release some of her recording on SACD.

 

Wendy Carlos, ladies and gentlemen, my proposal for SHTV-con 2016 keynote speaker.

yeah, right.

(...she'd never do it.)

 

Listening to TOMITA's SACD 4.0 of Claire De Lune makes me wish Wendy would release her catalog with 4.0 SACD mixes esp Sonic Seasonings, Beauty and The Beast, and Clockwork Orange.

 

For anyone out there who owns the OOP Remastered Wendy Carlos discs ... a few questions because I bought some copies new sealed online and I used to own these discs long story just trying to replace some of them.

Can anyone confirm with their copies if the discs I bought seem correct? and if they are printed in reverse? For example for Digital Moonscapes which I know is a legit copy I own It is backwards on the inner bottom ring

Excuse the reflections on the image esp the little Dolby Atmos sticker haha it is on the back of my phone cover and shows up reflecting on disc.
Sonic Seasonings Discs 1 +2

Disc 1

Disc 2



Rediscovering Lost Scores Volumes 1 + 2

VOL 1

VOL 2

Artwork on Actual Disc looks suspect but then again ESD label was on their way to being gone so?

 

My gut instinct is that these discs are infact bootlegs. While they seem to be high quality none of these has the top anti theft sticker you need to remove to open the cases. And none of them contained the small postcard from the record label that I recall from owning these previously. Print jobs are strange esp the image on above post of the Lost Score discs they just look really bad.

Also the final track on Vol. 2 of Lost Scores stops at about 1:48 seconds and just stalls ... I did note feedback from another buyer that they bought a CD and the final track also didn't finish. My guess it was another copy of this disc. I have all the original audio from my CDs that I ripped at CD quality to my hard drive so I know it wasn't a mastering error on the original.

 

doing more research on sites like Disccogs I think I can safely say the CDs I was sold (see above posted pics) were bootlegs.

What I noticed on my for sure true real authentic East Side Digital discs I own of Digital Moonscapes and Clockwork Orange they contain what are known as MOULD codes on the outer plastic part of center ring. They appear slightly raised where as these discs all the coding on the inner rings seem correct they do NOT have those mould codes. (also the discs seem more lightweight then my other Carlos discs they seem thin and rougher.

I have used copies ordered of Rediscovering Lost Scores VOL 1 + 2 from another seller that has owned them since there were released. I am sure they will proof to be the real discs.

If anyone does own Sonic Seasonings please let me know if you see the mould codes on your disc rings?

 

Considering the niche market this discs are supposed to have, I'm surprised someone bothered to make bootlegs.

 

Ok these pics will confirm my fear I was sold counterfeit CDs of Wendy Carlos by a seller on Amazon proclaiming NEW Sealed.

Top Disc is the fake and the second pic the first ultra glossy yet cheap looking booklet is the fake. the fake CDs were light and flimsy.





Just proves if the album is OOP people out there will counterfeit it if there is money to be made.
Really sad that others on amazon probably bought these discs from the seller who had multiples listed. Amazon told me they would see if they could pull the sellers other Wendy Carlos listings but sadly they only pulled the discs I bought that were noted as fakes. Rediscovering Lost Scores, Sonic Seasonings, Beauty in the Beast.

While I can't prove the sellers other listings of The Switched on single edition albums he has listed are fake it is a safe bet. No one has 10 / 20 or more of these NEW. and none that I received had a anti theft white sticker across the top spine or the ESD record label postcard inside. The seller has really good feedback and like I said unless you know what to look for you'd never suspect they were fakes. the seller goes by fantastic-stuff and when all you sell are "import" region B / 2 DVDs that should have mean reason enough to have not ordered from the seller.

 

If anyone can confirm MOULD #s for Rediscovering Lost Scores Vol 1 if you can see one on the plastic coating (raised) + Beauty in the Beast + Sonic Seasonings Please let know know. Trying to track down authentic discs.

 

Rediscovering Lost Scores Vol 1: IFPI 81B0 (there's also AD/CA moulded on the disc)
Sonic Seasonings disc 1: IFPI 8142 (very small)
Sonic Seasonings disc 2: IFPI 8102 (larger)
Note that it's common for mould SID codes to vary slightly even when coming from the same manufacturer. Cinram is the only exception to this I know.

 

It may be niche, but the demand is steady, and there's not a lot of used product out there. When it comes to CDs, the counterfeiters have shifted away from big sellers (most people just download or stream them now) and moved on to the few CD releases which people will pay good money for: things like Japanese "mini LP" replicas, titles from the early days of the CD, and certain difficult-to-find-on-CD releases like these.