SH Spotlight I'm asked stuff: Favorite mastering engineer, best BOSTON CD, best TRAVELING WILBURYS CD, etc..

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Steve Hoffman, Oct 3, 2018.

  1. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    No, he didn't add it, he wouldn't have even known what I was talking about. It's just from the recording/mixing/mastering being all tube on a sluggish Ampex.
     
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  2. yasujiro

    yasujiro Senior Member

    Location:
    tokyo
    Thank you.
    It sounds very intriguing.
     
    Last edited: Dec 1, 2018
  3. David P. Hill

    David P. Hill Forum Resident

    Location:
    Irving, Tx
    I don't know if you had been already asked this question yet, feel free if you haven't? Steve, may I ask when's your next release that you can divulge to the forum members here? It's been quite a while since we have seen or heard any newly remastered project from you! I'm sure you have lots of things going, but you can't say. We're listening or waiting? Christmas is not too far off, lol!
     
  4. James_S888

    James_S888 Forum Resident

    Brilliant. Thanks a lot!! According to one of the Sinatra guys, the sound is good and the right sources. My concern was about analog or digital transfers. I am not a fan of the Alan Dell remasters.
    On the basis of this, I will go get the Ella in this series too.
     
  5. luckyno13

    luckyno13 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London UK
    Hi Steve,
    When stereo was folded down to mono back in the day, was it always a simple, equal combination of L and R or was more thought put into it?
    i.e. different EQ/compression of each side or even mid/side processing to make up for possible level changes of the different elements on fold-down.
    Thanks.
     
  6. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    No idea. In this country they just played the two-track tape back on a full-track headstack.
     
  7. luckyno13

    luckyno13 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London UK
    Is the result of this different than combining the L and R in some way?
     
  8. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    No, should be the same.

    Please note, in the old days, the major record labels had proper stereo and mono versions on tape. It was only a few of the small labels that only had a stereo tape, even for mono release. Of course, some folds made the big time (like Capitol's mono HELP! soundtrack) and a few others. Worse in the UK when the US sent only stereo and the tapes were used for mono as well. Urggh..
     
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  9. dpv2008

    dpv2008 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ukraine
    Thanks. It's a pity.
     
  10. James_S888

    James_S888 Forum Resident

    or the Chess Rolling Stones tracks from 1964, recorded in stereo, folded to mono for the UK releases, sent to the US and "reprocessed for stereo" for the US releases....
    the 2002 SACD releases saw most of that stuff released in original stereo for (semi-officially) the first time
     
    baconbadge likes this.
  11. MartinR

    MartinR Forum Resident

    Location:
    Stockholm, Sweden
    Didn't realize you had answered my questions until now. It sounds better?
     
  12. MartinR

    MartinR Forum Resident

    Location:
    Stockholm, Sweden
    It says "Master tape restoration: Steve Hoffman" in the booklet.
     
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  13. All Down The Line

    All Down The Line The Under Asst East Coast White Label Promo Man

    Location:
    Australia
    In this case i believe the Chess recordings sounded more preferable on Mono UK records of the time than Reprocessed US Stereo.
     
  14. With Christmas coming around the corner, what is your favorite Christmas album to play?
     
  15. James_S888

    James_S888 Forum Resident

    A tad, yes...
     
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  16. Tommyboy

    Tommyboy Senior Member

    Location:
    New York
    Steve,

    I recently picked up the Go Bo Diddley LP that was part of the Original Chess Masters reissue series. The liner notes state that you were responsible for the albums master tape restoration.

    What in fact is master tape restoration? What do you have to do?

    Thx
     
  17. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    The songs were cut apart and put on other reels for various stupid projects in the 1970s-80s. In other words, they used the same song on tape for every project and assembled in cutting order and then left them on various reels without notes. I had to figure out where all the original songs were and reassemble to the correct master reels. A pain in the ass.
     
  18. Tommyboy

    Tommyboy Senior Member

    Location:
    New York
    Thanks Steve!

    All your hard work paid off. I enjoyed the end result! I’m sure countless others did as well.
     
  19. Jaime1972

    Jaime1972 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    London, UK
    Steve, which version of the song Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler did you use on the compilation Forever '80s? It's an edit I couldn't find anywhere else, is it the video version?
     
  20. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    I think I edited it myself per their request..
     
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  21. Ale200

    Ale200 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Steve, I have two questions
    1) I noticed that the first 0.20 or 0.40 seconds of the songs You Keep Me Hangin' On by Kim Wilde (on Awesome '80s) and What I Like About You by The Romantics (on Totally '80s) were cut off, was there a problem on the source of these songs?
    2) Could you comment on the sources of the compilations Forever/Awesome/Totally '80s? Did you use the original two-track masters?
     
  22. 2trackmind

    2trackmind Forum Resident

    Location:
    MA
    Steve, I have the CD comp Rock of the 70's - Volume One that you mastered. I was wondering why "Rock This Town" by the Stray Cats was chosen for this comp when that song was recorded and released in 1981.
     
  23. yasujiro

    yasujiro Senior Member

    Location:
    tokyo
    It is a bit confusing to read the thread right.
    OJC vs. AP SACD for the following JAZZ titles...

    If the OP had asked about "the best”, which were your choices of the follows?
     
  24. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    You sure I mastered those two? I had a dupe analog tape of WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU with the countdown on it. Is it on the disk? I would have used it.
     
    spencer1 likes this.
  25. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Eh, other songs probably fell out.
     

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