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

What do you think of demixing and digital extraction tools and mixes?

 

I think the issue is it depends on how one defines "best engineers". While some of the sounds he recorded were of questionable quality, he was definitely ahead of his time when it came to stereo and 8-track, he had an understanding of *music* (not just recording), and everything I've seen suggested he was well liked by artists. Being able to interface with artists and not get in their way is often more important than, say, the specifics of the drum sound.

 

Will your mastering of RATM's The Battle of Los Angeles ever see the light of day?

 

Hello Steve, do you think there is anything the audio community can do to get the younger generations more interested in sound quality? Do you think the Audiophile community might be hurt because of the stigma that it is too expensive to get into and the simple fact that there really isnt that much outside exposure that targets new listeners i.e. advertising and soical media outreach. I am a younger listener and I do not know anyone my age that cares for sound quality. Which can be a bit disheartening as it may result in less products/mixes developed in the future if there isnt a good market for it. What can the audio community do to pique the interest of young people?

 

I'd argue you were an exception back in the day, as were all of us with an interest in sound quality. Wanting a "good stereo" doesn't necessarily mean somebody knows or cares about sound quality.

 

I think you're right about it being a lost cause. I was born in the '60s, and for most of my lifetime, the dominant formats for music purchases (at least in the USA) have been the ones that prioritize convenience over sound quality (cassettes in the '80s, lossy downloads and streaming from the 2000s to present).

 

I agree with the interface but it seems Dowd has been criticized by many of his colleagues for making simple mistakes in the mastering process. I’ve read many comments on this forum that Dowd was overrated which was kind of alarming to me because he was the main man at Atlantic Records.

 

Hi Steve. I love your work on Blue Note reissues. Where I live it is impossible to find the Music Matters Art Blakey's A Night in Tunisia. Some sellers who have it do not ship here. Do you recommend any other edition of that album (vinyl, CD, any format). Thank you very much!

 

That’s one of the big mistakes I read about for instance yes. What’s your opinion on Dowd Steve? You have the expertise on this not me.

 

If I recall correctly, Steve mentioned a while back (it might've been in this thread) that Audio Fidelity never received the tapes for that album.

 

Thanks a lot!

 

Speaking of music will you be mastering any cds in the near future Steve?

 

According to amazon, you recommend the xrcd24
https://www.amazon.com/Night-Tunisi...bum)+sacd&qid=1591056270&s=music&sr=1-1-fkmr1

 

There's a difference between being a good engineer from a musical standpoint and being a good engineer from a fidelity standpoint. Winehouse's Back To Black is a masterpiece but it (intentionally) sounds like retro hell from a fidelity standpoint. Achieves what it sets out to do, though. Gaucho is likewise a masterpiece, but it's also a hi-fi showpiece.

I wouldn't change one second on either record.

 

CEDAR is really old now though isn't it? Been around for like 20+ years if memory serves. I'm talking about deploying AI to more transparently eliminate noise without distorting the program material itself. RTX Voice sounds like a step in that direction, but it's not designed for audiophile use and almost certainly degrades the wanted signal. I'm sure something could be developed using modern AI that's as effective at removing noise as existing systems without audibly damaging the desired signal. I'm not sure there's enough money in it for developing such tech to be profitable, so I don't know if anybody will actually pursue it.

Which is unfortunate because there are legacy recordings which are I think badly marred by excessive tape hiss (Dusty In Memphis being a notable example - Dusty herself hated the noise), but which were equally marred by any existing attempts to remove all that hiss (like the UK remastering from around 15 years ago, which is flat, lifeless and unnatural, if blissfully noise free). Would be fantastic if AI allowed us to have our cake and eat it, too.

 

Inspired by your post, I pulled out BSS on vinyl and gave it a spin, it sounds fantastic and cavernous, which I’m sure is what Greg Lake was going for, it’s unorthodox for sure but not muddled in the slightest for me, YMMV.

Now onto “Welcome Back...” .

 

I was watching a documentary on Cream and Eric Clapton had the utmost praise and respect for Tom Dowd.

 

So, you're retired?