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

Thanks, Steve.

 

Can you explain the highlighted portion? Do you just mean you subtracted frequencies instead of boosting them or something else?

 

Thanks for that! I suppose the tapes were in good hands with Bernie Grundman!

JG

 

I tried that with brownies once, however based on results I wouldn't recommend it.

 

Dear Steve,
I recently set up a small stereo kit in a small back room. For disc playback I’m using an 90s era DVD player that happens to have a discreet subwoofer output and I have it plugged into a subwoofer. Well this gives me a tremendous amount of control over the low end. I love it but am I cheating the system?
Yours truly
DZ

 

Whatever sounds good to you

 

I was trying to write that in the style of a Dear Abby letter to be “funny.” Fail.

 

Hi, do you know Randy Kling? I noticed he did Alice Cooper's Killer Warner Brothers 2567-2 CD. Just curious Thanks

 

Hi Steve:
If I had a time machine I would (among other things) journey back and pick up all of the DCC Compact Classics vinyl I missed out on, including Fresh Cream, Aqualung, Hotel California and many others, as I’ve read how highly regarded they are.

I’m guessing the answer might be ‘no clue’, but any idea what became of those stampers when DCC went out of business? I have visions of one more (affordable) pressing of those masters. One can dream….

 

Steve,

There has been an Encyclopedias worth of guff and stuff written on the "RL", Bob Ludwig mastering of Led Zeppelin II.
Some good, some bad, some nuts.

I thought I would ask you.

For my tastes, from what I can hear, the Ludwig is a bit too over the top. Great romper stomper, gut thumping album, but a bit over the top. As much as I love it.

The best version I have, and I have 12 or 13 different versions of this, including a couple of UK originals;

The one I like the best is the 1977 George Piros mastering. Double sided. I'm lucky enough to have a minty, Monarch pressed copy of this.
Which I think sounds the best balanced and closest to what was intended.,

I was wondering if you have an opinion?

 

Start the presses! Oh yeah, those darn licensing rights.

 

Start the presses? At this point, this forum might STORM the presses and take those plates like they were Moses’ tablets! LOL

I’m all for it. Record labels over here saying “let them eat cake” when really we want represses of the good stuff.

edit: let them eat $150 UHQR cake LOL! (And I do…)

 

JG

 

Hi Steve, I wanted to ask you, what do you think of the JVC XRCD releases of Decca classical albums? The ones I have are the Solti Rite of Spring, and Rossini Overtures conducted by Gamba. I know you have spoken positively of some jazz XRCDs mastered by Alan Yoshida. He also mastered the two Decca classical XRCDs I mentioned. Have you heard any of them, and if so do you think they sound good?

 

No problem, thanks. I find the two titles I have a little bright sounding. Was wondering if it was just me.

 

Thanks for the feedback, although I do not own a turntable unfortunately. I find that the old original 80s CD issues of Decca/London classical recordings mostly sound great. Even the 'Weekend Classics' budget line of discs. I guess these use the 'Decca filter' you mentioned? My old EMI classical CDs from the mid to late 80s mostly sound excellent too. I think many of them sound better than some 'audiophile' SACD classical reissues I own!

 

How does a legitimate copy of Introducing The Beatles compare to other pressings of Please Please Me? Mono or stereo.

Also, the Swan 45 of “She Loves You”.

 

@Steve Hoffman , could you explain how you master when you need to both cut to vinyl and to digital for a SACD? (For example the AP Blue Note Series)

Is there separate/independent mastering done for each format, or is an output from the console sent simultaneously towards the lathe and ADC?

If there is separate mastering, how does the mastering differ between the formats?

Should we expect the vinyl and SACD to essentially sound the same?

 

Steve, I know you’ve written about 10cc’s Original Soundtrack not being released, but I’m curious of your recollection of mastering the twofer of their debut and Sheet Music. Was it you/DCC that made the call to track Rubber Bullets first rather than it’s original spot after Speed Kills, or was it a precondition imposed in order for you to gain access to the tapes and licensing?