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. Earwig

    Earwig Active Member

    Location:
    Earth
    Steve, wanted to ask these (after finally finding where to post )

    When was DAW involved in a majority of masters at some point in the process (any specific year the majority of all productions used it)

    Which year did DAW overtake PCM1630s for mastering?

    Were most productions brought to mastering studios on DAT or analog tape in the late 90s? Were most masters analog or digital back then?

    When did most producers switch to 96k DAWs?

    Have you worked in studios worldwide?
     
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  2. Jack_Straw

    Jack_Straw Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wichita, KS
    Hey Steve -

    One thing I was wondering about recently…

    I’m a big fan of the Phoebe Snow S/T album - both musically and with regard to your mastering. The sound quality is just amazing. I have both the silver (from ~1989, IIRC) and the gold (from ~1994, IIRC). I prefer the gold slightly, but they are both top notch.

    I’d love to hear your thoughts on the two mastering jobs - what was the same, what was different? Did you use the same transfer, or do it again? Any differences in the equipment chain or your approach to the EQ and mastering of the gold, having the opportunity to take a second crack at it just a few years after the first one?
     
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  3. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    I mastered the SACD and CD at the same time, split feed. Mastered the vinyl at a different time. Exactly the same mastering moves.
     
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  4. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    I think the boss wanted the stronger song first.
     
  5. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Who's DAW?

    I think our last 1630 was 1998 or so.
     
    Last edited: Apr 28, 2023
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  6. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Both were mastered a bit differently but I actually can't remember. Different playback machines, I believe. Since the catalog had been sold by that time and I was pissed off about it, I can't remember much, sorry.
     
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  7. Earwig

    Earwig Active Member

    Location:
    Earth
    I guess worldwide, as in when most places had them overtake 1630s.
     
  8. Evan

    Evan Senior Member

    I personally prefer the sound of original silver CD myself, but you can't go wrong with either one.
     
  9. Earwig

    Earwig Active Member

    Location:
    Earth
    Digital Audio Workstation
     
  10. John Buchanan

    John Buchanan I'm just a headphone kind of fellow. Stax Sigma

    Steve, when you mastered Steely Dan's Aja for CD, did you have the master tape to work with or a copy?
     
  11. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    The original 1/2" Village mixes. Later shipped to Steely Dan's engineer.
     
  12. John Buchanan

    John Buchanan I'm just a headphone kind of fellow. Stax Sigma

    Thanks, Steve!! Glad I got hold of that version then!
    It sounds like these may have been lost or damaged since then, as Analogue Productions is apparently mastering their SACD hybrid from from a copy tape.
     
  13. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    No, it's with the powers that be. I would bet it has to do with money.
     
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  14. John Buchanan

    John Buchanan I'm just a headphone kind of fellow. Stax Sigma

    Sad.
     
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  15. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Eh, it's not sad, at least it didn't burn to a crisp.
     
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  16. John Buchanan

    John Buchanan I'm just a headphone kind of fellow. Stax Sigma

    True.
     
  17. lukpac

    lukpac Senior Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    Why would money be an issue?

    Pretzel Logic, The Royal Scam, and Countdown to Ecstasy were sourced from the masters.
     
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  18. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    How the hell would I know? Ask Roger’s estate.
     
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  19. sunspot42

    sunspot42 Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Francisco
    Does Roger's estate control those, or is it Walter's estate that's the hangup?
     
  20. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Who knows? The stuff has been with "The Powers That Be" since the fall of 1984 when Roger demanded all the tapes be sent to him. That's almost 40 years off campus... At least they didn't burn.
     
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  21. GerryO

    GerryO Senior Member

    Location:
    Bodega Bay, CA
    Hi Steve!

    Any ideas why this LP (his best RCA LP) has never been released on CD, along with four pretty decent potential bonus tracks recorded during the same sessions?

    [​IMG]
     
  22. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    No idea. I like Al Hirt though..
     
  23. sunspot42

    sunspot42 Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Francisco
    We're probably really lucky Roger maintained control of them instead of the label, or they'd likely be long gone...

    Have any of the labels done a reasonably good job preserving their masters? I know Atlantic's went up in flames in the '70s. What about A&M's? I'd think Herb would know how important those were. Or did they get torched after Universal got their mitts on them post-sale?
     
  24. GerryO

    GerryO Senior Member

    Location:
    Bodega Bay, CA
    Of all the RCA Living Stereo titles... and I love Paris.

    His earlier dixieland is darn good rock 'n' roll for trumpet, clarinet, trombone, piano, bass and drums.

    Thank you for the response.
     
  25. lukpac

    lukpac Senior Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    Atlantic’s session tapes went up, but not their masters.

    Many of A&M’s went up in the UMG fire.
     
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