SH Spotlight Steve's Mastering Secrets, Part II

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by salleno, Feb 8, 2008.

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  1. johnny33

    johnny33 New Member

    Location:
    usa
    Thanks Steve. Helps me better understand what it is like to "be there" :)
     
  2. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Trust me, it's not really exciting "being there". One has to constantly "focus" and that's very tiring.

    Sometimes it can be very stressful and the novelty of listening to something neat over and over again wears off after lunch...:)
     
  3. johnny33

    johnny33 New Member

    Location:
    usa
    I bet. I guess I meant more being in your brain. Ok, that sounds weird. But hopefully again, you know what I mean.
     
  4. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    I guess I do. There is no certain "mindset" for me when I work. Just trying to get the job done. The pressure is always on (especially knowing that my stuff will cost at least double the price of the standard version out there). THAT'S pressure.
     
  5. mrbillswildride

    mrbillswildride Internet Asylum Escapee 2010, 2012, 2014

     
  6. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Let's not compare recipes here, OK? If you guys want to do that on your own, fine but please start a new thread. Thanks.
     
  7. mrbillswildride

    mrbillswildride Internet Asylum Escapee 2010, 2012, 2014

    Ok, sorry. I will try to find someone else here to answer my question. I did not mean "how do you do what you do?", but is your job different than theirs was? I assume it is as there are no SH in dead wax... A stupid question I guess, my bad...I'll move along now...
     
  8. Beattles

    Beattles Senior Member

    Location:
    Florence, SC
    When you do a CD and LP Remaster, do you cut both form analog or do you use te digital emaser for LP?
     
  9. DougT

    DougT Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ct
    To dovetail on this a bit, did you listen to the Rickie Lee Jones MFSL before your new mastering? How did the master tapes sound? Can't wait until it's released!!!!!!! Thanks.
     
  10. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Tapes sounded great, of course. It's an audiophile fave from way back... Tough to master because it's so dynamic. I think our version will be the first to leave the limiter out of the mastering circuit..
     
  11. jtaylor

    jtaylor Senior Member

    Location:
    RVA
    Steve,

    The jacket on the Pure Pleasure Nat Cole "After Midnight" gives credit to Ron McMaster - what role did he have with the project? Were the tapes in good shape? Did Kraus do that one originally?
     
  12. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Ron got it all together for us. Nice guy. Don't know who the original engineer was (forgot, actually).
     
  13. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Analog always. What would be the point doing a digitally mastered LP if the analog tape is in existence? Who would want to hear that?
     
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  14. Beattles

    Beattles Senior Member

    Location:
    Florence, SC
    I agree, but I guess EMI thinks so!!!
     
  15. jwoverho

    jwoverho Licensed Drug Dealer

    Location:
    Mobile, AL USA
    Steve,

    One of my absolute favorite DCC titles is Dion's THE RETURN OF THE WANDERER (cover art excluded :sigh:). Not just a wonderful sounding
    disc, but a fantastic album as well!

    Were than any particular challenges associated with the mastering, and did you ever get any feedback from Dion about the release?
     
  16. Wilkie

    Wilkie New Member

    Location:
    Richmond, VA, USA
    Steve, in the past when you had mentioned how complicated this project was, I assumed you were just referring to the research into finding the original masters, and securing the correct playback machines for each tape. Until I read your reply, I hadn't realized that the rest of the process was so much more complex than remastering a non-compilation album. Thanks for going the extra mile (uh...10,000 miles) to do it the right way... and thanks for explaining the process in a way that we can understand. :righton:
     
  17. salleno

    salleno Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    So. Cal.
    Steve - what were your mastering EQ choices for Nat King Cole Sings for Two in Love?
     
  18. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Flat transfer from baked tapes. Dion LOVED IT!:goodie:
     
  19. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Just trying to make the best sounding LPs I could..:)
     
  20. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Unissued album... No notes.
     
  21. Pinknik

    Pinknik Senior Member

    I suddenly got an image of someone working at the Capitol Records building finding a mysterious 23 1/2 floor and going through a hole in the wall behind a filing cabinet. They come out the other side in the mind of Steve Hoffman as he masters some Nat King Cole project.

    Being Steve Hoffman.
     
  22. johnny33

    johnny33 New Member

    Location:
    usa
    :laugh:

    Its interesting to me though to understand someone's thinking who is a master at their craft. Hey, if I had a chance to sit down wih Daniel Day Lewis and get him to share a bit of what his motivation, thinking etc is I find that vey interesting and even helpful.A differnt angle on things I guess.Probably not the most comfortable thing for a person to share.But kind of neat to me :)
     
  23. LouReed9

    LouReed9 Village Idiot

    Location:
    Philly Burbs

    I just commented on that very CD a day or two ago. I got it from BMG or Columbia House, I cant remember exactly. And thought the very same thing. In fact I think I even said it in my post. It sounded better than most modern recordings. At the time I didn't even know who Steve Hoffman was. Not too long after discovering this forum this disc was mentioned, giving which numbers to look for and what not. Sure enough. It was the one I have. I still don't understand why Steve isn't in demand by record labels or artists or whoever it is wanting the best possible digital transfer. I'm assuming that because I think there should be way more Hoffman mastered discs available than there are. I know very little about the record industry per-say, so I'm assuming it has something to do with legal rights or who would profit from those releases. Just a guess. If the only issue record companies cared about was sound quality, I'm sure we'd see very little of Steve in this forum. He wouldn't have time to answer questions. But I think it's cool that he does! :righton:
     
  24. DjBryan

    DjBryan New Member

    Location:
    USA
    Steve can a live recording be more difficult to get the sound you are looking for than a studio one?
     
  25. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Not for me. That's a question for a recording or mixing engineer.
     
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