SH Spotlight Steve's Mastering Secrets, Part II

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

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  1. Propinquity

    Propinquity Forum Resident

    Location:
    Gravel Switch, KY
    I have a question about Toga Rock II: why are there so many remixes on it? The Isley Brothers 'Shout' and 'Gloria' by Them, among others.

    Also, what's the deal with the noisy needledrop of 'I Want Candy'? Were there no usable tapes available for that song?

    Hope I don't sound bitchy. I like the comp.
     
  2. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    I didn't remix those.

    I Want Candy had no tape at that time, yes.
     
  3. Propinquity

    Propinquity Forum Resident

    Location:
    Gravel Switch, KY
    Shout (parts 1 & 2), Gloria, Get Ready, and Papa-Omm-Mow-Mow are all listed as stereo remixes on the back.
     
  4. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Those are all mixes from the 60's. Why they labeled them as remixes I don't know. Technically, a remix could be a week after the original mix was made....

    Heck, in the case of GET READY, it's a PRE-mix if you know what I mean, the fake crowd hadn't been dubbed onto it yet...
     
  5. mrbillswildride

    mrbillswildride Internet Asylum Escapee 2010, 2012, 2014

    The DCC THICK AS A BRICK was made from the first generation master mixes. No other recording, digital or analog was ever made from that tape. It is a flat transfer on the DCC.
    __________________
    SH


    So, this "glitch" as I called it is on the master mixes, but all releases others "fix" it using master recordings, but not original mixes, if I follow correctly. Why did you decide to leave it as is? Just curious...

    Thanks,
     
  6. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

  7. mrbillswildride

    mrbillswildride Internet Asylum Escapee 2010, 2012, 2014

    Thank you for the links and clarifications...


    sincerely,


    I guess I just never noticed it before.



    I'll get me coat!
     
  8. Beattles

    Beattles Senior Member

    Location:
    Florence, SC
    There has been a lot of discussion about the levels and loudness on many newly mastered and remastered CDs. I know that some utilize compression and thus tend to make the CD louder with limited dynamics. in making needle drops and comp Cds I have found it hard to balance the levels and utilize the normalize to 98% and still have differences due to dynamics. How do you decide on the max loudness level to use when mastering a CD?
     
  9. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    By ear. The only way.
     
  10. turniton1181

    turniton1181 Past the Audition

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    I'm definitely not Steve but I might be able to help you here, lol.

    Normalizing a digital audio track will only take the peak of the track (the loudest part of the material) and bring it to the level you specify. For example - you have a track that currently peaks at 68%. When you normalize it to 98%, you are bringing up the overall level of the track up so that the loudest peak hits 98%. The rest of the content will retain the same dynamics to that peak as it was at the lower level.

    This works in reverse, too - you can take a track that peaks at 98% and normalize it to 80%. The content has the same dynamics, but now the peaks will not exceed the 80% mark. The level of the whole track is just lower. With me so far?

    The problem doing this with multiple songs is that not every song will peak at the same level. So if you normalize each song to 98%, the overall song-to-song balance can be altered significantly. In fact, songs that were meant to be softer may end up being the loudest, because now you've raised that one song by 10 decibels!

    For the best results - it's Steve's way. Use your ears, and do minimal futzing once you've digitized the material. And I'll stop there, because this discussion could take us right out of the thread. :cool:
     
  11. salleno

    salleno Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    So. Cal.
    Great advice. :righton:
     
  12. Beattles

    Beattles Senior Member

    Location:
    Florence, SC
    Thanks!!! That's basically what I do. I just wondered if there was any rule of thumb like: leave 10% head room over the peaks or something. I was listening to Pet Sounds DCC CD and the Capitol mono/stereo CD the other day and the Caps are louder, so 1st take is they sound fuller, but when you adjust volume the DCCs have much better detail and sound. Thanks Steve!!!
     
  13. Jamie Tate

    Jamie Tate New Member

    Location:
    Nashville
    If I bring an album to you for mastering printed to 24/88.2 would you still do an analog signal path or would you do it all in the box?
     
  14. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    In a case like this I would ask the producer/engineer what they wanted me to do. Then, I would listen and offer an opinion. Probably make them a quick sample of both ways. Then, whatever way was chosen by them would be done. The idea is to give the artist/producer what they want. I'd only insert my own ego into the stew if we were dealing with something already released, vintage, etc.
     
  15. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    So, knowing that, if it were a new material, never heard by anyone before, you could use the...gulp!...compressor, if that's what the client wanted?
     
  16. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Sure, unless they wanted a brick wall. Then, no.
     
  17. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    That's what I meant. That's what I thought! Gotta draw the line somewhere!:agree:
     
  18. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Well, yeah, if they want it smooshed they don't need me.
     
  19. Another Side

    Another Side Senior Member

    Location:
    San Francisco
    Steve, I know elsewhere you've talked about the tube cut magic of 60's Beatles LP's. But you've also mentioned that tube cutting lathes color the sound too much and don't give you what you put in. How do you draw a balance between the warm sound and transparency?
     
  20. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    By ear, how else? Many stages, from full tube to a hybrid to all SS. Hopefully you all trust me to make the right choice when auditioning something to master.
     
  21. izgoblin

    izgoblin Forum Resident

    Hopefully this is a fair enough thread to ask this in. Steve, I see you worked on the MCA reissue of The Three Stooges' Nonsense Songbook. Totally blew my mind when I saw that in print in the late '80s or early '90s. Blew my mind even further that it was in stereo.

    Never heard the original LP, but I never imagined it would be in stereo and have always assumed yours was a remix. Any comments or recollections you have regarding that job?
     
  22. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Not a remix. They had an original stereo tape. I used that, flat transfer to LP.
     

    Attached Files:

  23. izgoblin

    izgoblin Forum Resident

    Never saw that pic before. Thanks for that!
     
  24. salleno

    salleno Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    So. Cal.
    The Three Stooges' Nonsense Songbook has got to be one of my favorite LP's. I purchased one at an antiques shop for $4.00 in Mint condition. Fantastic sound.
     
  25. Metoo

    Metoo Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Spain (EU)
    Steve had you ever had to apply different EQs on any of your masterings to several parts of the same song?
     
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