AC/DC CD's mastered by Barry Diament - which ones?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by rjstauber, Dec 24, 2007.

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  1. rjstauber

    rjstauber Senior Member Thread Starter

    I think we have it established and confirmed by Barry Diament himself that he actually did master the early versions (on Atlantic) of Back in Black and For Those About to Rock.

    I do have some early German and Japanese AC/DC CD's which credit Barry Diament for the CD mastering:

    High Voltage (European version)
    Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (European Version)
    If You Want Blood You've Got It

    If I remember correctly, Barry was also credited for the Who Made Who album, but I don't have that CD at the moment. Not sure if he also got credited for Let There Be Rock and Powerage (I will be getting these shortly).

    Mastering credit in the booklet is one thing, but did Barry actually master these albums?
     
  2. Purplerocks

    Purplerocks Forum Resident

    Location:
    IN
    I have the "Powerage" Atlantic 19180-2 that sounds so much smoother and less harsh than the remastered crap; there is no mention of mastering in the insert.
     
    The Doga likes this.
  3. bdiament

    bdiament Producer, Engineer, Soundkeeper

    Location:
    New York
    Hi Roland,

    I would say the odds are very good that I did master these. Unfortunately, there were so many CDs I mastered then and it was so long ago, some of the memory cells have left town. ;-}

    "For Those About To Rock" and "Back In Black" stand out in my mind because I remember having 1/2" analog originals for those.

    The only one I might question would be "Powerage". Wasn't this their first album? I may well have done the CD, I'm just not sure and wouldn't know without actually listening to the CD, which I no longer have. If I had to bet, I'd bet I did this one too.

    Best regards,
    Barry
    www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
    www.barrydiamentaudio.com
     
    marklamb likes this.
  4. snapper55

    snapper55 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    I think Powerage is their 5th album,Barry.
     
  5. bdiament

    bdiament Producer, Engineer, Soundkeeper

    Location:
    New York
    Hi snapper,

    Thanks for that.
    I just looked at the album cover and it is resonating some memory cells.

    Sure would like to hear this one again but as I look at it, I believe I mastered this one too.

    Best regards,
    Barry
    www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
    www.barrydiamentaudio.com
     
    Studio_Two likes this.
  6. rjstauber

    rjstauber Senior Member Thread Starter

    Barry, thanks a lot for your replies.

    Merry Christmas to you!
     
  7. ChristianL

    ChristianL Senior Member

    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    Barry got credited for this one.
     
  8. bdiament

    bdiament Producer, Engineer, Soundkeeper

    Location:
    New York
    Hi Roland,

    Thank you.

    Happy Holidays to you and everyone else here.
    Wishing everyone peace, love and good music for the new year.

    Best regards,
    Barry
    www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
    www.barrydiamentaudio.com
     
  9. agentalbert

    agentalbert Senior Member

    Location:
    San Antonio, TX
    I was listening to a regular Made In US by WEA "Let There Be Rock" today with Barry credited for the mastering. It seems to have almost no bass at all. I can hear the bass guitar a little, but for almost the whole cd, there is no low end. Is this how the band intended it to be, with the bass almost inaudible in the mix?

    I also listened to the Aussie LTBR cd from the 1995 remasters series. It credits George Marino (I think, maybe Ted Jensen), and it definitely has more low end. I'm not sure if it was EQ'd in or what. Anyone else find the original US LTBR pressing to be light in the bass department?
     
  10. agentalbert

    agentalbert Senior Member

    Location:
    San Antonio, TX
    Is Barry credited on regular US versions of For Those About To Rock? I have a W. German made one that credits George Marino at Masterdisk, but this may refer to the LP only.
     
  11. JA Fant

    JA Fant Well-Known Member

    Thanks, Barry.
     
  12. bdiament

    bdiament Producer, Engineer, Soundkeeper

    Location:
    New York
    Hi agentalbert,

    Based on your description, I stongly suspect one of two things:
    1. the CD was re-mastered by someone else and my name was left in the credits
    or
    2. I didn't master it (sorry, it was so long ago, I don't recall for sure) but my name was "credited" anyway.

    The were occasions when a CD that was farmed out to be mastered elsewhere had my name on the credits because no one told the art department soon enough - and they assumed I mastered all of the Atlantic CD releases.

    "Almost no bass at all" doesn't sound like my work to me.

    Best regards,
    Barry
    www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
    www.barrydiamentaudio.com
     
    The Doga likes this.
  13. bdiament

    bdiament Producer, Engineer, Soundkeeper

    Location:
    New York
    Hi agentalbert,

    I don't recall if I was credited on the original "For Those About To Rock" CD, which I did indeed master -- from the original 1/2" analog tapes.

    Are you sure your version the credits George Marino at Masterdisk?
    I could be wrong but to my knowledge, George has been with Sterling for the longest time and didn't do any work for Masterdisk. Certainly by the time this album came out, he'd already been with Sterling for quite a while.

    Best regards,
    Barry
    www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
    www.barrydiamentaudio.com
     
  14. agentalbert

    agentalbert Senior Member

    Location:
    San Antonio, TX
    Hi Barry. I goofed. My W. German Atlantic FTATR credits Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk. The cd sounds very good, and nothing like the Let There Be Rock I have that credits you, but has almost no bass at all.

    Maybe I'll see if I can post a few short clips from that LTBR cd. I can't imagine why someone would just drop the bass intentionally. I had my doubts it was your work, because it just doesn't sound right at all.
     
  15. agentalbert

    agentalbert Senior Member

    Location:
    San Antonio, TX
    Here are some 50 second samples of Dog Eat Dog and Whole Lotta Rosie.

    Whole Lotta Rosie (original ATCO 36-151-2, credited to Barry)
    http://download.yousendit.com/02E6F3BC23FAC2AC

    Whole Lotta Rosie (1995 Ted Jensen remaster)
    http://download.yousendit.com/F468582D2EC8D2D3

    Dog Eat Dog (original ATCO)
    http://download.yousendit.com/A67D844475C0EAE0

    Dog Eat Dog (1995 Ted Jensen remaster)
    http://download.yousendit.com/B0BF3E0F6DC72F72

    While the ATCO cd I have lists Barry Diament as having mastered the cd, I don't think its him. The matrix of the cd reads: 3 36151-2 SRC-01

    The 1995 Ted Jensen remastered LTBR is the Aussie version with Crabsody In Blue vice Problem Child, but the rest of the tracks should be exactly the same as the US 1995 LTBR remaster. Listening to the clips myself, the bass sounds overly boomy on the Jensen cd. It didn't sound that bad when listening on my actualy system downstairs. But the absolute lack of bass on the other meant that the 1995 remaster, boomy bass and all, was preferable to me.

    What I want to know is if someone has an original ATCO that SOUNDS like a Diament mastered cd and can provide the matrix info or any other identifying marks.
     
  16. ChristianL

    ChristianL Senior Member

    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    My German CD of the remaster has a George Marino credit for remastering. I'm confused :confused:

    BTW, the original ATCO of If You Want Blood... (also credited to Barry) is pretty bass shy, too.
     
  17. agentalbert

    agentalbert Senior Member

    Location:
    San Antonio, TX
    Christian - are you talking about the 1995 remaster, or the 2003 Sony ones that came in digi-paks? I've seen Marino credited on some AC/DC cd's as well, but can't remember which ones off hand.
     
  18. ChristianL

    ChristianL Senior Member

    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    I'm talking about the CD from mid 90's remaster series. Some albums were done by Ted Jensen, some by George Marino.
     
  19. drbryant

    drbryant Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    I have two copies of LTBR, both credited to Barry. The first is ATCO 36-151-2, US pressing, matrix 3 36-151-2 SRC+06. The second is a Japan ATCO pressing AMCY-35, matrix AMCY-35 1A1 TO. They sound the same, and they don't sound very good. It is not just a lack of bass, but it sounds like a low fidelity dub. Listen to the intro of "Problem Child", and then compare it to "I Put the Finger on You" from the confirmed Barry Diament mastering of For Those About to Rock. Very similar intros, but the former sounds thin and lacking in fidelity, and the latter sounds utterly real and alive - like God is playing the drums.

    Either LTBR wasn't really mastered by Barry, or he had a bad tape, or a bad day. Difficult for me personally to recommend it.
     
  20. eelkiller

    eelkiller One of the great unwashed

    Location:
    Northern Ontario
    Is it possible the differences you are hearing have nothing to do with mastering?
    Those albums have little in common (producers, engineers, recording years) which could explain the big difference in sound quality. Mutt Lange's sound is much different than Vanda and Young's.
     
  21. agentalbert

    agentalbert Senior Member

    Location:
    San Antonio, TX
    Christian - So the 1994 US Let There Be Rock (with Problem Child) has George Marino credites for the mastering, but the 1995 Aussie Let There Be Rock (with Crabsody In Blue) has Ted Jensen.

    I wonder if all the tracks were actually done separately, or if there is some good in the credits. Jensen is also credited on my 1995 Aussie TNT and Dirty Deeds cd's.

    Eelkiller - Yeah, FTATR and LTBR are very different recordings, but the former has audible bass while the LTBR cd we're talking about doesn't. Did you listen to the clips I posted? Do they sound right to you?

    I listened to the original ATCO US High Voltage (I always think of this as the bastardized High Voltage) today, and it sounds pretty good. CD mastering is credited to Barry, and it sounds more like what one would expect. Something is really wrong with the ATCO Let There Be Rock, and I really hope there is a better sounding version out there.

    drbryant - Is that Japan ATCO pressing (AMCY-35) from 1990, or is it later? Surely there is at least one well mastered cd pressing of Let There Be Rock. That being my favorite AC/DC album, I'm hoping and praying there is.

    While we're talking AC/DC, I got the 1995 Ted Tensen mastered Aussie cd's of the first four so I could have them with the correct songs. Are there earlier cd pressings of these with better sound? There does appear to be some compression on these (LTBR, anyway), and it also sounds like it has the low end boosted.
     
  22. eelkiller

    eelkiller One of the great unwashed

    Location:
    Northern Ontario
    Yes, there are Japan EMI Albert discs (really rare) and the CBS (Disctronics Australian) Albert discs.

    Here are the catalogue numbers for the Australian Disctronics Albert discs:

    TNT Albert 465262 2
    High Voltage Albert 465250 2
    Let There Be Rock Albert 465256 2
    Dirty Deeds Albert 465258-2

    There was a box set (Albert 465921-2) that included these 4 with Powerage and Highway to Hell (alternate cover). It may be the cheapest way to get the discs.

    http://www.acdc-discography.com/b1.html
     
  23. drbryant

    drbryant Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Actually, that's a good point. I have no AC/DC vinyl. Someone would need to compare the ATCO discs to a good vinyl pressing.
     
  24. drbryant

    drbryant Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    The AMCY-35 pressing is from 1990, I believe. I'm withholding any more comments on this CD, as I do not have the vinyl. Maybe that's just the way it sounds.
     
  25. yasujiro

    yasujiro Senior Member

    Location:
    tokyo
    Yes, it was released on 25 April 1990.
     
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