CSN Remaster or Original CD

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by DennisF, Jun 3, 2006.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. bdiament

    bdiament Producer, Engineer, Soundkeeper

    Location:
    New York
    Hi curbach,

    I'd appreciate an answer to this one myself. ;-}
    It is another one of those "faded memory cells" issues and again, I sure wish I kept all those notes I made. (Nowadays of course, I have computer files with details within details of every step I take for every project.)

    I remember the "couch" album, "Deja Vu" and "So Far" but I'm really not sure of the two you mentioned. It is possible but the only way I'd be reasonably sure would be to hear the discs myself.

    Best regards,
    Barry
    www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
    www.barrydiamentaudio.com
     
  2. andyinstal

    andyinstal Runner for Others

    Location:
    Allen, Texas
    I just found an original Deja Vu today and I am very pleased. I have the Gastwirt remaster and the Classic vinyl and the original CD sounds best by a long shot to me.
     
  3. jsayers

    jsayers Just Drifting....

    Location:
    Horse Shoe, NC
    Why? I like the remaster. Can you crank the original cd up past 12:00 and not get a headache? I really want to know if I need to seek this cd out...one of my faves...
     
  4. lukpac

    lukpac Senior Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    Which original Deja Vu? The *original* or the one with the dropouts corrected?
     
  5. andyinstal

    andyinstal Runner for Others

    Location:
    Allen, Texas
    Mine does not have any RE on the center spindle numbers, so I guess it is the one with the dropouts. I have not heard any on the tracks I have listened to so far. The CD just sounds better, kind of more like an original master CD should sound. Things just jump out at me like the guitar solo on Carry On with the wa peddle. There is noticeable hiss on some parts. I feel the same about the couch CD. I have all three CDs of this title and I like the original the best. The newest remaster, even though HDCD encoded and played back on a HDCD capable player, just sounds a little sterile to me.
     
  6. barzzz

    barzzz Forum Resident

    Location:
    rochester ny
    My atlantic has 19117-2 on the spine, 7567-81516-2 on the barcode, and 19117-2, and didx-1087 on the cd. It also has the red circle going around the cd. Is this also Barry's mastering.
     
  7. barzzz

    barzzz Forum Resident

    Location:
    rochester ny
  8. 3rd Uncle Bob

    3rd Uncle Bob Forum Resident

    When I worked at a record store in the early 80's (SOOTO Records, Shreveport, LA) my manager Steve got one of the first Sony CD players and Déjà Vu was one of his first buys. I'll recall it sounding terrible with a high pitch whine throughout the CD. Does anybody else remember this?
     
  9. Gardo

    Gardo Audio Epistemologist

    Location:
    Virginia
    Can someone please find the long thread discussing the dropout/no-dropout early issues of Deja Vu? I'd like to review it....
     
  10. barzzz

    barzzz Forum Resident

    Location:
    rochester ny
    bump
     
  11. SkyBlueShag

    SkyBlueShag Forum Resident

    Location:
    Orlando, FL, USA
    I bought the CSN "boat" CD in the 80s and remember it having too much hiss. I lost in in a move and then purchased a newer version after 2000. Since I can't do an A/B comparision between the two copies, all I can say is that the latter has noticably less hiss.
     

  12. Yes, that is the original mastering. My favorite version.
     
  13. Gary Freed

    Gary Freed Forum Resident

    I have the Gastwirt which I beleive says that it was from the original tapes.

    It sounds a bit grainy to me for a lack of better description.
     
  14. pablo

    pablo Forum Resident

    Location:
    NE, USA
    >>>The original Atlantic "Crosby, Stills & Nash" CD (240 033 and 19117-2 mentioned on the CD, 7567-81516-2 on the spine) is my favorite, dynamic, full and natural.<<<

    I just purchased this version after looking for about 1 year on ebay and at record shops. Not an easy version to find.

    But it does sound just fine. Not loud and a nice sense of space around the musicians.

    Thanks to Mr. Diament for another fine sounding recording.
     
  15. misterbozz

    misterbozz Senior Member

    Location:
    Nerima-ku, Tokyo
    Agreed, I think it is definitely better on the vocals than the Gastwirt. Haven't heard the very latest incarnation.
     
  16. SkyBlueShag

    SkyBlueShag Forum Resident

    Location:
    Orlando, FL, USA
    I just got the West German pressing of this.... and while it does have a little more hiss than the remaster I also think that it sounds a little more open to my ears than the Gastwirt. It's a very quiet disc.... I have to turn the volume WAY up compared to some of my other CDs.
     
  17. DrJ

    DrJ Senior Member

    Location:
    Davis, CA, USA
    I got a copy of CSN with Mr. Diament's mastering (original Atlantic CD manufactuered in West Germany) and all I can say is "Bravo." To me it's a very analog, warm, open sound, wonderfully natural. I get goose bumps listening to "See the Changes."

    It IS a very quiet disc, so you gotta goose that volume knob a bit, and there's some hiss, but neither are distracting to me in the least - in fact, the former is SO refreshing in this era of the loudness wars. Tons of headroom, and sounds better and better the more you turn it up.

    Oh also forgot to mention how much I'm enjoying the MUSIC...I bought the LP when it first came out back in 1977 and loved it then, but somehow managed to forget about it in more recent years. Really digging rediscovering all the great tunes here. When you're in the mood for low key, gorgeous pop music with tremendous depth and maturity, this is it. Their harmonies never sounded better either.

    One last comment - I never realized there were 2 different versions of the cover on the original LP - the LP copy I bought in 1977 had the earlier "serious pose" photo. So imagine my surprise when I got my West German CD in the mail and it had a shot of the band breaking into laughter...probably no surprise to most here, but I found it jarring at first having never paid attention to the cover change before.
     
  18. How did you identify this as being Barry Diament's work? i didn't know that he mastered this CD, is this an established fact now?
     
  19. DrJ

    DrJ Senior Member

    Location:
    Davis, CA, USA
    Ooops...I may have stepped in it...I got a bit confused I think reading through this thread - with mingled discussion of the earlier Crosby, Stills, and Nash CDs and CSN - now that I look back, I think you're right, nowhere does it say Barry mastered CSN. So, my mistake, sorry, and thanks for catching that.

    Key point though is that the West German original CD sounds great to my ears, regardless of who mastered it! Really enjoying this disc.
     
  20. bdiament

    bdiament Producer, Engineer, Soundkeeper

    Location:
    New York
    Hi DrJ,

    I could have. I really wish I still had my old notes or at least my old memory cells from that time.

    If I'm lucky, I'll get to hear this one again and be better able to make a call on it.

    Best regards,
    Barry
    www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
    www.barrydiamentaudio.com
     
  21. ec461

    ec461 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Somewhere
    Someone should send Barry a copy of this. I would if I had the CD...
     
  22. majomor

    majomor New Member

    Location:
    Portland,Or USA
    crosby stills and nash s/t original atlantic cd

    i was lucky enough to come across an original dadc pressing of this one and i think it sounds superb...
     
  23. somebodywhocares

    somebodywhocares Forum Resident

    Location:
    Maine, USA
    Are any of the 4 bonus tracks on the 2006 HDCD issue of the couch album available elsewhere, or are they unique to that cd?
     
  24. For what it's worth (geddit?), the details for the Joe Gastwirt remasters are as follows:

    CSN (1969): 7567-82651-2 EW835

    Deja Vu - 7567-82469-2

    My copies both say "Made in Germany"
    I don't have other CD versions so I can't compare, but a quick play of the CD and the LP of the first album (green & gold label) reveals a much heavier bass on the CD, better sound on the acoustic guitars, but muddier-sounding electric guitar. Vocals are more sibilant (I think that's the word I'm groping for) on the LP, but that could just be age! Overall, I think I prefer the LP but that's maybe 'cause I've had it 40-plus years. (My audio profile is available, the CD player's nothing special & the turntable's a Rega Plana 2 & I love it!)
    Haven't compared Deja Vu yet but I always thought that had a muddier sound than the first LP.

    The Gastwirt re-masters don't show a year, oddly.

    Hope this helps!

    Martin
     
  25. *Zod*

    *Zod* Forum Resident

    Location:
    New England
    what does this do to the master tape? Is there degradation?
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine