Grateful Dead Dave’s Picks 2019 Subscription

Would be interesting to hear a matrix of multiple audience sources in surround sound.

 

This and related. I don’t know who any of these amateur/hobbyist people are - what’s their experience? What equipment do they use?

 

Not surround, but this gives a good impression of what you may be looking for...and agree that headphones with a Matrix shows can lead to noticing any flaws more easily. Really needs to be pretty perfect for headphone listening.

 

I believe Hunter Seamons (who has made arguably the finest sounding Matrix shows) uses Audacity.

I just stumbled across this quote by Jerry...he’s referring to the technique they used on Dead Set / Reckoning with the ambient mics also in the room synced up to the SBD.

“[‘Matrix recording’] is a remarkable process that gives [the sound] a three-dimensionality that is uncanny. It really does. . . . It’s actually superimposed, the best of both worlds: the close mic sound of being right on stage, and the thing of being in the room and what the room does to the music—those things superimposed on each other in various relationships. It’s pretty much like being there.” —Jerry Garcia, circa 1981

 

The key is the sound crew was able to measure the delay times to the AUD mics and time align the recordings so there was no time delay between the SBD and the ambient mics. This is different than the time delay in fan made matrices which give the recordings more space and echo.

Time correction ws used on Two From The Vault to correct the timing/phasing issues created by the Warner Bros. engineers using improper recording techniques for a rock band. Naturally, Phil's bass was used as the Natural Fulcrum for spatially organizing those recordings.

 

Yes, correct. Technically two different things although both trying to achieve the same result of making one “feel” like they in the room with the music still being very clear.

 

With air pushing, highly efficient 3-way (tweets/horns/woofs) big speakers in a big dedicated listening area you can achieve 3D imaging and real time emotive left/right channel separation thru the space of the room. A powered subwoofer in a corner providing the crucial sub-harmonic teen frequencies. It is pretty much like being there.

I've done my due diligence and own the best stereo gear i can currently afford. Best money i ever spent that gives me hours and hours of positive feedback and joy. Even after 10 years i still burst into spontaneous tears.

 

Still best listens in my live archival collection. No phase problems at all. In the room time capsule.

 

Back to DaP 31, I finally had a proper listen and I'm kind of surprised at the hate for this one. It's a fine show, and certainly no worse in sound or performance than any others from the era. I would describe most of the first set as fun and energetic. The only "clunker" I heard was probably "Althea", which didn't quite bring what the later versions brought to the stage. "Ramble" is a great rendition, and the crowd sounds into it. The 2nd set sounds less energetic than the 1st, but the groove is still there. That vamp leading from Scar to Fire is exactly how Dave described it. The drumming in that section would not have sounded out of place as "Drums". "Terrapin" and "PITB" are on par with the rest of the show.

Seriously, I don't get the hate for this one. If we are judging shows against other years, maybe it's not as good, but for an early Brent show it's great. The sound is pretty good for a tape, even with the lack of Bob's guitar. I would choose this one over 27 any day.

 

Dave's 31 talk for reference. Dave did not over sell this pick. It sold out in hours. Quality.

 

Im endlessly amused by this whole obsession with audio gear as a supposed portal into 'true' enjoyment of the music but one thing I am certain of: if you are in a 35' x 35' room and you only have one subwoofer that is a elementary level audio sin.

 

Pretty much about what I think as well...although I actually liked the Althea. I agree it doesn’t have the energy of later ones, but it’s certainly fine for the slower ones of the era.

And David Usborne made a Matrix of this show a few years ago that is well worth checking out. Really feels like you’re in the theatre.

 

Was Bob's guitar more audible on the audience tape? Even the patch they used didn't have much.

 

Hmmm...not sure. It’s really the room ambience that stood out with hit. You can almost smell the smoke in the room which I love.

 

I might just that MATRIX of this show. Even burn it to CDr so i can play it in my olde portless CDPs.
If other's ignorance bothered me, my head would have exploded years and years ago. It's just funny to me now. Lols.

 

Hunter Seamons uses Final Cut Pro. Even with digital sources the speeds may differ enough to create problems, but it takes a lot longer before it is noticeable. If one or both of the sources is analog, one generally needs to perform the mixing (syncing) on very short segments, 5-10 seconds or sometimes even less. I think (but am not familiar enough with the program to know for sure) that Final Cut Pro can "stretch" a segment without changing the pitch, which if true would make relatively perfect sync much quicker and easier.

 

Thanks, Rob! I would think that if Plangent could lock in on the pitch and speed of two sources (SBD and AUD) then a pretty killer Matrix could be created. Of course, that all would cost some decent money so unlikely.

 

Is manual synching of sources still a possibility? Always think retaining a human element in the process would be a plus.

 

Still secretly want one of these. It's never too late.

 

Life.Is.Good.Old.Grateful.Dead.

 

Better get that nugget before the bird does.

 

Not putting enough energy into the room.

 

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Dick’s Picks Vol. 1-36 Playlist
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Has everyone who is still owed one received their copy of 31 yet?
I raise my glass to our GoGD brothers overseas. Chin-chin, mates!

 

I gotta say this Playin jam on 31 is excellent. I’ve been sampling jam sections from DaP all day and did 4/2/73 before 31 and while they are very different bands at those points in their career it’s all of the same gestalt