Half-Speed Mastering: What, and Why?

This has been my experience as well.

Example: I always thought that the MFSL of Waiting For Columbus was about as good as it could get. I bought and cleaned up a regular Warner Bros copy last week and it was simply better. Tighter bottom end, smoother, more definition overall.

 

Has your regular copy got TML in the deadwax, if it has it's a winner. That Mofi is awful in my opinion, that big hole in the middle sound.

JG

 

The CBS half-speed master of Born to Run is "interesting." Much better clarity and dynamics than normal pressings, BUT the EQ isn't quite right. Bruce sounds like Alvin the chipmunk.

 

All MFSL lp's are cut 1/2 speed.
Also on the side all cd-4 quad record's were cut 1/2 speed so they could here the 30k subcarrier frequency that has the rear channel info on it.

 

The biggest things I notice with good half-speed cutting are improved low bass, much better transient response, and really superior high frequency headroom. I hear cutting with this setup requires less from the cutting amplifiers and requires less cutter amplifier power for the same results.

 

I imagine during his decades of experience Stan Ricker has experimented with countless cutting speeds.

There is a long online interview with Stan where he talks about a Miles Davis box set he cut at 22.5rpm--but I think that was a one-time situation. All the other projects he has told me about in the last few years were cut half speed.

Here's the page from enjoythemusic.com
http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/rickerinterview/ricker12.htm

An excerpt:
Dave: I wanted to ask about the Miles Davis box set which you cut at 22.5 rpm, instead of doing it at half speed. I know there was a reason for that choice.

Stan: There were multiple reasons for that choice, as you will hear. I enjoyed cutting on that system, especially in the beginning, just for the simple reason that it had been over twenty years since I had cut anything at real time. And it was truly nice to sit there and dig the music. That was nice. But the system is low powered and it had a tendency to produce slew rate distortion on high frequency transients, which you can hear on Sounds Unheard Of!. So, when the Miles tapes first came in, I listened to them and here's Miles’ trumpet with a Harmon mute in it. I thought, "Oh wow, what trouble we're gonna have with this." In order to cut it clean it would have to be cut at a very low level...



The entire article:
http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/rickerinterview/

 

This has been discussed at length in another thread. However I'm too lazy to do a search right now, so I'll mention a few I can recall out of memory, from my personal experience.

Best:

Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd (Mastersound)

Crime Of The Century - Supertramp (MFSL)

Dreamboat Annie - Heart (Nautilus)



Worst:

Don't Look Back - Boston (Mastersound)

The Grand Illusion - Styx (MFSL)

Frontiers - Journey (Mastersound)


Like I said, there's another thread that others have called out many of the good and the bad. I'd recommend searching it out.

 

I have 1/2 Speed Beach Boys Surfer Girl and bought I believe back in the 80s. I never opened it up. Not sure why. I was going to put it on after reading this thread and realized my turntable has crapped out on me.

Time to get a new one.

 

I believe there are two masterings of this. I know there are two index numbers, and one is generally preferred. I also think there was a Japanese half-speed.

 

Thanks. I did not see the other thread.

Pat

 

The Half Speed LP of Wish You Were Here is especially good. I would point to that as an example of what can be done.

 

I have never enjoyed my copy of the CBS Born to Run. Just weird.

 

Yes, TML. I don't think the MFSL is awful, but it clearly is bettered by the TML cut.

When I listen to half-speed masters now, I generally hear a less distinct bottom-end (not to be confused with the often over eq'd bottom-end found on many old MFSL LPs) that I would assume is a consequence of 1/2 speed mastering.

 

And for his UHQR work, we should all invite him for Christmas dinner!!

 

Actually, I've been collecting the Nautilus issues lately. Every one I've heard sounds great

 

Yes, I have the American Beauty MOFI as well. What a GREAT sounding album. I think that was post-Ricker, though...

 

Anyone know if there's really a noticeable improvement with 2/3 speed mastering? I'm sitting here listening to J. Geils Band "Freeze-Frame" from 1981 on vinyl and noticed in the liner notes "Mastered at 2/3 speed at: The Cutting Room, Record Plant, NYC. Mastering: Joe Brescio"

It's a great sounding album but I'm just 'room listening' and not trying to analyze it with phones on or anything.