SH Spotlight I was asked how we cut the Creedence 180+ vinyl reissues for Analogue Productions. Photos within..

Simple really, well not simple but by the book.
1. We get the Creedence Master tapes and give a listen.
2. We get an original Allen Zentz RCA pressing and give a listen.
3. We prepare the master tape for all analog cutting, running down each song for tone/volume and stereo balance.
4. Kevin Gray does the mechanical cutting part, I concentrate on the tonality and dynamics part on the mastering console.
5. We cut side 1.
6. We cut side 2.
7. Lunch.

And so on.. Any questions?

 

When all the albums are cut, we hope and pray and they will be plated correctly. If not, we have to go back and recut whatever sides we need to until all metal is approved. By this time we are a bit punchy..

 

From an old thread.

The preview playback head (to the left of the big tape loop) sends a signal to the Neumann 66 cutting system, giving it a "heads up" (pun intended) on the kind of volume it can expect in the next second or two. In this way, the Neumann computer knows how narrow or wide to make the groove at that moment, a split second before the audio hits the actual playback tape head (to the right of the tape loop). Saves on disc space. Nifty, eh?

Those little colored knobs to the right of the big "1" and "2" on the VU meter bridge are the setup adjustment controls. Since no two tape machines are set up alike, the Mag. Ref. Lab. set up tape is an industry standard that allows tape machines all over the country to be set up exactly the same, thereby making it possible that a tape recorded on one machine will play back correctly on another. The MRL tape has a bunch of tones on it at certain freqs. of the sonic spectrum (bass tones, midrange tones, treble tones), all recorded at "0" VU. Each of the little above mentioned knobs on the Studer mastering deck adjusts one of the tones. When the entire sonic spectrum is balanced at "0" VU on the meters, we're in business. The playback deck is sonically neutral.

Of course, this does us no good at all if the master tape we are playing back doesn't match the MRL levels. Most old tapes don't. A master tape SHOULD have its own set of set up tones on it, so the mastering engineer can adjust the machine to match the original mixing machine. In the case of all the Creedence tapes, no set up tones are on the tapes at all except the 1000 cycle left and right channel balance tone. So, Kevin and I have no idea what type of bass, midrange and treble levels were on the ORIGINAL mixing machine. Arggh! So, we balance by ear. A pain in the butt, but it works!

 

Depends on the shape of the tape and the quality of the music. For Creedence, easy. One album in the morning, one in the afternoon, repeat next day..

 

Courier.

 

The annoying part is splice repair, etc. That takes extra time. Old splices come loose and makes it dangerous so every edit, splice, dropout has to be repaired or pieced from safeties..

 

Some are in print, aren't they? Or am I thinking of something else? I think they are..

 

Boss- you mentioned that you hope the lacquers will be plated correctly... that part is out of your hands, I'm guessing.

What happens to cause a lacquer to be plated **incorrectly**? (And I'm sure you have a book-sized list of things that fit that category... )

- Kevin

 

Kev,

Blowing a lacquer is common these days now that the old-timers are retiring, sadly. It can happen many ways, during the silver sputtering, during the plating, any time. Broken groove, spots, this, that, it's just how it is.

Next time you come down, let's go to RTI, I'll show you how it works..

 

Love to!

(Man, after going to the work of cutting one of those things, I can't imagine how frustrating it would be to have to do it all over again, due to someone else's mistake...!)

- Kevin

 

Yes, it's quite messed up. Hard work, down the drain, have to do it all over again. Frustrating. Once the metal is processed correctly, all is good for thousands of pressings. Can make a new mother from the master plate, can make new stampers from the mothers, can go on for a while. BUT, when all is worn, lacquers must be recut. That means, getting the master tape back. If that won't happen, out of print!

 

No, that would be too complicated. Our Sony DSD guy set up in the studio, we came in and mastered straight to his machine, using the exact same mastering notes for the LP's. They should (will) match.

However, the CD version was captured at the same time as the SACD transfer.