Smith said in an interview that he watched Barrett at the console working the faders for the mix "as if he were painting...His hands were in constant motion with the music". I've seen that quote used by several sources. The late Peter Bown, who engineered the sessions, had also mentioned Barrett's work during the mix.
Here is my take. This is from my experience, along with my sense from what I can remember from following this thread over the last couple years. For some of these like Meddle and Dark Side, there will never be anything that can touch a first UK press A1U/B1U, or 2A/2B, 3A/3B. Other titles have some challenges based on the available material (for example Atom Heart Mother will have poor sounding drums due to all the bouncing during original mixing). These are still all quite decent and certainly more affordable than clean originals. To your other question, from what I understand these are cut from high quality digital files. IMO: Piper - Excellent Saucerful - Very Good/Excellent. There were some issues with dishing in the first batch of Piper and Saucerful but I think that got sorted out as more were pressed. More - Excellent Ummagumma - Very Good. The live disk is more of an improvement than the studio disk. Atom Heart Mother - Very Good Meddle - Excellent (won't touch an original UK but is a good option) Obscured by Clouds - Excellent. I don't have an original UK, but I remember reading here that some felt the original was superior. Dark Side of the Moon - Excellent. See Meddle comment. Wish You Were Here - Excellent. The first batch of the US pressing used the 2011 Doug Sax remaster, while the EU used the new Bernie Grundman mastering. Both are nice, although they are certainly different. The US was eventually replaced with the Bernie, and this is what is in circulation now. I don't have a UK to compare but I think both sound fantastic. Animals - Excellent The Wall - Excellent. This might be the standout of the series for me in terms of sound quality. The Final Cut - Excellent. Another standout. A Momentary Lapse - Very Good The Division Bell - Excellent Delicate Sound of Thunder - Very Good. Some felt that sound quality/soundstage on side 2 is not of same consistency as the other three sides (which I agree with although it didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the album.) A Collection of Great Dance Songs - Excellent. Another standout. Hope this helps.
Nice summary cheer leader and agree with your comments. Given the price point of the reissues it’s a no brainer v trying to find nice original copies that are quiet for sensible money. Gary
Of course, there are a few pictures of Syd and the rest in the studio and control room of Abbey Road Studio 3, but sadly nothing showing any of the members behind the console. Still, I can't imagine Smith and Bown concocting a mutual hallucination, so their recollections are good enough for me. There also exist written accounts of members of Pink Floyd and the Beatles visiting each other during the recording of Piper, as sessions for Sgt Pepper were taking place at the same time over in Studio 2. Paul McCartney and George Harrison were present several times during the recording and mixing of Piper, possibly at the suggestion of Norman Smith, and Floyd members also observed the Beatles at work on their latest album. Not sure what was shared exactly between the two groups, but McCartney and Barrett anecdotally expressed an interest in working together on Paul's "Carnival of Light" surrealist film project.
I recall reading that he was to an extent. His work can be heard specifically on "Lucifer Sam", opening and closing the faders controlling the guitar track in the left channel, where the guitar imitates the sound of a trumpet (at least to my ears). He also assisted with the mix on "Interstellar Overdrive" and "Bike".
From memory of reading one one these Miles books, the panning effect on Interstellar was apparently his work of art!
I tried a few of these reissues - Dark Side, WYWH, Animals - and was not thrilled by either of the records. All of them had an clinical and digital feel to them while also being full of clicks, pops and surface noise. Digital/analytical coldness mixed with vinyl noise artifacts and bad pressings = equals the worst of both audio-worlds (digital and analog) on one disc. No, thanks, I'll happily stick to my german reissues from the 70s and 80s... all of them bought used for about the same money as the recent reissue series. in terms of vinyl quality, they're ranging from nm to vg+. Hardly any scratches to find. They're all perfectly flat. No rice crispie dancefloor, hardly any harsh clicks, pops or unwanted noises, even onthe vg+ ones, and last but not least - all of them are full analog triple a recordings. And that's where the timeless magic comes from. I would stick to the well done CD remasters from some years ago before I would buy any of these worst of two worlds offenders from the new vinyl reissue series.
While I agree with your statement, I'm guessing these are for those that want the larger artwork and enjoy the ritual of vinyl playback. And with the disappearance of vintage in the wild and stiff pricing online, these become a very attractive alternative?
Agreed. But I also felt the (2011) compact disc remasters carried the same trademark. (sterile, crisp and devoid of soul) I prefer the old mastering's I do however enjoy the 2016 The Wall Grundman cut. Compares nicely with my US TML
I think these don't sound particularly digital but maybe cleaner. Some lose out to UK originals but mostly by not that much. More is a vast improvement over the early 70s pressing I have. I found Piper and Saucerful Of Secrets the most digital sounding. Wall a close second to a UK original. Wish You Were Here, Ummagumma and Atom heart Mother pretty near the mark. DSOTM and Animals lost a bit of analogue goodness. I think the 30th anniv DSOTM is superior. Division Bell clearly superior to original. All others sound fine with Meddle being first time I heard a clean sounding Echoes. Unless you get a bad copy (which is quite likely in my experience having exchanged several titles) these are the best pressed Floyd for lack of surface noise I have encountered. Optimal and Record Industry do produce too many discs having repetitive clicks and non fill these days.
As you mentioned DB (along with others) as being better, methinks you and I listen differently. But good that you found what you like!
I don't have it at hand, but Nicholas Schaffner's book "Saucerful of Secrets" recounts Syd at the controls for one of the mixes (stereo or mono, I forget, although it does specify, iirc) using language very much like what you say here.
I own Schaffner's book -- it's quite likely this is one of the places I've seen this quote. It is a fascinating look into Syd's many talents and facets, both with Floyd and as a solo artist.
I only need OBC to get all the studio albums up to Momentary Lapse, very happy with them all so far, I never Had Floyd on Vinyl apart from a second hand copy of the Wall that I got a few years ago (didn't bother with the new one of that). As someone said above, if nothing else, getting this artwork in 12x12 form is almost worth it for me.
I think it may have been for the stereo mix, as he lends an interesting touch to "Interstellar Overdrive" with the rapid panning of the signal in the last few minutes of the song. Syd also was key in getting his guitar parts clear in the mix without excessive use of volume. His rather simple signal chain (a Fender Esquire into a Binson Echorec, plugged into a Selmer Treble 'n Bass 50 watt combo) helped preserve a certain amount of clarity.
Thanks. I'm listening to a needle drop of the stereo Piper EMS 50104 now. I can't discern any tonal or other changes during any of the tracks - except for Chapter 24. I'd like to hear the mono - does it have any less clarity?
I have both stereo and mono versions, original and remastered. To my ears, the mono mix sounds as though it lacks something -- almost anemic, if that makes sense -- compared to the stereo version. Consider that Peter Bown, who engineered the sessions, was one of EMI's best pop engineers in the spring of 1967. He purposely minimized the isolation of the different instruments in order to make use of mic bleed and maximize the effect of the room. The notable exception was Syd's voice...Bown felt that his soft singing style might get lost among everything else, so Syd cut his vocals in a makeshift isolation booth. Bown seemed to be organizing the sessions with a stereo product in mind. Consider too that Syd, even though untrained in studio operations, apparently had an idea of the sound he wanted and intuitively knew how to get it -- through experimentation, or perhaps a few happy mixing accidents. Bown and Barrett seem on the surface to be rather dissimilar, but were able between the two of them to generate some amazing sounds. Listen to Piper and Saucerful of Secrets side by side, and the difference in recording quality is striking...one with Syd, one nearly without. Long story short: I much prefer the stereo version. And yes, I think Syd had something to do with that.
Curious - what did you mean by Saucerful's recording quality being "nearly without" Syd? Did he have any play in the recording process?
Saucerful was recorded during the transition with David Gilmour, with Syd being pushed aside for the bulk of the recording. Syd did contribute guitar and vocal parts to the album, and wrote one song ("Jugband Blues"), but the lion's share of the influence on these sessions appears to have come from Roger Waters, who increasingly saw himself as leader during Syd's exit, and asserted himself accordingly. I have read several accounts that suggest that Waters may have attempted to have Syd's parts scrubbed from the multitrack master -- an effort which apparently failed. Waters presumably then had to settle for mixing Syd's parts so low in the final product as to be nearly inaudible. Waters saw Syd's deteriorating condition as a handicap to the band's future and wanted him gone ASAP. I believe Waters and the other members took the lead on assembling Saucerful's mix, as Syd was largely absent by the conclusion of the sessions. Thus, I believe that Syd's absence from the process had a negative effect on the overall sound and feel of Saucerful as compared to Piper, which by contrast stands as a testament to his musical and creative vision. Piper is very much Syd; Saucerful is most certainly not -- his involvement in creating the album being minimal at best. By the way, if you haven't yet, listen closely to the words in "Jugband Blues" -- they say a lot about Syd's relationship with the rest of the band, and in particular Roger Waters. It's a sad farewell to Wright, Gilmour and Mason, and a rather glaring verbal middle finger to Waters, who, in hindsight, may have deserved it.
Well it's not crammed on to one disc and you get the unedited version. I never thought the original DB sounded that great compared to previous Floyd vinyl.
