Sinatra / Capitol Sound Quality (and general discussion): Singles, Soundtracks, Etc.

Re: "Don't Worry 'Bout Me"

I've got brief clips (same segment as available on iTunes) from ten different releases posted down-page here: http://www.11fifty.com/Site_108/1953_-_SinglesEtc2.html. Thanks to Bob F, Rangerjohn, and stevelucille for contributing clips.

 

Re: I've Got the World on a String

I've added Arkoff's D4 This is Sinatra clip (Thanks!) to "Sample 6" on this page: http://www.11fifty.com/Site_108/1953_-_SinglesEtc2.html

If you don't wish to hunt for it, here's a direct link to the clip, which starts with eharmonica's D1 clip, then plays Arkoff's D4: http://www.11fifty.com/Site_108/1953_-_SinglesEtc2_files/IGWSDoubleClip D1-D4.wav

They sound essentially indistinguishable to me, FWIW.

 

Capitol original D pressings are such a crapshoot (some great, some poor, and everything in between), and I don't just mean on these Sinatra titles. I've got tons of them that have what I would call a "soft" or "non-sparkly" or "slightly rolled-off" top end, and that lack of clarity or fullness up top is a real turn-off for me personally, especially if the dynamic range is also compromised, yet I've got some titles (Ben Light, Felix Slatkin, and Benny Goodman albums spring immediately to mind) that have what strikes me as totally full-range top end that lends an incredible sense of presence and immediacy to the sound.

 

Have your own big band and vocalist? Maybe you manage Matt Dusk? Carlos Danger? Here's the Riddle "I've Got the World on a String" arrangement on Ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ive-Got-the...126?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27d6e3ae8e

 

Re: Lean Baby, I'm Walking Behind You, Don't Worry 'Bout Me

Today, I received my UK World Record Club 1961 LP entitled Look Over Your Shoulder, which is a reverb-added mess. I'm not going to post any samples, but I did add it to the "avoid" list for all three songs.



Edit: This jogged my memory! A few years ago, stevelucille sent me a 5" UK reel of this title, and that was stinky, too, so I've also added that reel to the "avoid" list.

 

^^^^^Yup, although it's very well printed, with a lot of clarity/resolution, so you can make out the threads on the tie, etc.

Our pal "Blackie" sent along a clip of "I've Got the World on a String" from his very nice D9 pressing, and I think that tonally it beats out the D1 and D4 copies that were already submitted. (YMMV, of course!)

You can find two different D9 clips on this page: http://www.11fifty.com/Site_108/1953_-_SinglesEtc2.html
(One is "Sample 11; the other is just below that, in the "Transitional Comparison Clips" section.)

I know that dynamics are not everything, but this otherwise-excellent copy has pretty compromised dynamics. Here's a comparison of the D9, the Japanese LP, and the Dell LP, in that order:


That said, use your ears over your eyeballs, eh? Check out the clips linked above.

For the short segment that is sampled, it's a clone of the SINGLES set. At the 1:56 mark, there is an audible splice, and it is a unique mastering after that point (to cover a dropout in the SINGLES set at 2:05), as you'll hear on another clip that I'll be getting to soon.

 

Yes, I fully agree! It's still compressed, but compressed doesn't necessarily equal "bad." The tone is excellent, IMO.

 

First thing: I've got some samples from the "big brassy section" of "Don't Worry Bout Me" posted down-page here: http://www.11fifty.com/Site_108/1953_-_SinglesEtc2.html

Second thing, for the techie nuts here:

Looking at the wide variety we have in dynamic range on these mono singles, consider:

On "I've Got the World on a String," the widest dynamic range is on the Dell LP version, at -19.7 RMS after peak normalization. That "hammered" version on Best of the Best is at -12.2 RMS (same process -- apples vs. apples), so that's a 7.5 dB RMS difference, a huge and audible difference!

On "Don't Worry 'Bout Me," we don't have a brickwalled version to throw darts at, but check out these variations, most-dynamic to least dynamic:
Dell 1985 UK LP -21.1 dB RMS after peak normalization

Gold! -20.4 (Norberg)

Capitol Singles -19.2 (Norberg)

Walsh -18.7

Collectors Series -18.5

Norberg Where Are You -18.4

Japan LP -18.2

UK 98 Dell CD -17.8

-------------------- <------ Half-way to the difference between Dell and "brickwalled" on "I've Got the World on a String"

This is Frank Sinatra 53-57 CD -17.0

D1 -16.4

EP -16.0

D9 -15.5

Star Line -15.2

-13.6 would be the same difference on this track (best to worst) as between best and worst dynamics on "I've Got the World on a String." -15.2 isn't that far away!

Third thing: As I keep saying, tone is #1 for me, but dynamics matter, too. (Other factors: stereo processing, odd EQ choices, hiss levels, etc. Lots of variables, I think we'd all agree on that!) Some thoughts on Don't Worry 'Bout Me:

•When I compare both the vocal tone AND the "big brass" tone farther down the samples page for "Don't Worry 'Bout Me," I think the best CD mastering is on that 2-CD "This is Frank Sinatra 1953-1957" CD -- even though it's less dynamic than other CD masterings. (There are several good CD masterings.)
•I thought the Walsh had subpar brass tone by comparison. (I also thought that the Walsh stood out -- not as better or worse, but as unique -- as having a much "lighter" or less-bass-y vocal tone.)
•I thought the UK boxed set CD fell out of "top rating status" when it hit the big brass section. It's a little shrill there to my ears.
•Overall, I was very fond of the "Collectors Series" CD, but compared to the 53-57 CD, I thought the vocal tone was just a HAIR tubby in spots -- barely -- and the brass tone was just a HAIR "not as good." Close. It's a good sounding track on its own, as one would expect from Furmanek/Walsh. These two CDs (Collectors Series and 1953-1957) are basically a "tie," but for different reasons.
•The Norberg masterings all have pretty good dynamics, but....blech otherwise.
•I thought the best TONE on LP was that D9 copy that Blackie shared. It's pretty smushed in terms of dynamics, but I'd still be proud to have the LP in my collection.
•The other D LPs sounded pretty flat to my ears. No sparkle.
•The Japanese LP that Dr. Robert transferred sounds very good tonally (and with very wide dynamics), but I slightly prefer the Dell. Slightly.
•The Dell LP sounds very open and full-range-y to me -- very "hi-fi," with zero roll off or "mellow factor" to the treble. It may be just a slight tad on the bright end of the spectrum, but it certainly is not dull sounding, and it has plenty of "pop" when cranked.

LOTS of very nicely mastered -- yet different -- choices on this one. The Dell LP is probably my favorite, but the other un-futzed choices are still really, really good, and I wouldn't argue with anybody who preferred one of those. They are all very good efforts, IMO. In the end, we all like what we like, right?

I'd love to hear more opinions!

One more thing: BFerr1 sent me a clip from "I've Got the World on a String" from this EP:

I'll get it posted on Thursday.

 

Alan, this has been a surprise to me so far, as I had always kind of tossed this CD aside and not viewed it as being of good quality. Now, we still have, what....38 more tracks to go? It may do poorly on other tracks, but so far, it's coming out okay!

By the way, I first learned of this title back around maybe 1999 when I saw it listed at the mostly-classical Berkshire Record Outlet, so I snagged it for something like $5, which was a steal for a 2-CD release back then!

 

Re: I've Got the World on a String:

BFerr1's EP clip is uploading as "Sample 12" here: http://www.11fifty.com/Site_108/1953_-_SinglesEtc2.html