Steve's Steely Dan Aja

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Dave, Mar 19, 2004.

  1. WestGrooving

    WestGrooving Forum Resident

    Location:
    California, U.S.A
    :laugh:
     
  2. eelkiller

    eelkiller One of the great unwashed

    Location:
    Northern Ontario
    Two others turned up on Amazon UK this past week. I got a reply from a seller confirming it was an UK pressing with the # MCLD 19145.

    I figured at the price it was worth the gamble. :)
     
  3. rpd

    rpd Senior Member

    Location:
    Nashville
    Came across a CRC copy of Aja today:

    MCAD-37214
    DIDY 000055
    5 1AMCD 37214-2 SRC+01 M251

    Anything special about this one?
     
  4. rpd

    rpd Senior Member

    Location:
    Nashville
    I assume the answer is no on this???
     
  5. rpd

    rpd Senior Member

    Location:
    Nashville
    So, after all this, is it still not thought that this really is the hoffman disc? I have an identical copy...
     
  6. Andreas

    Andreas Senior Member

    Location:
    Frankfurt, Germany
    The whole debate is overshadoed by the fact that Steve himself has said that
    1. A copy of a certain disc sent to him is not his mastering.
    2. A copy of another certain disc sent to him is his mastering.

    But the two discs were found identical.
     
    Dan Steele likes this.
  7. KeithH

    KeithH Success With Honor...then and now

    Location:
    Beaver Stadium
    When news broke here about the U.K. MCLD disc being the "one", I went after a copy hard on eBay and lost. Then I realized that there was no difference between this pressing and my original Japanese pressings based on the data presented here, so I've decided to stick with what I have.
     
  8. Dave

    Dave Esoteric Audio Research Specialistâ„¢ Thread Starter

    Location:
    B.C.
    :agree: Exactly as why I say if you want to be certain send your CD to Steve Keith as I just can't 100% rely on a computer program, but we all can with Steve.
     
  9. MikeyH

    MikeyH Stamper King

    Location:
    Berkeley, CA
    I've taken to listening to tell which one I have (other than ignoring anything obviously recently made).. The best one sounds just like the vinyl, with excellent 'punch' and bass. The other sounds just 'flat'. Not bad, just flat.

    Like for my records.. if I'm not enjoying the listening experience, it's not the best version.
     
  10. Randy W

    Randy W Original Member

    Peter sold me an original Japanese Aja recently and it is fantastic sounding!
     
  11. KeithH

    KeithH Success With Honor...then and now

    Location:
    Beaver Stadium
    So I am to continue buying discs that all look identical by EAC and send them to Steve to determine whether or not they have his mastering? No thank you. When someone finds a disc that Steve confirms has his mastering and is obviously different by EAC, let me know. As far as I am concerned, either all early pressings have his mastering or none of them do.

    At this point in time, there is nothing for me to gain by sending Aja discs to Steve. The early pressings I have all sound great. I do not need verfication of that.

    I'm sorry to be brusque, but the early pressings I have sound great to me, and I also know that all early pressings under consideration are identical by EAC. I refuse to believe that there some of these discs possess a magical difference. Finally, given that Steve mastered Aja in 1984 on what he has stated as fragile digital tape, it makes no sense that his mastering would show up on later German and U.K. pressings and not on the original Japanese pressings. Again, either they all have Steve mastering or none of them do.
     
  12. KeithH

    KeithH Success With Honor...then and now

    Location:
    Beaver Stadium
    See, I interpret this important information differently than Dave. Dave's interpretation is trust Steve's ears. I understand that. However, hearing is subjective. Rating discs is subjective. However, EAC provides data. I see no argument with the data. The scientist in me says, focus on the data, not Steve's interpretations of two discs.

    (Disclaimer: None of this is intended as an attack of Dave or Steve. Dave and Steve are certainly entitled to their opinions. :angel: )
     
  13. Andreas

    Andreas Senior Member

    Location:
    Frankfurt, Germany
    (Please let us not make the fault again that identical EAC peak levels mean "identical data". You have to compare actual .wav samples.)
     
  14. KeithH

    KeithH Success With Honor...then and now

    Location:
    Beaver Stadium
    And I thought that all had been done and that no differences had been found. The only differences I read about were what people had heard.
     
  15. Leppo

    Leppo Forum Librarian

    I totally agree, Keith.
     
  16. GuyDon

    GuyDon Senior Member

    I just read all twenty-two pages and my head is about to explode. :laugh:

    I found a 'Manufactured in Japan for MCA' cd. The catalog number is MCAD-37214 and while the DIDX 55 appears on the inserts, it does not appear on the disc. The inner ring of the disc reads: MCAD-37214-T6E52. The disc times out at 40:00.

    Do I have anything special here?
     
    Dan Steele likes this.
  17. oldcuster

    oldcuster Forum Resident

    Location:
    St. Paul, MN
    Who knows? :laugh:

    That one you mentioned is the best sounding to my ears, though. I'd say it's a keeper. :thumbsup:
     
    Dan Steele likes this.
  18. GeekK

    GeekK Forum Resident

    Sonic flaws on other versions

    From an old usenet post:
    I also have this defect on the Citizen and Remastered CD's, but it's not there on the Hoffman edit. :)


    Also (one post below):
    I can't hear this defect (at 0:30) on the remastered CD nor on Hoffman's edit.
     
    driverdrummer likes this.
  19. peter

    peter Senior Member

    Location:
    Paradise
    Again, I do think this issue is Steve's. Why? Because there is no evidence of 3 Aja masterings, pre-1991, only 2, Steve's and Nichols's. Ergo, since the USA MCA (made in JPN.) is the first USA pressing, and because it does sound better (at least to me) from a later, though still pre-1991 USA made Aja CD, it just has to be Steve's. Logically, there is simply no other conclusion. I do realize that there are 2 JPN. pressed MCA CD's of Who's Nexr, one Steve's and the other not (I have them both), I don't believe that a JPN. MCA CD of Aja has ever surfaced that doesn't sound better in all the ways that matter than the USA made one.
     
  20. KeithH

    KeithH Success With Honor...then and now

    Location:
    Beaver Stadium
    Excellent post, and I have tried to convey the same thing at one point or another. Others probably have as well. The problem is that there have been so many lengthy discussions of Aja that it is hard to keep it straight, though. Anyway, I absolutely agree with you. Based on what I have heard and read, the Japanese CBS/Sony and JVC pressings with catalog number MCAD-37214, the Japanese CBS/Sony pressing with catalog number 32XD-112, and the U.K. release with the MCLD catalog number all have the same mastering, and it seems that this is Steve's mastering.
     
  21. peter

    peter Senior Member

    Location:
    Paradise
    Keith:

    Thank you. It really is time to put this one to rest.
     
  22. Keith V

    Keith V Forum Resident

    Location:
    Secaucus, NJ
    I just found this at a new record store three doors from my apt.
    steely dan mcld 19145 Aja.
    I bought it because I suspect it may be THE one.
    Sounds wonderful on my extremely modest stereo.
    Does anyone know after all these years if it's indeed the S. Hoffmann master?
     
  23. Dam

    Dam Forum Resident

    Location:
    Australia
    You have struck gold...methinks!
     
    Keith V likes this.
  24. Keith V

    Keith V Forum Resident

    Location:
    Secaucus, NJ
    Oh boy. God Bless Us. Everyone.

    How is it verified though ?
     
  25. Dino

    Dino Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kansas City - USA
    Mal posted his "Steve Hoffman verified CD" EAC log, earlier in this thread:
    90.7 --- 91.7 --- 90.8 --- 88.9 --- 96.3 --- 86.1 --- 97.5
     
    Keith V likes this.

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