technically speaking, what is 'fake' stereo? (Duophonic, Electronically Re-processed, etc.)*

I think it will depend on what process the label used to create the effect. Sometimes one channel just has highs rolled off and the other has lows boosted, but other processes can involve delay, etc. Give it a try!

 

I like Elvis re-channeled. He sounds like he's from outer space

 

Oops. I have the LP Miles Davis At Carnegie Hall. Bright orange cover with a green elephant head. Columbia 6 eye


I'm playing it summed right now, and sounds pretty good overall. Need to go back to "stereo" but it's a slow process.:. Have to pause playing to remove the double y cable.

Wish I new how Columbia did these faux stereo lps

 

It sounds like something out of a movie where the on-screen character has taken a heavy dose of drugs.

 

Good; now, let's discuss why "duophonic" isn't so much "fake stereo" or "stereo" so much as it is, just workparts from the original session, just re-purposed.

Also, why DES isn't "fake" at all, just another technical re-interpretation of the original recorded material. (ohh, I'm gonna get it for this...let the comparisons to "colorization" commence... )

 

Fake stereo is so "ago".

Give me fake surround sound.

 

Play the left channel only on those Living Presence/Wing reissues, that is pure mono. The right channel is very delayed artificial reverb.

 

I've got that in my 2020 Honda Civic (DTS Neural). It's great!

 

Eno's gotcha covered. Basically another application of "bi-wiring":
Brian Eno’s “ambient” speaker system

 

The most common techniques at the time were:

• The Balance Twiddle- "stereo" effect is achieved by moving the balance knob to the left or to the right. Of course, this does not true stereo make. Instead, it means that one channel goes dead momentarily when the knob is moved to the opposite channel. Classic example of the horrible balance twiddle is the United Artists version of A Hard Day's Night by The Beatles. Listen to "Tell Me Why."

• Duophonic- made famous by Capitol Records on albums by The Beatles and the Beach Boys. Stereo effect is achieved by playing the mono track on both channels, with a split-second delay between them. You would hear everything twice, for example, a drum beat starts on the left and you would hear it a split-second later on the right. Extra reverb is often added in an additional attempt to make the channels sound more separated. Classic examples of Duophonic rechanneling are "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "She Loves You" by The Beatles on their early Capitol LPs and the entire Pet Sounds album by The Beach Boys.

• The Bass/Treble filter- probably the most widely used 60's rechanneling technique (e.g. RCA, Columbia/Epic rechanneling, etc.). The mono track is fed into an equalizer, and all of the treble is stripped off and put on one channel, and all of the bass is stripped and put on the other.

 

Just listened to the Chi-Lites' The Coldest Day of My Life on my Honda's DTS Neural system. The sound effects begin in the back, and then my car's whole space is filled with that gorgeous production.

 

They're on the 2002 reissue Myrmidons Of Melodrama - The Definitive Collection

It also has the stereo mix of 'Leader of the Pack' with the missing bit of the second verse intact, but as you can hear, the vocals are way too low and not in sync:

 

This version completely lacks the punch and impact / immediacy of the original mono mix - and I'm sure there were instrumental overdubs on the mono that are missing here - this version is a wet lettuce!

 

Check out how bad Columbia rechanneling is by checking out this:


The mono master of the same song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV1PTt_tVj0

 

The DES mastering of Moonlight Gambler which is on an ERIC/Hit Parade Stereo Explosion CD:

 

Sounds like the damage they did to A Charlie Brown Christmas for its releases on Blu-ray and 4K disc where they created a fake 5.1 mix with no ability to play the original mono people have loved since 1966.

You can hear what I mean here (jump to 0:13):

 

Rubbish, Garbage, Trash, Treacle, Excelsior. Why I for years bought RCA Gold Standard 45 RPM singles instead without that horrid rechanneled time delayed, murky rotten sound.

 

I don't think that they will sound as good as true duophonic but with sales patter like that, Kent, I will have to find them. I've loved treacle since I was a kid.

 

You don't want these. Unless you want to hear Elvis rendered as muddy, through a bad Transatlantic phone connection.

 

Mine were easy to find....I "borrowed" them from my parents when I was 7.

 

I might get roasted for this, but the only instance where I like the fake stereo (Duophonic) version more than the actual mono or stereo mix is “I’m Only Sleeping” by the Beatles. When I was first getting into their music I read about how John likes to have his voice altered and this song was mentioned. When I finally heard the song, it was this duophonic version that I heard and was an instant favorite. I thought at first that the effect the Duophonic had on his voice was the way he intended it to be, and it fits the song well to me.

 

The old Platinum Disc Corporation/Echo Bridge public domain DVDs are fake surround sound.

 

There are a number of tracks on a recently issued Move CD that are described as "Enhanced Stereo," while other songs are described as "Stereo." Anyone know what Enhanced Stereo means? Digitally extracted audio?

Disc 2 Move Part 2 Stereo Versions Plus
———————————————————–

1. Yellow Rainbow (Enhanced Stereo)
2. Kilroy Was Here (Remix)
3. (Here We Go Round) The Lemon Tree (Remix)
4. Weekend (Remix)
5. Walk Upon The Water ( Stereo)
6. Flowers in the Rain (Remix)
7. Useless Information (Stereo)
8. Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart (Remix)
9. The Girl Outside (Alternate Take, Stereo)
10. Fire Brigade (Remix)
11. Mist On A Monday Morning (Remix)
12. Cherry Blossom Clinic (Remix)
13. Night Of Fear (Remix)
14. I Can Hear The Grass Grow [Enhanced Stereo]
15. Kilroy Was Here (Enhanced Stereo)
16. (Here We Go Round) The Lemon Tree (Stereo)
17. Weekend (Stereo)
18. Flowers In The Rain (Stereo)
19. Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart (Stereo)
20. Fire Brigade (Enhanced Stereo)
21. Mist On A Monday Morning (Enhanced Stereo)
22. Cherry Blossom Clinic (Enhanced Stereo)
23. Night of Fear (Vocal Session)
24. Disturbance (Undubbed Version)
25. I Can Hear The Grass Grow (Full Length Version)
26. Fire Brigade (Undubbed Version)
27. Cherry Blossom Clinic (Long Version) (Stereo)
28. Fire Brigade (Instrumental Version)
29. Cherry Blossom Clinic (Long Version) (Mono)

 

Electronically produced stereo effect from a mono recording. I have Move albums with enhanced stereo on some tracks.