Was that Aja mystery solved yet?

Or did we just give up?

I apologize for re-hashing, but I read that nine page thread and it looked to me like it was left open for a sequel.

In all seriousness though, if a conclusion was reached I missed it. Couldn't find it by searching, and there seemed to be a dead end on the topic of whether or not SH did the Japan originals.

Inquiring minds wanna know....

 

In a sense, we've given up. It's quite apparent that the Japanese CBS/Sony and JVC pressings are identical. However, it is still not known if they were made from the Nichols or Hoffman master. My guess is that they were made from the Nichols master (ditto for Katy Lied) since Nichols' masters were used for all the other Dan titles in '84 and '85. Unfortunately, I doubt we will ever know for sure.

 

Yeah and Mr. Nichols has still not responded to my e-mail and Steve hasn't posted in awhile. . . .

 

Now we're getting somewhere - mystery solved.

Thanks for posting Steve!

 

This will go down sort of like the line at the end of The Rock. "Hey, honey. Wanna know who mastered the original pressing of Aja on CD?"

 

I'll mail you a copy or my original if you'd like.

 

I dunno. I mean, I think the version I have sounds good, but Steve you might be right, it could use a little "thickening" in the upper midrange.

 

Could you elaborate on the "thickening"? Maybe you could point out what is missing or "recessed" in a specific portion of the album.

 

Just compared my MCA Japan CD with an ABC promo LP and yes it's a RN as you described.
So, which one is SH?

 

I just discovered the Steve Hoffman mastered Katy Lied!

And guess what?
It's a night and day midrange difference!
The SH is the best pressing - better than the ABC lp!

Thank you for your help Steve!

 

Could you please post particulars of your Katy Lied CD? I assume it's a Japanese pressing. Could you post the matrix code, total time, and individual track times? My guess is that it's identical to my copies.

I don't have Katy Lied on vinyl. Still, the LP was done at a different time from the CD, so the CD could still be from the Nichols CD master.

 

Thanks, Steve. I never felt that the snare drum sounded like "cardboard", but I'll listen again.

 

Yup and this is exactly how I identified your Katy Lied CD by an A/B of "Everyone's Gone To The Movies" with an ABC LP. And lucky for me I prefer Katy Lied over Aja anyway.

 

Y'know, that's the same impression I have when I play my Mobile Fidelity LP of Aja...like there's good bottom and top end, but the midrange just isn't a good "in your face" midrange. It sort of throws the balance off and the midrange sounds distant, in other words.

 

According to Denny Dias, a few compromises were made to master Katy Lied to vinyl...one point being that the transients they recorded were too difficult to cut on the lathes of the day.

http://www.steelydan.com/dennys3.html

First time I ever heard most of the Steely Dan albums was on that crappy MCA reissue vinyl, the ones with the gold "Platinum Series" stamp on the cover. After those, anything was an improvement!

 

Somebody with the technology - post something for Steve to listen to! This has got to find a conclusion sometime!

 

I think Steve is right, mine must be the RN disc.

Keith, listen to the beginning parts of Aja and Decon Blues, like when the vocals come in. They aren't very forward in the mix. I don't mean they are smooth, they are "recessed". Steve's work usually brings those frequencies out. For comparision, I listened to another disc Steve mastered from that era, Elton John's "Your Songs". Still a nice neutral sound, but the midrange is right there.

 

I don't know about the midrange, but on my Japan Aja CD, the drums are right in your face, a la Hoffman mastering. So, anyway......I still think I have a Hoffman mastering.
Evan

 

Somebody did here.

 

Ok that's a great start. Now let's bring this here thing on home with some comparisons for AJA as well. (well done Leppo!)