Who's Next - Steve Hoffman Mastering

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Ozric, Oct 7, 2018.

  1. kevin5brown

    kevin5brown Analog or bust.

    BMG Steve's US: 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100
    Jpn for US: 98.0, 100, 95.0, 99.7, 83.2, 91.6, 96.0, 99.4, 85.8
    "Steve's" Cinram CA: 96.3, 91.5, 96.0, 96.8, 88.9, 99.4, 96.2, 90.7, 93.5

    One irony for me is, I specifically picked up the BMG US disc, because I wanted Steve's mastering that was dropped by 3 dB or whatever it is. Guess it must be the CRC record club version ... ;) *Still* like the BMG the best.
     
  2. Nomadicarchivist

    Nomadicarchivist Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington D.C.
    I dint think Daltrey likes ANY mix of Quad. The songs YES, mixes not so much
     
  3. George P

    George P Notable Member

    Location:
    NYC
    Thanks!
     
  4. Chris Schoen

    Chris Schoen Rock 'n Roll !!!

    Location:
    Maryland, U.S.A.
    I like my needle-drop of the 2012 MOV vinyl the best.
     
  5. George P

    George P Notable Member

    Location:
    NYC
    And the japan for US, is that Steve's?
     
  6. bmoregnr

    bmoregnr Forum Rezident

    Location:
    1060 W. Addison
    I think there are few different Japan for US’s to consider, the timing being a defining difference I believe if not the EACs. I think this post gets into the whole shebang. Best Sounding Who's Next CD ?
     
    Last edited: Oct 17, 2018
  7. tlake6659

    tlake6659 Senior Member

    Location:
    NJ
    I prefer the Canada MCA CD over the US due to the greater dynamics.
     
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  8. WiWavelength

    WiWavelength Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    That is a very good summary, but contrary to stated belief, the non Hoffman mastered JVC Japan for US almost certainly came first in 1984, followed by the Hoffman mastered Denon Japan for US around 1986.

    AJ
     
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  9. Opeth

    Opeth Forum Resident

    Location:
    NH
    picked up a nice condition MCABD-37217 but it's 43:19 is this bad ?
     
  10. mmars982

    mmars982 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    I believe this quote is correct:
    Unfortunately, you can't tell by the catalog number. Some are SH-mastered, some are not.
     
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  11. kevin5brown

    kevin5brown Analog or bust.

    No. As far as I know, there are two Japanese for US masterings: Steve's and not Steve's (which is the original release here in the states). :)

    Just looking now on the DR database, there is no listing for the Jpn for US that isn't Steve's, so I can't confirm that this one is the same as the P33P. (I will try to get the DR readings for my Jpn for US disc tonight, and maybe I can tell if those two Japanese discs are the same.

    My notes say that the WG Polydor might also be the same as the P33P ... (I might have that one too.)

    One other thing my notes say, the original Jpn for US that isn't Steve's, was done by Doug Sax. Straight transfer of the original vinyl mastering. That's the JVC Jpn for US. All of this is cut and pasted from other Who's Next threads.
     
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  12. bmoregnr

    bmoregnr Forum Rezident

    Location:
    1060 W. Addison
    I was looking at mine last night and itunes had it at 43:20 and Jriver at 43:24 so you might want to check a few players; that or run EAC or DR numbers on it.
     
    Opeth likes this.
  13. ssmith3046

    ssmith3046 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Arizona desert
    One of these was delivered today and I gave it a listen with my headphones. Definitely the only CD I'll ever need for this album.
     
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  14. btomarra

    btomarra Classic Rock Audiophile

    Location:
    Little Rock, AR
    Not his mastering? Not according to Steve. Here is his quote:

    If you know something Steve doesn’t know and he is the one who mastered this, granted almost 35 years ago, perhaps address your discrepancies with him. I’ll stick with my Canadian Who’s Next and based on Steve’s extensive and detailed response describing his 35 year old mastering, I have confidence it’s his mastering. We don’t have much info as to what caused the eq changes between the digital and analog sources your graph is showing.
     
    Last edited: Jul 2, 2020
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  15. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    Steve's mastering is extremely crankable! Blast it! : )
     
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  16. kevin5brown

    kevin5brown Analog or bust.

    The Canadian disc isn't the same as the US disc. It was tweaked. By who, I can't tell. But the Canadian is NOT the same as the US disc.
     
  17. btomarra

    btomarra Classic Rock Audiophile

    Location:
    Little Rock, AR
    Right! And why would it sound the same? Different sources. All digital sourced CDs show clipping. Even ones reduced in volume. Only the Canadian cd isn’t. It’s from a copy of the 30 ips tape or Dolby tape. Maybe one can’t make out the clipping, but it’s hard to accept that a cd with clipping and one without would sound identical.

    You didn’t even acknowledge Steve’s lengthy post which I quoted. Just seem to toss it off. The point is he heard the Canadian cd. If it was altered, wouldn’t he say it isn’t his? He’s done that before. Again, like I said, address that with Steve.
     
    Last edited: Jul 2, 2020
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  18. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    We have a winner! Ding ding ding ding! Close thread, definitive answer, move on.
     
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  19. btomarra

    btomarra Classic Rock Audiophile

    Location:
    Little Rock, AR
    Exactly. And Steve himself said before the 1990’s there were two Who’s Next masterings out there: his and the Mastering Lab. So, I am moving on!
     
  20. kevin5brown

    kevin5brown Analog or bust.

    I don't care about Steve's post. I can only go by spectra analysis, and my ears. LISTEN. The Canadian disc has a little more low end than the US disc, and the top end is rolled off a little too. And btw, Steve cannot know if some Canadian engineer up there tweaked it in the "mastering" process from that tape, to what ended up on the Canadian CD. LISTEN. The CA CD is not the same as the US disc. And we know that the US disc has Steve's mastering.

    Lukpac has posted this elsewhere, but there are other "differences" with the CA disc too. One is that "digital" silence was added to the CA disc, in between the songs, and I believe there's a glitch somewhere in WGFA on the CA disc, that the US disc doesn't have too.
     
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  21. kevin5brown

    kevin5brown Analog or bust.

    I have this cut and pasted into my notes. I don't know if this is an exact quote, or I paraphrased as I was putting it in there though:

     
    Plan9 likes this.
  22. enfield

    enfield Forum Resident

    Location:
    Essex UK
    As is the original 1983 CD release (813651-2)
     
  23. Plan9

    Plan9 Mastering Engineer

    Location:
    Toulouse, France
    This thread prompted me to blast the US Hoffman CD. I hadn't listened to Who's Next in years and now I wonder why. :love:
    It's still fantastic after almost *gasp* 50 years.
     
  24. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    : )
     
  25. aarsonbet

    aarsonbet Forum Resident

    Correct me if I’m wrong, but by virtue of the fact that the basis of the Canadian CD (through whatever means we’re employed) was a 1/2” 30ips tape copy of Steve’s mastering, would tape saturation not account for the very slight boost in the low frequencies, and a slight roll-off in the higher frequencies? If that’s the case, then it is 100% the same mastering. The digital silence between tracks could easily have been added at the CD prep stage without altering the mastering.

    Could be off-base here, but thought I’d offer up this explanation all the same.

    FWIW, I have the Canadian MCA CD, and it does sound great. That being said, my go-to version for this album is still the Classic Records version issued in the early 2000s. That version is just jaw dropping!!!!
     

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