I've heard copies with your numbers and I've heard Steve's mastering. These are the numbers of the verified version - close only counts in horse shoes: http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?p=1290173#post1290173 1 D:\music\Track01.wav 90.7 % 100.0 % EDBEAFC6 2 D:\music\Track02.wav 91.7 % 100.0 % 1D3A006B 3 D:\music\Track03.wav 90.8 % 100.0 % 339B2D41 4 D:\music\Track04.wav 88.9 % 100.0 % D76D6538 5 D:\music\Track05.wav 96.3 % 100.0 % 0DCA3B53 6 D:\music\Track06.wav 86.1 % 100.0 % 34CAE1DC 7 D:\music\Track07.wav 97.5 % 100.0 % D89A04B4
Mine's the ever-popular USA MCAD-37214 DIDX 55 with this log: Peak level 90.8 % Peak level 91.7 % Peak level 90.6 % Peak level 88.7 % Peak level 96.3 % Peak level 86.2 % Peak level 97.6 % Some are identical, and the rest are only off by 0.1% or or 0.2%. There's no way someone's going to get me to believe that those two discs weren't derived from the same master. If a different master from the original analog tapes was made, on different machines, with different EQ settings, those values would be very noticably different from track to track. My semi-educated guess tells me that a digital copy was made of Steve's master, and one tape was sent to Japan and the other stayed in the U.S. There would probably be some slight variations in the copying and/or manufactoring stages, but I'm pretty convinced they're derived from the same mastering source. I'm starting to think, and I believe others have said it before, that if pig whisperer's EAC values in fact represent Steve's mastering, then it was a lot more widespread than the oft-quoted "5000 copies" that are apparently out there. Perhaps the initial Japanese pressing was only 5000 copies, but it's pretty clear that the same mastering (albeit, perhaps a digital copy) was used for later U.S. copies, and that particular verison was sold to a lot of people - in fact, it's probably the most popular non-remastered pressing of that particular title. EDIT: P.S. - Has anyone ever posted a side-by-side comparison of the EAC logs between the two versions of Steve's Who's Next? That is, the Japanese and U.S. pressings. I'm curious if there's the same sort of slight variations between the two. (I'm excluding the Canadian version here, since it was apparently done from an analog back-up copy, and would most definitely have different values, in that case.)
Yes, sorry, that's the most recent. It was 1999, not 2000 as I listed above. I like the remaster, as I said - it's a little brighter than the original, but that's not a bad thing in my opinion, as I've always found a lot of Steely Dan to be a little lacking in the top end. And it doesn't sound compressed, maximized, limited, NR'd, or otherwise overly fussed-with. Having said that, I still prefer my original 1984 disc (whoever mastered it!) overall.
The values not mine - I passed on a copy of Steve's since I am not a huge fan of the album. The EAC values are from Mal's UK copy and a copy that another member owned (these are from the 5,000 reported copies group). Those numbers are the same as the Japan 32XD, 20P2 (and other titles). I did a side by side shootout with Steve's mastering and the 32XD on a friends high end system earlier this year and they were not the same, but they all sound good as many members have said. A 20P2 was sold in the classifieds as being Steve's, so I picked up a copy to see if it was different from the 32XD, but it is the same. Not Steve's mastering to my ears. Steve's mastering has his snare/cymbal MCA sound. The stereo imaging is also different (on a system that is set up properly. I can't comment how it will sound on a computer, using headphones, in a car, etc).
I have the same DIDX-000055 3. Is this the Nichols or Hoffman master? It does sound great. Who did the MFSL mastering? Mike
I'm pretty certain it's Roger Nichols Mike, but without hearing it I can only speculate. I don't believe it's ever been confirmed who did the MFSL and there was more than one mastering engineer at any given time at the old MFSL. Perhaps ask Shawn Britton at Mofi, he may know.
I recently acquired the same disc, and from exhaustively searching the threads here, I've found that it's the Nichols version. Great sounding CD!
I forgot to mention tha comparing the MFSL aja to the UK original and the VDP-27 shows just what a bad job they did with it. Really, it sounds horrible next to those two! I'm not exagerating - if you like the MFSL but haven't heard the original CD then I recommend you get an original MCA disc that matches the UK EAC values (or a VDP if you can find one) and see what you are missing. If you like the MFSL and you have already heard the original MCA mastering then I'm afraid there's no hope for you......
Were any copies of the Nichols version pressed in Japan? My copy is "manufactured in Japan for MCA Records, Inc." I believe I have the same disc for which CardinalFang posted the details here, since the EAC peak levels for mine match with his. It almost doesn't matter if I have the Hoffman or Nichols disc, since it sounds good, but I'm sure none of you will begrudge me for being nitpicky and trying to find out
I just got a used copy in the mail from Amazon. This is the first CD version I've bought of this album, and my EAC peak levels match this and vary only .1 or .2 from the verified levels posted earlier: Here are some pictures: Matrix around center hub of disc: MCAD-37214-1T Sounds great.
Those are the EAC numbers for the Canada, US, Japan 32XD and 20P2 and probably every other disc except for 5,000 of them. edit: I see you changed your post. The one you have sounds good, but isn't Steve's mastering.
Well, they are easy enough to find. Maybe someone can send a US copy to Steve. I have heard the confirmed UK pressing and compared it with a Japan and Canada disc and they didn't sound like the same mastering to me. I have a 20P2 Japan copy for sale in the classifeds with these numbers: 1) 90.8 - 2) 91.7 - 3) 90.6 - 4) 88.7 - 5) 96.3 - 6) 86.2 - 7) 97.6 someone go for it!
How do you know? It's like a .1 or .2 off in some cases. In the case of tracks 2 and 5, they're exact matches. That isn't much of a difference at all. Sounds like a Hoffman mastering to me.
see post #214. It doesn't sound like the Hoffman mastering to me. Not really much left to say. If Steve wants to compare, and members agree to send a copy to Steve, I'll send down a 20P2 Japan disc. Anyone have an extra 32XD, Canada, US, confirmed UK, etc. pressing?
In another thread (which, alas, I can't seem to find), even Steve admitted he wasn't sure what version was or wasn't his, just that a particular version sounded "like" his style. I still can't believe that two discs with EAC peaks that are that close together could be derived from entirely different masterings. Was one possibly tweaked a little bit? More than likely. But any significant change in EQ, compression, etc., would produce wildly different peak numbers. The chances of two mastering engineers taking the same analog master, mastering it in their own unique style, and coming up with two CDs that are that close is statistically impossible.
The confirmed UK does sound like his style and what I noticed most were the cymbals have his MCA sound. Who know? We can guess. If you are correct and changes were made it is no longer the same mastering. I could be wrong. For me EAC is absolutely useless when used to determine how something sounds. I have compared the actual discs. Let's send them to Steve and have him tell us. Heck, I don't even like the album, but it is always nice to have the facts straight. Someone did a fantastic job mastering these and there are other engineers out there who also do great work. That makes two CDs. Too bad you didn't keep your UK. Who has one of those?
FYI, Steve also said his master was sent to Japan, and he has no idea what discs were created from it. If I were a betting man, I'd say that those Made-In-Japan discs (like the one I have, and the one you're selling) are the originals, and that a digital dub was made and sent to the UK. That would account for the slight sound and peak differences, I'd imagine.
That would be fine except the 20P2 sounds very similar, although sonics are not quite as good, as my 32XD and even more so than Steve's UK MCA confirmed pressing. The other MCA's, Japan for USA, USA and Canadian, have a similar sonic signature and it's nothing like the previous Japan and UK CD's.
Now I got totally confused. Mine is: Made in England (on CD) Catalog number (on CD) DMCL 1745 Bar code 08811 91452 3 Matrix: DMCL 1745 1:2 Mastered by Nimbus Total playing time in EAC: 39:54:02 Levels: 90.7 --- 91.7 --- 90.8 --- 88.9 --- 96.3 --- 86.1 --- 97.5 The levels all match Mal's levels from this post. So it must be Steve's pressing! IIRC Mal's pictures of his CD, the catalog numbers on mine are slightly different from his. Mal's had MCLD 19145 on the CD face and the matrix ring, while mine has DMCL 1745. But the levels match!
Here's the disc I played for Steve at AcousTech back in 2004 - remember, all Steve ever said is that this disc seems to use a clone of his 1610 since it sounds like his mastering:
Note that Mal's disc shows catalog number MCLD 19145 at 3 o'clock but has DMCL 1745 in the matrix code.
