Adventures in Mastering: James Taylor “SWEET BABY JAMES” for Audio Fidelity Gold CD

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Steve Hoffman, Aug 9, 2011.

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  1. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    I love this album, and have ever since I first heard it back in 1970 or so. The original LP cost me $3.79 plus tax and I gladly used my allowance money to pay for it. Didn't want to wait to talk a parental into getting it for me. Even back then on my Zenith fold-down portable stereo phonograph I realized that it was extremely well recorded. When compact disks came in I eagerly awaited SWEET BABY JAMES. However, I found the CD lacking in heart and soul. That certain something that “speaks” to me. Ya know?

    Audio Fidelity has a goal with the 24 karat+ Gold CD series and that is to present classic recordings in newly mastered versions that showcase the legendary sound and performance of the past. Part of my goal in remastering this material is to do my mastering carefully, respectful of the history of the recordings.

    I research all other versions of the album that we are re-releasing. I listen to the old compact disks and old LP’s both domestic and import of the album and compare to the original master tape. I take notes and prepare to remaster at a mastering studio.

    In the mastering studio, I carefully align our equipment to match the tonal balance of the old analog tape. Our playback machine is chosen for its neutral sound and accurate playback. Once the machine is aligned, the master tape is played back, song by song and we evaluate the sonic properties of each song, taking notes. After rehearsing the mastering moves, we begin the transfer process, slowly, one song at a time. Each song has the tonality shaped via equalization equipment and other signal processing gear so that my vision of what the song should sound like takes shape. Each song has to be balanced in level with every other song on the album so that nothing sounds out of place to drag the listener out of the aura of the music. Some songs on an album require more mastering work than others. At no time do we just do a flat-transfer and call it "mastered". We always have something new to add to the original playback that helps the magic shine through, be it a layer of sweet sounding vacuum tubes or a valved playback machine or even a special proprietary "gizmo" to enhance the tonality for a more lifelike presentation. The music always sounds better after we've worked on it in the studio.

    I feel this "Audiophile" mastering technique is UNIQUE. For the most part, the limitations of the old software (early CD’s, LP’s, etc.) can now be ignored and the full bandwidth of the music can be allowed to shine through. My job is to get the best sounding versions of the songs on the Audio Fidelity disks with no compromise. This of course means that I must have enough sense to know when I’ve mastered a song to sound perfect and when to keep striving for that goal. That is the key job of a mastering engineer: Knowing when to stop mastering and just let the music shine through.

    Once each song has been tone shaped and volume adjusted, it is transferred via a truly world class analog to digital converter to the final digital master.

    I review my work on my home system for a few days and make any changes that are needed. When satisfied with the final result, I approve the master for digital duplication and manufacturing.


    When it came time to master this great album for Audio Fidelity’s 24 Karat+ Gold CD series I did my usual homework of listening to many different LP pressings from all over the world. However, the actual mixes contain much more than any old LP could give, do to the limitations of the medium back then. The music was mixed at Sunset Sound in Hollywood in 1969 and it was mixed in a sensitive way, with full dynamics and wonderful mood swings from one song to another. I wanted to showcase this without changing the original intent of the producer and artist. That was my goal.

    The actual Sunset Sound master tape had not been used over the years due to two things. One, the inability to cut a good record from it (too dynamic, etc.) and second, a mislabeling of the tape box that made it seem like side two was missing in action. So, most versions of this album were cut from an “EQ Dub” made at Warner Bros. back in 1970. What I discovered doing research with WB’s Steve Lang back when I cut the WB "Because Music Matters" LP version with Kevin Gray a few years ago is that there was no missing side two on the master at all. Side two is on the SAME reel as side one, just not marked that way on the tape box!

    So, a few months ago, armed with the true master tape from 1969 and an invited audience of SH Forum members, engineer and studio owner Stephen Marsh and I set out to make the best sounding SWEET BABY JAMES, ever.

    What I wanted to bring to the table was a magic midrange, so that the vocals sounded like James Taylor was sitting in the room with us. The crucial midband is often overlooked in mastering, with most engineers favoring bass and treble tweaking. Getting the golden midrange into focus during mastering was not easy and it was a tense day, working on this legendary album. Pressure we put on ourselves is always the greatest and this project was no exception.

    Careful tone-shaping of each song using several vacuum tube stages and my old favorite smooth plate Telefunken tubes with a wonderful tubed EQ unit at Marsh, personally built by tubemeister Tim de Paravicini, brought into focus what I think is a vast improvement in lifelike sound over older digital versions of this album.

    The entire point of remastering a classic album is to improve it over what is out there right now. I believe we have done just that. . At the end of the day I felt the true heart and soul of this legendary album was captured on our remaster.

    We have given James Taylor that palpable presence of real life. I think you'll hear it immediately and I think you will agree that this great album comes alive in this new Gold CD version from AUDIO FIDELITY.
     
    crispi, George P and Galley like this.
  2. MikeT

    MikeT Prior Forum Cretin and Current Impatient Creep

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    So, Steve, are you saying the AF Gold CD will sound better than the excellent WB vinyl edition you mastered a few years ago?

    The WB vinyl edition is really nice - sweet and dynamic sounding, so I look forward to hearing this CD.
     
  3. KeithH

    KeithH Success With Honor...then and now

    Location:
    Beaver Stadium
    Steve, thanks for sharing your thought process. I don't have the Because Music Matters LP, so I'll be comparing the gold disc to the target CD.
     
  4. Ronm1

    Ronm1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    NH
    Can't wait to pick this one up....
    Been a fav since the early 70's, loved his picking style, stole a lot...
     
  5. Dok

    Dok Senior Member

    Wonderful! The attention to the details makes all the difference. Thanks for the report! :righton:
     
  6. Mark

    Mark I Am Gort, Hear Me Roar Staff

    I can't wait for this one. Thanks, Steve!
     
  7. LeeS

    LeeS Music Fan

    Location:
    Atlanta
    I have the early Warner CD and I don't think it is too bad.

    Nevertheless I look forward to hearing Steve's mastering.
     
  8. Randy W

    Randy W Original Member

    Fantastic. Can't wait to hear it.
     
  9. Gary

    Gary Nauga Gort! Staff

    Location:
    Toronto
    I'll always remember the first time I heard this, many years ago, at a friends place. His older brother had a nice stereo (I had a crappy stereo) and I just loved the feel and the mood of this album, not to mention the songs, the voice, lyrics and the artful musicianship. It just brings back so many memories.... so glad AF is doing this series.

    Count on another one sold! :D
     
  10. docwebb

    docwebb Forum Resident

    Only $18.35 on Amazon (pre-order).....in my cart. Affordable gold!
     
  11. stever

    stever Senior Member

    Location:
    Omaha, Nebr.
    Wow, Steve, thanks for your time and effort on this album. I feel like a kid all over again in anticipation of this CD!

    Ahhh, that voice!
     
  12. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Steve,

    That was a great read- thank you for sharing. One of my favorite albums of all time.
     
  13. Michael

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

    this is my all time favorite JT album...I'm sure this will now become the signature release and bury all others.:D
     
  14. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Oh, this is the mono version.





    JUST KIDDING, MICHAEL..
     
    George P likes this.
  15. Michael

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

    :laugh: very funny.....

    you almost had me there Steve! Damn!

    well I still would have bought it anyway! although no Mono for that one....

    Mono is cool (where it belongs)...as long as I have the Stereo...if available of course:D
     
  16. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Steve: you say you run each song and make your moves, then do the transfer. In the past, you have said that you make a copy of the master and practice on the copy so you limit the times a master tape runs over the heads. Do you still make copies first?


    Second: thanks for clarifying what you do in mastering, because there are people who still believe you just run a tape from the tape deck to the converter with absolutely nothing in between, hence all the talk about "flat transfers" over the years.


    Third: I always wondered: when you do the transfer to digital for the CD, do you go to a DAW, or some other digital medium? Just curious.
     
  17. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Yes and yes.
     
  18. apple-richard

    apple-richard *Overnight Sensation*

    Look forward to this one.

    I have the original green label WB that a friend gave me. He got married and gave me his new wife's copy back in 1973 since they both had one. BTW she kept better care of her records than he did. :)
     
  19. sonnysin168

    sonnysin168 Forum Resident

    Time to replace my German edition cd. Preordered at amazon.com.
     
  20. -Alan

    -Alan Senior Member

    Location:
    Connecticut, USA
    This is one of my all-time favorite albums. I can't wait to hear it on gold CD!
     
  21. monewe

    monewe Forum Resident

    Location:
    SCOTLAND
    Getting more excited by the day.
     
  22. I already bought the aforementioned LP mastering by you and Kevin a couple years ago, but I've ordered the Audio Fidelity edition from Acoustic Sounds...I'm looking forward to hearing the magic you've worked on it along with Heart's Greatest Hits, which I've ordered too. Thank you for everything you do to make these wonderful albums sing to our oh so finicky audiophile sensibilities and ears!!!:wave::edthumbs:
     
  23. hodgo

    hodgo Tea Making Gort (Yorkshire Branch) Staff

    Location:
    East Yorkshire
    Thanks for the fascinating & detailed notes Steve. I love the previous 2 AF titles you did and cant wait for "Sweet Baby James".

    Are you able to tell us if you'll be giving all the warner albums the same treatment.
     
  24. steeler1979

    steeler1979 Darren from Nashville

    Location:
    Nashville,Tn. USA
    Sign me up! Hey Steve can you just go ahead and drop ship me one early? :D
     
  25. Schmeig

    Schmeig Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kirkland, WA
    This album takes me back in time like no other. Though I only bought the LP version a few months ago, I'm really looking forward to the release of this AF gold disc. Thanks for doing this, and the interesting information about what you are doing to make this release so special.
     
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