The Grateful Dead: Complete Studio Albums Collection NEWLY REMASTERED at 24/192

[jazdoc]

Whoa!!! Now that's a difficult question, particularly since many of us relate to hearing/seeing/experiencing The Dead live moreso that their studio albums. I don't consider myself a Deadhead - I've only seen them in concert roughly 20 or so times, rarely sober and mostly, well... you know - but if ever there was band whose studio efforts paled in comparison to the real deal, The Dead would be it.

Having stated this, I am partial to American Beauty as an album, but, and a big BUT, side 2 of Terrapin Station is, well, think of what Echoes is to Floyd's Meddle. I still remember where I was, the girl I was with, and my reaction to that song, the first time I heard it, 30 something years ago.

Thanks. I've been a paralyzed by the sheer volume of available material. Gonna use the suggestions here as a starting point.

 

[rbbert]

I hear ya. I have a few dozen of the Charlie Miller 24 bit, 96 Khz board tapes that sound better than just about any commercially released album. A few of the 77's are outstanding.

I'm pretty sure the only 24/96 SBD's Charlie's put into circulation are the Fillmore East '71 that country guitarist Buddy Miller recorded. You live close by Charlie (I think he's near Balboa Park), you could drop by and ask him . I guess someday I could get my '77 audience reels (Tandberg 10X) transferred in 24/96.

 

[rockitman]

when I was active seeing and taping them live from 1985-1995 I managed to see them 207 times. During that time period I listened very little to the studio stuff.

 

[Andre Marc]

I'm pretty sure the only 24/96 SBD's Charlie's put into circulation are the Fillmore East '71 that country guitarist Buddy Miller recorded. You live close by Charlie (I think he's near Balboa Park), you could drop by and ask him . I guess someday I could get my '77 audience reels (Tandberg 10X) transferred in 24/96.

Oh wow! I had no idea he was local. Cool!

No I have more than a 1971 show...I count 30 all together and around three 48 khz/44/1 Khz 24 bit. I have 750 GB of board tapes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yikes!

 

[Andre Marc]

when I was active seeing and taping them live from 1985-1995 I managed to see them 207 times. During that time period I listened very little to the studio stuff.

Not uncommon for many Deadhead to ignore the studio output. Hard to blame them The Dead live was indeed a long strange trip.

 

[mep]

OK. Since I'm feeling ornery tonight, does anyone feel the hi-rez releases sound better than the RBCD releases? I'm only asking this since lately some people want to debate that MP3s sound as good as RBCD and no one could tell the difference between RBCD and hi-rez anyway.

 

[mep]

when I was active seeing and taping them live from 1985-1995 I managed to see them 207 times. During that time period I listened very little to the studio stuff.

Man, you were one serious Deadhead!

 

[rockitman]

Man, you were one serious Deadhead!

every day of vacation during that time period was spent at a hockey arena, stadium or amphithetre somewhere in the country from Maine to Cali...lol. I was ready to move on when Jerry croaked in '95.

 

[mep]

every day of vacation during that time period was spent at a hockey arena, stadium or amphithetre somewhere in the country from Maine to Cali...lol. I was ready to move on when Jerry croaked in '95.

It's hard to believe it has been that long already since Jerry died. Seems like yesterday. Milkshakes and coney dogs?

 

[hvbias]

I'm only into their "primal" era, with a couple of exceptions to later shows. Workingman's Dead and American Beauty are truly stunning iconic albums; if I had to chose one it would be the former. Both are very accessible albums. Sort of like introducing people (who are not familiar with the AACM) to Ornette Coleman with his Contemporary albums and not Free Jazz.

24/192 new transfers of the tapes is a good thing if it means more audiophiles exploring the Dead. Also if those are original mixes of Anthem and Aoxomoxoa in hi-res that is plain cool for people not into vinyl.

 

[rockitman]

I would like them to release their live stuff from here on out RTR to 24/192. The 16 bit HDCD live released by GD Productions is a bit compressed and underwhelming in the bass region.

 

[MylesBAstor]

I'm only into their "primal" era, with a couple of exceptions to later shows. Workingman's Dead and American Beauty are truly stunning iconic albums; if I had to chose one it would be the former. Both are very accessible albums.

+1

That's why my favorite Dead concert was Watkins Glen back in '73! (along with the Allman Bros. and The Band!) That is what I remember of it

 

[rbbert]

Oh wow! I had no idea he was local. Cool!

No I have more than a 1971 show...I count 30 all together and around three 48 khz/44/1 Khz 24 bit. I have 750 GB of board tapes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yikes!

check your source info. I'm pretty sure only those 4 '71 shows are 24/96, and none of the others are reel SBD source. quite a few cassette AUDs at 24/48, I doubt many (if any) cassette SBD's at higher than 16/44.1.

 

[rbbert]

I would like them to release their live stuff from here on out RTR to 24/192. The 16 bit HDCD live released by GD Productions is a bit compressed and underwhelming in the bass region.

I'm not exactly what you mean here. Few if any of the Dick's Picks are compressed, same for the Road Trips. Depending on the CD release date, some of the more official Rhino type releases also sold in stores have been compressed, but almost always less than "industry typical". None of that is to say that I necessarily agree with some of the mastering practices, and I have been particularly vocal about what I feel were some bad choices in the big E72 box.

 

[Andre Marc]

check your source info. I'm pretty sure only those 4 '71 shows are 24/96, and none of the others are reel SBD source. quite a few cassette AUDs at 24/48, I doubt many (if any) cassette SBD's at higher than 16/44.1.

Here are just a few:

The Grateful Dead
October 17 1974
Winterland
San Francisco Califorinia

**24 bit source**

Black Maxell UDII reel tape @ 3 3/4 ips.>Akai GX 636>Apogee Mini Me(24/96)>Apogee mini DAC(monitoring/mastering)>Lynx One soundcard>Wavelab 5.0>DVD by Matt Smith

DVD-Audio 2496>DVD-A Explorer>Wavelab 6.1>GEMS Edit Station
Weiss Saracon for POWr3 Dither 24bit/96 kHz by Jamie Waddell
____________________________

Grateful Dead
August 12 1972
Memorial Coliseum
Sacramento, CA

**24 bit audio**

master reel @7.5ips> J.Garcia's reel @ 3.75ips >
Will Boswell's reel @ 3.75ips >
Apogee DAC> Apogee Mini Me > Wavelab 5.0 @ 24 bit 96kHz

Transferred by Matt Smith Fall 2009

Edited and Mastered by Jamie Waddell on the **GEMS** Edit Station
Weiss-Saracon for Pow-r3 Dither
______________________________

Grateful Dead - December 31, 1981
Oakland Auditorium - Oakland, CA
**THIS IS A 24BIT SOURCE**

Recording Info:
SBD -> Cassette Master (Nakamichi 550/Maxell UDXLII-S90)

Transfer Info:
Cassette Master (Nakamichi DR-1) -> Sound Devices 744T (24bit/96k) ->
Adobe Audition v1.5 -> Samplitude Professional v10.1 -> FLAC/24
(2 DVDs FLAC)

All Transfers and Mastering By Charlie Miller
November 28, 2008

A couple of examples. The third on is a Nak Cassette archive. And it turns out most them are so you are correct. Very few
reels archived at 24 bit for download.

 

[rbbert]

I don't count a 3rd gen reel at 3 3/4 ips or a reel copy of a cassette (the 10/17/74 source) as hi-res, and I doubt you do either

I'm not encyclopedic about GD tape sources, but I know the better ones quite well.

 

[Andre Marc]

I don't count a 3rd gen reel at 3 3/4 ips or a reel copy of a cassette (the 10/17/74 source) as hi-res, and I doubt you do either

I'm not encyclopedic about GD tape sources, but I know the better ones quite well.

Agree totally. Out of all the 24 bit board tapes I have, I would say a handful are first gen hi rez.

I rarely pick shows to listen to based on sound quality only, I always try to pick based on performance
and set list.

 

[rbbert]

If you're not already familiar with

db.etree.org

be sure to become so

 

[rockitman]

If you're not already familiar with

db.etree.org

be sure to become so

yup, I got a lot of stuff from that torrent.

Must have's

uncompressed pcm Sony F1 to Beta tape 16/44.1 bd. feeds of the more modern era. Some of the best live digital I have ever heard. Slamming dynamics and clarity.

11-2,3-84
7-22-84
9-15-85
9-7-85

I still host these very special show's/recordings.

 

[rbbert]

For sound quality (and a couple of the performances) Without a Net is tough to beat for later era live GD, but for overall sound quality the '77 SBD's "suck me in" more than any other.