Interesting Interview with Steve Hoffman

[MylesBAstor]

http://www.tapeop.com/articles/85/steve-hoffman/

 

[cjfrbw]

Good thing he's not over here, the objectivists would run him off.

 

[DonH50]

Very subjective of you.

Myles, I was not able to watch (it did not like IE8, my old notebook, or both); could you summarize? I'll try again later on my desktop if I've a chance.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Very subjective of you.

Myles, I was not able to watch (it did not like IE8, my old notebook, or both); could you summarize? I'll try again later on my desktop if I've a chance.

Yes, it's not a video but a written interview

 

[Ronm1]

Fascinating, tube rolling for EQ....

 

[MylesBAstor]

Fascinating, tube rolling for EQ....

Not sure that's necessarily new

How many engineers record in digital, mix down to tape and then redigitize?

 

[Andre Marc]

T-Bone

All of T Bone Burnett's recent stuff was done this way...Plant/Krauss, Mellencamp, Elton John/Leon Russell, Elvis Costello, Steve Earle...

Not sure that's necessarily new

How many engineers record in digital, mix down to tape and then redigitize?

 

[MylesBAstor]

All of T Bone Burnett's recent stuff was done this way...Plant/Krauss, Mellencamp, Elton John/Leon Russell, Elvis Costello, Steve Earle...

How about RLJ's Pirates? Also I think Patricia Barber Cafe Blue.

 

[Bruce B]

I do tape layback most of the time. Like Steve, if it comes in as tape, it stays analog throughout until the last step.

 

[Andre Marc]

I would do the same.

Hey Bruce, while I have you....what is the source of the Rod Stewart EPTAS 192/24 download? Master tape archive, or new digital transfer.

I don't remember seeing a DVD-A of this release.

 

[Steve Williams]

Bruce

Is the tape layback kept as a master or ??

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Good thing he's not over here, the objectivists would run him off.

I've spent a fair amount of time on Steve's boards (its a great place to research the best-sounding masters of recordings), and I'm well aware of his beliefs. Would the objectivists here run him off? No, of course not. But we would do something that seldom happens on the Hoffman forums, we would question his points of view when they seem unrealistic. We'd probably start with 24k gold cds. Steve would, I suspect, very rapidly get to the ultimate audiophile conversation kliller, "I don't care what the data says, I trust my ears." And in his case, we're talking about some seriously talented ears. But if he "ran off" it would be because he doesn't need/care to be challenged.

Tim

 

[Andre Marc]

Good points.

In regards to his view points it is hard to argue with:

-insisting on the first generation master tape of an analog recording
-preserving dynamic range and not participating in the loudness wars

The only issues I might have with Steve is his liberal use of EQ where he feels
it necessary. He is not shy about wanting to correct what he sees as unbalanced mixes.

I've spent a fair amount of time on Steve's boards (its a great place to research the best-sounding masters of recordings), and I'm well aware of his beliefs. Would the objectivists here run him off? No, of course not. But we would do something that seldom happens on the Hoffman forums, we would question his points of view when they seem unrealistic. We'd probably start with 24k gold cds. Steve would, I suspect, very rapidly get to the ultimate audiophile conversation kliller, "I don't care what the data says, I trust my ears." And in his case, we're talking about some seriously talented ears. But if he "ran off" it would be because he doesn't need/care to be challenged.

Tim

 

[Bruce B]

I would do the same.

Hey Bruce, while I have you....what is the source of the Rod Stewart EPTAS 192/24 download? Master tape archive, or new digital transfer.

I don't remember seeing a DVD-A of this release.

It was a tape safety copy.

Bruce

Is the tape layback kept as a master or ??

Yes, sometimes it's used as a safety backup. A lot of the later digital releases have tape safety backups. Even though everything was done in digital, sometimes going through an analog tape machine just glues everything together.

 

[Andre Marc]

Thanks Bruce! I am assuming the tape was in pretty good condition since as a safety copy it may not have gotten much play. The only variable would then be the quality of the original dub.

Does this also apply to the Cat Stevens Tea For the Tillerman 192 download? What a great album.

I really like what you do for HDTracks.

Between you and I, I don't think it is fair they are selling the Doors in "high rez" without being explicit about the fact it is the 2007 remix. I really think this should be front and center.

Obviously, I know you have nothing to do with how they market the products.

And yeh, digital "fattened" up via tape is good food. Same for tubage.

It was a tape safety copy.



Yes, sometimes it's used as a safety backup. A lot of the later digital releases have tape safety backups. Even though everything was done in digital, sometimes going through an analog tape machine just glues everything together.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Thanks Bruce! I am assuming the tape was in pretty good condition since as a safety copy it may not have gotten much play. The only variable would then be the quality of the original dub.

Does this also apply to the Cat Stevens Tea For the Tillerman 192 download? What a great album.

I really like what you do for HDTracks.

Between you and I, I don't think it is fair they are selling the Doors in "high rez" without being explicit about the fact it is the 2007 remix. I really think this should be front and center.

Obviously, I know you have nothing to do with how they market the products.

And yeh, digital "fattened" up via tape is good food. Same for tubage.

A safety is not as good as the master tape The quality also greatly depends on how carefully they made the copy.

It's hard to get a record label to find, much less send you a master tape. They don't like letting them out of their sight and some labels will only send the tapes to known remastering engineers eg. George Marino, Steve Hoffman or Bernie Grundman.

 

[Bruce B]

They don't like letting them out of their sight and some labels will only send the tapes to known remastering engineers eg. George Marino, Steve Hoffman or Bernie Grundman.

Yeah... I'm not worthy.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

The only issues I might have with Steve is his liberal use of EQ where he feels
it necessary. He is not shy about wanting to correct what he sees as unbalanced mixes.

That part goes with the territory; it's what he does. I haven't heard a lot of his work, but I've heard enough to know that sometimes I thought he made great improvements, sometimes I thought he had too heavy a hand. One engineer's "balanced" is another's need for correction.

I don't think any of those points of view would be in question, though. As close to the original master you can get? Preservation of dynamic range? Subjective choices of EQ? I don't think Steve would get any resistance from the local objectivists on any of that.

Tim

 

[Andre Marc]

Of course, a copy ain't the real thing.

Interesting note about master tapes. It is is one of the most abused terms in music marketing. All those expensive
Japanese SHM "remasters" are all from copies.

And to be honest, I am speculating with a certain amount of certainty, that many of the new Mobile Fidelity SACD hybrids are generated from
PCM masters. The frequency of the releases and the similarity of the Redbook layer to previous remasters kind of brought it home for me.

Mind you, this is just my opinion, but upsampled PCM master produced SACDs are not exactly a big secret.

The beauty for the record companies are that once the digital archive is produced, they can license it to any one with out worry.

 

[Andre Marc]

Agree completely.

Take for instance the recent AF Crosby, Stills and Nash Album. A ton of EQ in the upper midrange.

That part goes with the territory; it's what he does. I haven't heard a lot of his work, but I've heard enough to know that sometimes I thought he made great improvements, sometimes I thought he had too heavy a hand. One engineer's "balanced" is another's need for correction.

Tim