The Sheffield Lab Drum & Track Disc?

Mitchco

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Dec 4, 2011
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Hi Bruce,

I was wondering if you did the DXD remaster of this? I only ask as someone commented you did: http://www.amazon.com/review/RN2XUC...e=UTF8&ASIN=B003JG93DC&nodeID=&tag=&linkCode=


I have the orginal CD pressing and really dissapointed in the drum transients. While the dynamic range seems to be there, the transients or the impact of the drum are not. Sounds like the peaks got cut off by a limiter or the level was pushed too high. A quick view with Audacity shows clipping... "Sounds" like the orginal mastering job was botched.

I see on Amazon there is a XRCD version http://www.amazon.com/Sheffield-Drum-Track-Disc-XRCD24/dp/B00011D17W and a newer DXD remaster: http://www.amazon.com/Sheffield-Drum-Track-Disc-Master/dp/B003JG93DC/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

If you did the DXD remastering, would love to hear your thoughts on this before I plunk down the dough. Also, maybe you know of a better disc to demonstrate dynamic drums?

Thanks,

Mitch
 

Bruce B

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Sure did...
Winston also felt the original recording was too "dead". So I did an "ambience recovery" which I felt put the drums in a more lively space without it getting too smeared with reverb. Also "fixed" the drum transients so they have more snap and did a few EQ adjustments. I felt it really showed what could be done.
 

MylesBAstor

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Unfortunately, the tape version, which obviously was used for the digital release (s) is not sonically close to the D2D release.
 
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audioguy

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The LP version of the two drum solos

While there may be differences in the mastering of the Sheffield Drum record and the CD's (all forms) of the two drum solos of Kitner and Tutt, my version of the LP destroys my CD versions of those two drum solos.

I'm sure that there are those who will say that is not possible due to the superiority of CD over vinyl, but on these two cuts, the drums are far more real, better space and better everything else on my LP.

I play those for individuals who are convinced CD is superior to vinyl. Thye can only shake their heads in disbelief (as do I everytime I hear the comparison). I don't have the DXD version of the CD but I have a number of the other versions, including the XRCD version which is far superior to the regular CD.
 

DonH50

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CD's technical superiority does not help solve limitations of mastering or, in this case, a very early ADC with less than stellar performance, especially by today's standards. And yes it was state of the art back then.

That said, my few SL CDs are among the best, although I do not have the Drum CD. As a matter of fact, I have only a couple SL CDs, but ost of the LPs. I checked a couple of years ago and found the CDs were not available or prohibitively expensive. I should look again...
 

jadis

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Apr 28, 2010
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Unfortunately, the tape version, which obviously was used for the digital release (s) is not sonically close to the D2D release.

Coming from my very positive impressions of Steve's R2R sound, I was wondering if the a good Direct 2 Disc LP like Sheffield Lab's Discovered Again by Dave Grusin will sound better than its tape counterpart played through an R2R deck. I remember listening to the non-D2D version of Discovered Again on vinyl and it was quite veiled when compared to its D2D counterpart.
 
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mep

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The whole beauty of recording D2D is that you bypass the recording medium completely. You have to record live, there are no overdubs, so it's as real as it gets. I believe Doug Sax has said in the past that the tape versions of the sessions do not sound as good as the D2D version.

My problem with the Sheffield Labs D2D records is that I always found the vinyl to be noisy. Every Amanda McBroomstick D2D LP I have owned is noisy. I finally gave up trying to find a clean copy. My drum record is noisy too. It sounds great though. Are there any digital versions of the Drum Record that didn't cut off Jim Keltner's cough at the end of the recording?
 

fas42

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Jan 8, 2011
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My problem with the Sheffield Labs D2D records is that I always found the vinyl to be noisy. Every Amanda McBroomstick D2D LP I have owned is noisy. I finally gave up trying to find a clean copy. My drum record is noisy too. It sounds great though. Are there any digital versions of the Drum Record that didn't cut off Jim Keltner's cough at the end of the recording?
I wonder if that is because they had to be very careful with headroom while recording, with no compression, so put in a greater safety margin than usual: is the record cut at a low level compared to others?

Frank
 

Mitchco

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Dec 4, 2011
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Thanks Bruce! And for others chiming in.

Do you (or others on the forum) have any recommendations to music with a good sounding kit? I have The Who Tommy, Rush Moving Picture and Yes Fragile from HDTracks. I like the sound of the drums on those downloads. I also like the expansive snare sound on the HDtracks sampler Misery from Dave’s True Story.

I am also wondering how the new CCR sounds? Did you remaster this one? https://www.hdtracks.com/index.php?file=catalogdetail&valbum_code=HD00888072333475

Thanks again,

Mitch
 

MylesBAstor

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Apr 20, 2010
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Coming from my very positive impressions of Steve's R2R sound, I was wondering if the a good Direct 2 Disc LP like Sheffield Lab's Discovered Again by Dave Grusin will sound better than its tape counterpart played through an R2R deck. I remember listening to the non-D2D version of Discovered Again on vinyl and it was quite veiled when compared to its D2D counterpart.

Quite possibly. Many feel D2D is the finest medium and truest to the real sound. I too found the tape reissues veiled and muddy sounding :( I wonder how much was the recording and how much was the care taken in pressing the album.
 

Bruce B

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Grainger49

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May 11, 2010
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A personal question, did KODO, heartbeat every come out on LP? Loved the CD from first listening and when in Japan a decade back bought some more Taiko drum CDs.

Thanks in advance.
 

Grainger49

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May 11, 2010
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Knoxville, TN
I have had an ebay search for it for the last 5 years. Only once did a "test pressing" not all the songs, come up. Thanks, I will keep looking.
 

MylesBAstor

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Apr 20, 2010
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Yes it did.. I've seen a couple of them on Audiogon.

I might be wrong Bruce but I think it only came out on CD. 99 pct sure 'bout that :)
 

jadis

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Apr 28, 2010
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I might be wrong Bruce but I think it only came out on CD. 99 pct sure 'bout that :)

I would have thought that it never came out as a commercial release on LP but now I do recall seeing a plain white jacket with a Sheffield sticker on it being sold somewhere in the net before, and I had seen it only once. It could have been a CES preview edition as Sheffield did a lot of those.
 

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