Question for Master Steve - remastering greatest hits

[Paul Chang]

Steve,

It's a common knowledge, at least within the SH Forums, that you (and Sam) go through all the troubles to procure the master tapes of each song on a great hits album when you remaster it. My first question is:
Do the record labels let you cut and splice the master tapes, which are analog masters good enough for cutting and don't need your adding the magic "breath of life" (:rolleyes: Do such masters exist?), to make your cutting master? Or you just create a cutting master copy by dubbing the "old" masters when you level-match the songs at the same time.

It is probably a nonissue for remastering a CD because they have to be digitized first anyway. But you can't stop in the middle to cutting a lacquer, right?

My other questions are:
Have you remastered a great hits or compilation album with some songs having analog original masters and others digital? I remember that you don't like digital compressor so does this apply to any kind of signal processing in the digital domain? Will you add your magic touches on the digitally mastered songs in the analog domain, i.e. DAD? Could you add the breath of life in a DDD process?

[Paul Chang]

While the Master was away, I searched and found his post on how he changes the EQ and the mastering level from one song to the next, on a mastering console.

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=4066&highlight=switch#post4066

But I think my questions, however stupid they may seem, are still valid, right? Master? :D

[Steve Hoffman]

Paul, I should be sleeping, but since I'm not, I'll give you a quick rundown (ha, made a mastering pun--"rundown" is what we do before we master--check levels, eq, etc....) on your question.

It is rare that a Greatest Hits LP can be cut from a bunch of tapes spliced together from old masters. Some would be Dolby A, some not, some at +3 in level, some not, the azmuth wouldn't match from song to song etc. So, either we use TWO tape decks, like a radio station, one playing while the other is being cued up, or put it all on a 30 ips 1/2 inch tape. It all depends on how tough each song is to set up, and how long the song before it is. In other words, do we have enough time to thread, check AZ, etc. before the earlier song on the other machine is done, or not?

So, if you have a specific album in mind......

Your other question, have I remastered a greatest hits album with some analog and some digital? No.

Remember, I don't do ANY processing in the digital domain, unless I'm working with a straight DDD tape, and, yes, I can add the breath of life to it, but I'd much rather work in analog if possible.

[Paul Chang]

Thanks, and good night, Master. I'll go to bed now and come up with more stupid questions in my sleep. :)

[lukpac]

Originally posted by Steve Hoffman
Remember, I don't do ANY processing in the digital domain, unless I'm working with a straight DDD tape, and, yes, I can add the breath of life to it, but I'd much rather work in analog if possible.
Why not play it back in analog, do your processing, and then convert back to digital? Wouldn't you get better results that way than doing your processing in the digital domain?

[Grant]

Extra D/A-A/D conversion. Could degrade the sound, which would defeat the purpose.

My personal opinion is that once you are in digital it's best to just stay there. Many mastering engineers convert to analog for processing. I guess whatever works...

[Steve Hoffman]

Agreed. If it's DDD, I'll keep it that way and master in the digital domain.

[Paul Chang]

Originally posted by Steve Hoffman
Paul, I should be sleeping, but since I'm not, I'll give you a quick rundown (ha, made a mastering pun--"rundown" is what we do before we master--check levels, eq, etc....) on your question.

It is rare that a Greatest Hits LP can be cut from a bunch of tapes spliced together from old masters. Some would be Dolby A, some not, some at +3 in level, some not, the azmuth wouldn't match from song to song etc. So, either we use TWO tape decks, like a radio station, one playing while the other is being cued up, or put it all on a 30 ips 1/2 inch tape. It all depends on how tough each song is to set up, and how long the song before it is. In other words, do we have enough time to thread, check AZ, etc. before the earlier song on the other machine is done, or not?

So, if you have a specific album in mind...... The first comes to mind will be, what else, Beatles 1. And Sam will convince EMI that since you will get a hold of all the Beatles master tapes, they may as well let you remaster the DCC verison of http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/avatar.php?userid=9&dateline=1011501167. Then when you move on to Rolling Stone's Made In The Shade and Sucking In The Seventies, ask Sam to call Universal to see if they want a piece of the action too, with Hot Rocks, More Hot Rocks and Singles Collection-London Years. Then you go back to EMI for Queen's Greatest Hits ...

Dreamin' ... I must be Dreamin' ...
Hey, I didn't ask for John Schneider. :confused:
...

Paul, Wake up! TGIF. What time is it? It's past lunch time already? OK, time for more questions.

Master Steve,

If you "put it all on a 30 ips 1/2 inch tape", will you adjust the EQ, level and what have you at the same time you do the transfer? Or you prefer making the adjustments at the mastering console? I think the former can save you some hassles at mastering time but which one gives the better result sonically?

[Steve Hoffman]

Master the final on to the 30 ips tape. Cut flat to disc. Saves having to tweak the 30 ips...

Kind of like making the digital master. One song at a time, then stop, and so on...

[Paul Chang]

Then who gets to keep that 30 ips greatest hits tape? Theoretically, should it be destroyed once the license expires?

[lukpac]

Originally posted by Grant
Extra D/A-A/D conversion. Could degrade the sound, which would defeat the purpose.

My personal opinion is that once you are in digital it's best to just stay there. Many mastering engineers convert to analog for processing. I guess whatever works...

Yeah, but what's worse, an extra conversion or processing in the digital domain? I know at least some people think processing digitally is worse...

[Mike V]

Originally posted by Paul Chang
Then who gets to keep that 30 ips greatest hits tape? Theoretically, should it be destroyed once the license expires?

I know what I'd do with it. Can you say ultimate reference material for your home system? That's assuming you'd incorporate a studer 1/2 track in your home stereo - I know I would!! Half track, 1/2" or 1" tape, 30ips, ohhhhhhh. Stop me now!

[Steve Hoffman]

Well, Kevin Gray has some special digital stuff. He must have about 100 grand worth of digital goodies. Nice sounding, eq's etc.

But like I said, it depends on the project itself...

[Steve Hoffman]

Originally posted by Paul Chang
Then who gets to keep that 30 ips greatest hits tape? Theoretically, should it be destroyed once the license expires?
-------------------------------------------------------------------


It goes back to the record company and they usually throw it in the dumpster, or have us do it.

[John Oteri]

Bummer.:(

[romanotrax]

Originally posted by Steve Hoffman
Originally posted by Paul Chang
Then who gets to keep that 30 ips greatest hits tape? Theoretically, should it be destroyed once the license expires?
-------------------------------------------------------------------


It goes back to the record company and they usually throw it in the dumpster, or have us do it.

and where did you say the dumpster was??? :D

[Steve Hoffman]

They bulk erase the tape first.:rolleyes:

[Paul Chang]

I just knew that I'd found my calling. So Master Hoffman, please allow me to ask you one more time. Are you open for taking apprentices? :cool:

I'm willing to do everything. While I'm honing my mastering skills under your guidance, I'll do the tedious work, like erasing the tapes. And I'll double as the janitor - sweeping the floor, taking the tapes, I mean the trash out. Furthermore, I'll triple as the courier when you need somebody to send the tapes back to the record companies. (That just about covers everything, I think.) So what do you say, Master? :D