Bob got out of vinyl mastering after a disaster with a big name group's LP (not his fault by the way) , I read this in an interview with him, he didn't name the group. Of the 20 LPs or so I have bought over the last couple of months, Easy Come, Easy Go has been the most played! Looks like we both have immaculate taste. JG
I have just checked it out, and BNJ stands for Benjamin Joubert a mastering engineer at Translab, Paris and the Naive record label is one of their customers. So now we know! JG
Have a listen to the 1994 vinyl reissue of the Rolling Stones "Exile on Main Street", mastered by Mr. Ludwig. It is horrible. Not his finest hour. The record company told him to just get it out. Apparently he had to do as he was told, without even a reference acetate to go on. The others, Some Girls and another one he did on vinyl are just as bad. But Exile was the clincher. The record company spared no expense with the packaging though, it looks wonderful. Sells for big bucks on eBay. It is however, a disgrace.
Funny I've got a Stones Tattoo You that sounds great by RL. Never heard Some Girls by RL or Exile on Main Street.
The RL Tattoo You does indeed sound great. It's on a par with the English pressing, and a tad better than the japanese. The English is quieter vinyl than the US and the Japanese is quieter still. Though with the Japanese if you're using Accuphase gear or anything harsh, the brightness will burn your ears. RL did Tattoo You however in 1981. The Exile reissue he did in 1994. Though funnily enough the CD of Exile he did at the same time was a vast improvement on Exile anything on CD before that. Go figure.
Straight from the horse's mouth (Bob Ludwig).... Gateway was the first independent mastering studio to be open without a working lathe, because we didn’t need it. In ’93, when we opened up, it really looked like LPs were just going to die completely. And then it was kind of hanging in there, so at some point we assembled the lathe that we had bought, and we cut a bunch of records. But back then, the record companies weren’t quality-controlling it. We did this one record, and I never got a test pressing or anything like that, and Michael Fremer, who’s an analog vinyl guy, called me up and said, “Gee, Bob, I’ve got this pressing that says you did it, and it doesn’t sound like you did it; it’s kind of dull sounding.” I said, “Wow, well, I never heard what happened,” and I got a copy of the pressing, and sure enough the thing did come out dull. That’s the problem with vinyl; lots can go wrong with it. So I called the record company and said, “Who approved this?” and she said, “We don’t even have a turntable in our A&R department.” I said, “So nobody listened to it before it was pressed?” And she said, “No, the UK department listened to it,” and I said, “Well, what were they comparing it to?” And she said, nothing, it “just sounded good” to her. Literally, at that moment, I decided to sell the lathe. Because vinyl’s so difficult, as far as quality control goes, that I didn’t want something with my name on it out there that wasn’t quality controlled. Now that there’s been this kind of funny resurgence in vinyl, the record companies are paying more attention to it. When we do vinyl projects, we just send equalized masters to whomever the record company is using or to certain disk cutters that we like—with the approval of the record company—so they cut from high-resolution files. So, theoretically, the vinyl releases of most of our stuff should have another octave of top end on them that the CD doesn’t have, even though it’s in a supersonic area. JG
that explains a lot. It's a bit weird though, that would say that anything coming out of Gateway, mastered to vinyl is a digital source. Though high-resolution. I have a copy of Bryan Ferrys "Dylanesque" from 2006 on 180g vinyl, with "mastered by Robert Ludwig" on the back. This however sounds superb - like analog all the way.
We've been down this road before; the debate about whether digitally sourced vinyl can sound good. Obviously you thought the vinyl cut from hi-rez digital was analog all the way, so it must be decent enough. I'm glad but not surprised that RL sends hi-rez digital files to the cutting engineers. Even though it's done in the digital realm, I wouldn't expect anything less of Bob than to do something the best way possible given the situation. It's too bad he doesn't cut vinyl himself anymore, since some of the pressings nowadays are less than stellar, but according to him, this might be due to lack of QC rather than a lack of talent or ability on the part of the mastering engineer.
I don't know if this one's been mentioned but I just managed to snag a pristine copy of The Band Stage Fright with RL in the deadwax. Sounds fantastic.
Sadly, this is what happened to his vinyl equipment... ''I did vinyl mastering my whole career. Several years ago I sold my lathe; I sold it to Sony, and now I’ve heard they’ve just sold it to Sterling.'' JG
I just popped my copy on. It has Masterdisk, but no initials. It does sound great -- very quiet in between tracks. Smooth, buttery bass. Great percussion. This must be an RL...
Decent is not the word, it's great! I can generally tell if something is digital up to 96/24, over that it becomes impossible. The Rolling Stones DSD remasters on vinyl for example, good, but still recognisable. Marianne Faithfulls "Easy Come, Easy Go" on vinyl, recognisable digi source. Dylanesque just ain't. Maybe he's starting sending off 192/24 files to be mastered? Maybe he did the mastering then sent the tapes off? Dunno, don't care. What I do object to is being sold vinyl mastered from 44.1/16 files, sold as coming from analog tapes. If it sounds good, I really don't care where it comes from.
Does anyone know if the Hill, Ethridge, Barbata album "LA Getaway" on Atco was Ludwig mastered? It has "sterling" in the deadwax and the initials PR on both sides. Thank you
I was listening to my Isley Brothers with Jimi Hendrix "In the Beginning" today, It sounded excellent for the vintage of the LP. Checked the deadwax and sure enough RL etchings.
Another one to add to the list. I was listening to my Tom Rush "New Year" album recorded live at Boston's Symphony Hall and though it sounded incredibly good for a live recording. Masterdisk RL etchings on both sides. This guy was just a monster when it came to cutting vinyl.
FWIW I've spotted the infamous initials in Mandrill's self-titled debut and the fabulous 1971 album Van Ronk by Dave Van Ronk
Nile Rodgers-B Movie Matinee (RL on side 1/only Masterdisk on side 2) Chick Corea-My Spanish Heart (RL on sides 1,2, and 3/Masterdisk on side 4)
I was bored and noticed the list hasn't really been updated since CardinalFang did it nearly two years ago. So, I tried to go through all the posts since then to update the list (current as of 8/18/09): Bob Ludwig Masterings .38 Special - Wild-Eyed Southern Boys .38 Special - Special Forces Abercrombie, John - Timeless AC/DC - Back in Black AC/DC - For Those About To Rock We Salute You AC/DC - Who Made Who AC/DC - Fly On The Wall AC/DC - ’74 Jailbreak Adams, Bryan - Cuts Like A Knife (Canadian) Ambel, Eric - Roscoe's Gang Anderson, Laurie - Big Science Arcadia - So Red The Rose Asia - Astra Atlanta Rhythm Section - Third Annual Pipe Dream Atlanta Rhythm Section - Champagne Jam Atlanta Rhythm Section - Dogs Days Atlanta Rhythm Section - Are You Ready? Atlanta Rhythm Section - A Rock and Roll Alternative Aztec Two-Step - Second Step Bad Company - Runnin With The Pack Band, The - Stage Fright Band, The - S/T Band, The - Milestones (S/T & Music From Big Pink - Dutch 2fer) Band, The - Moondog Matinee Band, The - Rock of Ages Basie, Count - Sixteen Men Swinging Bee Gees - Odessa (RSO) Betts, Dicky - Highway Call Bjork - Homogenic Blackfoot - Siogo Bley, Carla - Social Studies Blind Faith - S/T Bohemia Deviations - S/T Bowie, David - David Live Bowie, David - Let's Dance Bowie, David - Tonight Brahms - The Four Symphonies (Solti/London) Brewer & Shipley - Tarkio Brown, James - Hot Pants Brown, James - The Payback Brown, James - Soul Classics Buchanan, Roy - S/T Buckingham Nicks - S/T Buckley, Tim - Lorca Cactus - Restrictions Cactus - One Way or Another Carter, Elliott - String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2 (The Composers Quartet) Carter, Elliott - Double Concerto, Duo for Violin and Piano Carroll, Jim - Catholic Boy Climax Blues Band - Sense of Direction Cochrane, Tom - Tom Cochrane & Red Rider Cocker, Joe - Civilized Man Cold Blood - S/T Collins, Judy - Recollections Collins, Judy - So Early In the Spring Collins, Phil - No Jacket Required Corea, Chick - My Spanish Heart Costello, Elvis - Spike Costello, Elvis - All This Useless Beauty Coulson, Dean, McGuinness, Flint - Lo and Behold Cream - Heavy Cream Crosby Stills Nash & Young - American Dream Crumb, George - Ancient Voices Of Children Crumb, George - Makrokosmos, Volume I Curry, Tim - Fearless Curry, Tim - Simplicity Curry, Tim - Read My Lips Daltry, Roger - Under a Raging Moon Davis, Miles - Decoy Deep Purple - In Rock Def Leppard - High N Dry Def Leppard - Hysteria Def Leppard - Pyromania DiMeola, Al - Elegant Gypsy DiMeola, Al - Electric Rendezvous DiMeola, Al - Cielo e Terra Dire Straits - Love Over Gold Dire Straits - Brother in Arms Dire Straits - Extended Dance Play Dire Straits - Alchemy Dokken - Under Lock And Key Doors, The - The Soft Parade Duran Duran - Arena Edgar Winter Group - They Only Come Out At Night Europe - The Final Countdown Fagen, Donald - Nightfly Fairport Convention - Unhalfbricking Ferry, Bryan - Boys & Girls Fitzgerald, Ella - The Cole Porter Songbook (2 LP) Fixx, The - React Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac's Greatest Hits (1971 -- the Peter Green years) Fleetwood Mac - Rumours Fleetwood Mac - Penguin FM - City of Fear Focus - Focus 3 Focus - Live at the Rainbow Focus - Dutch Masters Foghat - Fool for the City Foghat - Live Foghat - Stone Blue Foghat - Boogie Motel Foghat - Rock and Roll Outlaws Foley, Ellen - Nightout Foo Fighters - In Your Honor Foster, Stephen - Songs By Stephen Foster (Nonesuch) Gabriel, Peter - Security Good Rats, The - Live At Last Granz, Norman - Jam Session Haden, Charlie & Bley, Carla - The Ballad of the Fallen Hall and Oates - Big Bam Boom Hall and Oates - ROCK 'N SOUL PART 1 Hall and Oates - H20 Hall and Oates - Voices Headpins - Turn It Loud Hendrix, Jimi - Band of Gypsys Hendrix, Jimi - Hendrix in the West Hendrix, Jimi - Cry of Love Hendrix, Jimi - War Heroes Hendrix, Jimi - Rainbow Bridge Honeymoon Suite - S/T Howlin' Wolf - The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions Humble Pie - Performance: Rockin' The Filmore Ian, Janis - Between the Lines Incredible String Band, The - I Looked Up INXS - Shabooh Shoobah Isley Brothers, The - In the Beginning (w/Jimi Hendrix) Jackson, Joe - Big World Jagger, Mick - She's the Boss James, Melvin - The Passenger Jameson, Nick - Already Free Jarrett, Keith - Standards, Volume 1 (US) Jazz Giants - '56 (Polydor Reissue) Jeremiah, Aliotta Haynes - (title?) Jett, Joan - Album Joel, Billy - The Stranger Joel, Billy - 52nd Street Journey - Captured Journey - Escape Journey - Raised on Radio Katrina & The Waves - S/T Katrina & The Waves - Waves Kinks - Sleepwalker Kinks - Low Budget Kinks - Schoolboys in Disgrace Kinks - Give The People What They Want Kinks - Preservation: Act 1 Kinks - Preservation: Act 2 Kinks - Word of Mouth Kiss - Alive! Larkins, Ellis - A Smooth One Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy Lewis, Huey & The News - Fore Linhart, Buzzy - Buzzy Lockwood, Didier - Surya Los Lobos - Kiko Lou Reed - Metal Machine Music Lou Reed - Lou Reed Live Love - Four Sail Madonna - Like a Virgin Manchester, Melissa - Bright Eyes Mandrill - S/T Mangione, Chuck - Tarantella Mangione, Chuck - Children of Sanchez Martino, Donald - Triple Concerto + Milton Babbitt: Arie da Capo Max Webster - Million Vacations Mayall, John - The Turning Point McCartney, Paul - McCartney (RL/LH combo?) Mellencamp, John - Uh-Huh Mellencamp, John - Scarecrow Metheny, Pat and Mays, Lyle - As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls Molly Hatchet - The Deed is Done Monk, Meredith - Turtle Dreams Moreira, Airto - Seeds on the Ground Morrison, Van - His Band and his Street Choir Mountain - Nantucket Sleighride Nektar - Remembering the Future New Jersey Percussion Ensemble - Percussion Music (Nonesuch H-71291) Nirvana - In Utero Nova, Aldo - S/T Nova, Aldo - Subject... Aldo Nova NRBQ - Scraps Nyiregyhazi, Ervin - Nyireghazi Plays Liszt Parker, Charlie - Charlie Parker Sides (Polydor) Paul Butterfield Blues Band - Better Days Paul Butterfield Blues Band - Keep on Moving Payola$, The - Hammer on a Drum Peel, David & The Lower East Side - The American Revolution Phantom, Rocker & Slick - Men Without Shame Poco - Legend Police, The - Synchronicity Potter, Don - Over the Rainbow Pretty Maids - Future World REM - Life's Rich Pageant REM - Green Renaissance - Renaissance Rodgers, Nile - B Movie Matinee Rolling Stones - Tattoo You Rolling Stones - Dirty Work Ronstadt, Linda - Silk Purse Roxy Music - Avalon Roxy Music - Flesh & Blood Rundgren, Todd - Todd Rundgren, Todd - A Wizard, A True Star Rush - Moving Pictures Rush - Exit…..Stage Left Rush - Signals Rush - Power Windows Rush, Tom - New Year Scorpions - World Wide Live Scratch Band, The - S/T Seals & Crofts - Down Home Sebastian, John - John B. Sebastian Setzer, Brian - The Dirty Boogie Shaw, Tommy Girls With Guns Simon, Carly - first album (S/T?) Simon, Carly - Come Upstairs Sly & The Family Stone - There's A Riot Goin' On Sly & The Family Stone - Fresh Small Faces - Small Faces (Immediate) Smith, Patti - Horses Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes - Love Is a Sacrifice Spiders From Mars - S/T Springfield, Dusty - Dusty in Memphis Springsteen, Bruce - Born in the USA Springsteen, Bruce - The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle Spyro Gyra - Catching the Sun Spyro Gyra - Access All Areas Spyro Gyra - Freetime Stackridge - Pinafore Days Stackridge - Extravaganza Stealers Wheel Ferguslie Park Steeleye Span - Please to See the King Steely Dan - Gaucho Steely Dan - Greatest Hits Steely Dan - Gold Sting - The Dream of the Blue Turtles Sting - Nothing Like the Sun Stylistics - S/T Supertramp - Free as a Bird Sweet, Matthew - Earth Thin Lizzy - Johnny the Fox Thomas, B.J. - Raindrops keep Fallin' On My Head Thomas, B.J. - Greatest Hits Volume 1 Tony Orlando And Dawn - Greatest Hits Toronto - Head On Triumph - Allied Forces Triumph - Thunder Seven Triumph - Stages Utopia - Todd Rundgren's Utopia Vangelis - China Van Ronk, Dave - Van Ronk VanWarmer, Randy - Warmer Various Artists - The Guitar Album (Polydor) Vela, Rosie - Zazu Vital Information - S/T Waite, John - Ignition Warwick, Dionne - I'll Never Fall In Love Again Warwick, Dionne - Soulful Warwick, Dionne - Golden Hits Part 1 Warwick, Dionne - Golden Hits Part 2 Webster, Ben - Soulville West, Leslie - Mountain Winchester, Jesse - S/T Yes - 90125 Zappa, Frank - Sheik Yerbouti Zeno - S/T ZZ Top - Fandango ZZ Top - Eliminator
Here's one more: The Kinks Soap Opera. My copy has RL on side 1. I assume a two-sided RL must exist. . .
Thanks for the update! I would add: Bruce Springsteen's Greatest Hits Double LP. A bunch of the cuts are remastered by Bob Ludwig, and it's the only way to get some of them in their best sounding form (IMHO). John K.
