Bowie RCA CD's

When the RCA David Bowie catalog was first issued on CD in 1984-85 I remember a lot of negative reviews about how bad they sounded because they weren't remixed or remastered:The LP masters were used for the CD's.
When Bowie left RCA,taking his catalog with him everyone clamored for some other label to remaster the catalog and "do it right".
Now,20 years on,the original RCA discs are regarded as the best sounding versions on CD. What's happend in 20 years to change fans and critics opinions?

 

What does this mean, actually? Weren't the RCA CDs mastered from flat copies (or copies of copies of) the master tape?

 

Crappy modern mastering decisions to over use compression, use NR and make bad eq. choices.

Relatively flat transfers yes, but not from the masters. Some sound like 2nd generation or 3rd generation production masters at best to me. Still, despite this they are a better listen than any mastering post the RCA's.

 

Apparently, a preference for flat, so-so sounding, 2nd or 3rd generation lp-production tapes-derived cd's.

 

Let me ask again: What is an "lp-production tape" ?

 

The same tape used to make the master disc for the vinyl record....with EQ added specifically for that purpose. In other words, at least one generation down already....

 

Sometimes cut simultaneously with the lacquer with the same mastering settings. For further pressings or pressings in other countries all they had to do was playing back this tape.

 

Not just EQ'd, but also LIMITED in many cases.

I think in general the fact you're one generation down is the least of your problems when you're using the LP master for the CD. (A submaster copied in real time @15ips to two track from the original master can still be breathtakingly great).

 

Does an "LP production tape" have the RIAA curve applied?

 

On the other hand, maybe the tapes SOUND like that.

 

Anyone?

 

Ok I'm only guessing... If they use a production master for CD it would not be practical to include the RIAA curve because it would not work for CD pressings or so I seem to recall reading. Based on this I believe that the production masters are basically flat transfers and that the RIAA curve is added by which ever pressing facility happens to be pressing the vinyl and if it's a CD pressing then other choices are done. Then again... perhaps RCA had one production tape for vinyl and one for CD and just made copies of those as the need arose.

 

The thing is, I always believed that the story about using LP production masters for CDs was just a marketing hype to support remasters.

The RCA CDs I have (Ziggy and Diamond Dogs) have a muffled sound with many dropouts (especially Ziggy), but they also have a nice round and warm sound. So if these tapes were equalized for LP use, why do they sound (with respect to tonality) so great on CD?

 

If it is an LP production master, and I kind of doubt it personally, it would sound better because there is no futzing with the sound in the digital domain via compression, NR and EQ. Just a press and sell scenario.

 

More like an aversion to overly compressed, maxed out volume, NR'd and wildly EQ'd from the master tape CDs.

 

Somebody's grouchy!

Seriously though, I find the most Bowie RCAs (not all) to be more full of life than the NR-ed, compressed and EQ'd stuff on EMI and the Rykos that sound sterile.

Maybe I'm the grouchy one... :0

 

Agreed.

 

RIAA curve is applied when the lacquers are cut, not to the production masters.

 

Which version is maxed out in volume? I thought the Rykos, while harsh and wildly EQ'd, pre-dated the maxed-out volume era we now suffer through....

 

The Rhino's were not maxed out - but they sure were bright and bass shy.

I only have one Bowie RCA CD - ChangesOneBowie. At first I thought it sounded a bit .....er... dull and low in volume. I now realize that it is one of the few CD's that I can "crank up" to neighbor destroying levels and still crank up a bit more. Despite it's "lower volume", I can play it LOUDER than other Bowies. I may need to set that volume higher, but it play clean before my amp distorts, where the other ones sound grating before my amp affects the sound.

If that makes any sense.

 

That makes a lot of sense. Especially if you have a tube amp.....

 

What is the best place to find the RCA Bowie CDs?

 

Wow, a fellow Delawarean!

Your best bet is eBay. RCA Bowie discs come up fairly regularly there.

 

eBay, Forum members, on-line retailers that deal in used CD's.

 

I got four titles over the last month from ebay and GEMM, at reasonable prices. You just need to bookmark, check in daily and be patient!