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WAX Mastering Panel Videos

Michael Fremer  |  Oct 27, 2015

More from the WAX event coming up, but for now, here are the videos of the mastering panel I moderated featuring Bernie Grundman, Kevin Gray, Chris Bellman and Rob Tame (not in the above photo).

Bernie, Kevin and Chris need no introduction. Rob Tame is Principal Engineer, Streaming and Multiplexing at DTS. While that may seem "off-topic", Tame's background includes working on DSD recording software used for projects at Chesky Records, Abbey Road and Metropolis Studios and with legendary recording artists such as Tori Amos, Neil Young and Sting. He was invited onto the panel by the WAX event's producers Jeff Bowers and Andew Rossiter. Unfortunately, because this was a vinyl oriented event and panel, Mr. Tame was relegated to mostly listening and I'm sure at times biting his tongue!

Getting the attention of the crowd at what was essentially a "record convention" is not easy, but I opened a loud mouth and managed to attract a relatively large and definitely attentive and appreciative crowd. Unfortunately, that part wasn't captured in the videos, which were originally posted on YouTube by reasonably priced phono preamplifier manufacturer Lounge Audio.

Here are the video (unfortunately recorded on a cell phone):

COMMENTS
Grant M's picture
Submitted by Grant M on Tue, 2015-10-27 18:00

so great.

JohnEcc's picture
Submitted by JohnEcc on Tue, 2015-10-27 18:49

I could listen for hours. For me the most important issue after listening to your panel is the role you play in reviewing these reissues. You have to know be it vinyl or 24/192 what it sounds like from a credible reviewer before you purchase. We are no longer able to preview in either medium before purchasing. Why the labels/record companies treat source and mastering information as a State secret is beyond me. Keep up the good work.

Auric G's picture
Submitted by Auric G on Tue, 2015-10-27 22:59

Beach Boys reissues, mono or stereo, your preference?

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Thu, 2015-10-29 09:39
But Pet Sounds mono for sure though the stereo was very well done..
StevieG's picture
Submitted by StevieG on Wed, 2015-10-28 08:32

Bernie Grundman mastered one of my favorite records, Joni Mitchell's "Blue". I just bought a first pressing of it on eBay with "BG" in the dead wax. I guess I have 4-5 copies of the disc.

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Wed, 2015-10-28 11:56
Bernie forgets to send both channels to the cutter at the beginning of the first song! You'll hear it pop in after a split second. The reissue cut by Chris Bellman doesn't have the error so it's not on the tape. I think the reissue sounds better than the original anyway.
Jon's picture
Submitted by Jon on Fri, 2015-10-30 15:18

I have a large number of classical reissues remastered and cut by Bernie Grundman. Top-drawer sound the lot of them. I have probably around a dozen of the RCA Living Stereos from Classic Records on 45 RPM, all the Everest Classic Records reissues on vinyl and all of the ORG London (Decca) 45 RPM reissues. They all sound wonderful, but particularly the 45 RPM releases - they possess an incredible incredible holographic soundscape that seems to reach into every nock and cranny of the hall, amazing dynamics, incredible renditions of massed violins, etc that eludes even the very best 33 1/3 releases, though perhaps the half-speed mastered Reference Recordings titles come close. I'd even be quite willing to bet that Bernie's ORG London reissues at 45 RPM could hold their own against a first generation 15 ips 1/4 copy of the original Decca master tape. Yes, I know that is an incredibly bold and audacious statement, but they really are that good in my opinion.

Every time I see a new reissue from Grundman, I know I am in for something special. I just wish ORG would bring out those London Deccas at a faster rate - and many more of them. It's been only one in the past year (the Borodin Symphonies) and there is just so much more in the Decca catalogue that is more than worthy and hasn't been released by anyone else.

When I warm up the hifi for a Saturday night listening session, the adrenaline runs just as it might before a live concert if I am going to be putting on a Grundman reissue, because they - more than any other - have a capacity to really transport me back to the original event.

wao62's picture
Submitted by wao62 on Wed, 2015-10-28 10:38

It wound be nice to have a video visit to Cohearent Audio, like the one done of Bernie Grundman Mastering! I enjoy the heck out of these videos!!!

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Wed, 2015-10-28 12:07
Somewhere on the site. I made it when I was there helping with the TRON soundtrack mastering. It's on the site here somewhere but I can't find it. I'm not happy with the site search engine but it's being improved soon.
john ryan horse's picture
Submitted by john ryan horse on Wed, 2015-10-28 11:43

That photo of the "Master Master Panel" looks like an elite group of highly trained fighting men, all heat seeking and ready for action (Bellman as commando leader). The country's sonic future is in your hands!

sunderwood's picture
Submitted by sunderwood on Wed, 2015-10-28 14:10

Michael,
Have you had any experience listening to blue ray audio? I've been seeing these for sale from online dealers like Music Direct. I would love to see a review in Stereophile.

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Wed, 2015-10-28 14:45
Another way of playing 192/24 bit files. I have played them "upstairs" in my home theater system where I have a Blu-ray player, but not downstairs where of course I'm fixated on vinyl!
Ohjoy50's picture
Submitted by Ohjoy50 on Thu, 2015-10-29 23:01

Was a pleasure meeting you Michael and I was really excited to hear from three of the best Mastering Engineers in the business. I had the fortunate opportunity to talk to Chris Bellman and Bernie Grundman because I had some questions on their mastering process which they gladly answered for me. Their talk was interesting. My greatest fear though right now and after talking to them was that it is going to be more and more difficult for them and other engineers to get analog master tapes let alone original master tapes to master from. Sounds like studios are going to make it very difficult and will only send digital copies to master from. This in my opinion could spell the death of records again (in my opinion), "Unless" more artist record in analog. Mark Knopfler recorded his album on analog tape and lets hope more artist go in this direction. I really have no interest in buying digitally mastered records, just saying. The record show was a bust but meeting you Michael and talking to Chris and Bernie was a real pleasure.

Jon's picture
Submitted by Jon on Fri, 2015-10-30 15:38

Yes, master tape preservation and quality is a big problem in the second decade of the new Millennium. Universal, for example, are reissuing their DG classical catalogues from the 24 bit, 96 KHz masters that were made a couple of decades ago from the original analogue tapes. The problem is, however that as Michael has pointed out previously, you can still hear the bleached "sound" of the analogue to digital converter even though the source files used for these disks are high resolution. It tends to manifest itself as an exaggerated "etching" of the sound - a bit like your TV set turning the sharpness, colour and contrast up a tiny little bit over what is completely natural. As for some of the Mercury tapes, you can clearly hear how the original analogue tapes have significantly deteriorated over the last two decades in particular. Notwithstanding the losses due to a digital conversion, compare, for example, the Mercury SR90006 reissue by ORG (Prokofiev Scythian Suite) with Wilma Cozart-Fine's CD transfers from the very same tapes 25 years ago. You can clearly hear significant deterioration in the tape in certain parts after 23 more years - particularly near the end of the spool. It has that characteristic sound like you hear when a valve (tube) suddenly loses power - that is shedding and degradation of the oxide layer.

This is why from a glass half full perspective we are lucky to have such great engineers around today (I count Ryan Smith as one too). Because for many classic recordings, we are arguably looking at the last chances to release them from the original source material. That many of them are actually still sonically pristine though (such as many Deccas) is quite remarkable but for some reason, the master tapes of US-based labels seem to have suffered more than European tapes (at least in my experience as a critical listener).

john ryan horse's picture
Submitted by john ryan horse on Sat, 2015-10-31 10:57

Deterioration of sources scares the heck out of me - when I go out trick or treating tonight I'm dressing up as a deteriorated tape. How much of the problem is how the original tape is treated (stored, etc) after the original pressing is out? I've seen some amazing restoration with old films. Is there a "tape preservation society"? But somehow the RVG master - on CD! - of Birth Of Cool issued in 2001 is the best sounding version I've heard (no I don't have any copies of the original singles)...And as MF says the recent "Blue" equals the 1971 first pressing. I'd say the same about a couple of LPs in the recent Faces box - "Long Player" could have been recorded yesterday. How is it Ellington's "Masterpieces" sounds so good on a recent LP issued 65 years after it was recorded? This video was interesting, and I wish it went longer. BG's comment about how vinyl cut from digital "smooths out" digital artifacts inherent in the source was fascinating to me...There are many factors that make a good sounding record (or sometimes, CD)...

Ohjoy50's picture
Submitted by Ohjoy50 on Sun, 2015-11-01 09:12

I just bought and had restored a Ampex 351 which sounds fantastic by the way. I have been thinking of doing some remastering myself from vinyl records and archiving them onto tape for myself. I have to figure out what mastering parametric equalizer to get ( that is not to ungodly expensive, which seems to be a challenge). Do you think people would buy a record re- mastered from vinyl ? Of course you can expect some surface noise from the record of course and even a click or pop once in a while even from a pristine copy, but I'm curious if anyone would buy a legitimate remastered version from a truly state of art analog playback system to analog tape. Hmmm now I'm wondering if anyone has ever " re-mastered" straight from record to record. I would never sell a bootleg copy I would go through the licensing process if that's possible. Seems that this might be a last ditch effort to find a way to continue to get analog re-mastered. My guess to is you would have to use the original vinyl version, not a remastered version to remaster from. Hmmm your thoughts ?

john ryan horse's picture
Submitted by john ryan horse on Sun, 2015-11-01 12:43

BTW, RKS mastered the new Keith Richards double vinyl "Crosseyed Heart"
and it was worth the wait, as it sounds WAY better than the CD...

john ryan horse's picture
Submitted by john ryan horse on Sun, 2015-11-01 12:50

Is what you're talking about the process used by "Better Records" (ads on this sight)? Or do they simply sell a "best available" early pressing for very high prices?

Ohjoy50's picture
Submitted by Ohjoy50 on Sun, 2015-11-08 23:38

No better records does not remaster music, they simply sell specific vinyl pressings (that he thinks sounds better). There is some truth to it, but hard to imagine he's heard all the different pressings and found THE ONE that is best. Besides because of when it was pressed, temperature, and what number off that stamper will all effect the sound. Many Variables, but you could get lucky.

ethansteven's picture
Submitted by ethansteven on Wed, 2016-10-12 00:31

I find the reissue much better and in perfect representation, they have their work of improvisation to make great and quality has ever been. And now, their work can be a perfect fit for any recognition events.

Regards.
Ethan|http://smartleesecreative.com/

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