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    We're feelin' Philly 4/26/83 and its '80s highs. See what we're on about when you pick up DAVE'S PICKS VOLUME 39: THE SPECTRUM, PHILADELPHIA, PA, 4/26/83, the final show of a three-week tour, played at the venue that the Dead played more than Madison Square Garden (there's your daily dose of Dead trivia). This one fires on all cylinders, with extremely well-played, high-energy tight sets featuring newbies "West L.A. Fadeway," "My Brother Esau," rarities like Brent's tune "Maybe You Know," precise medleys "Help>Slip>Franklin's," an inspired new pairing "Throwing Stones>Not Fade Away," and the Dave's Picks debut of "Shakedown Street."  And before you come down, we've got a prime slice of bonus material from the previous Spectrum show 4/25/83 and an extra dollop of '83 from the War Memorial Auditorium, Rochester, NY 4/15/83 (featuring the Bobby rarity "Little Star").

    Limited to 25,000 numbered copies, DAVE'S PICKS VOLUME 39: THE SPECTRUM, PHILADELPHIA, PA, 4/26/83 was recorded by Dan Healy and has been mastered to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman.

    *2 per order. Very limited quantity available.

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  • icecrmcnkd
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    Lemieux and Norman

    What’s the scoop?
    Is the HDCD logo on the releases just false advertising?

    Have you considered doing a few releases of awesome sounding Plangentized reels as BluRay Audio, 24/192?
    Led Zeppelin did that with the Song Remains The Same soundtrack.

  • 1stshow70878
    Joined:
    Maybe You Know

    Wow! First time I've heard this. I love it. Kind of Loose Lucy sounding. Will have to pay more attention to the lyrics but at first listen was most impressed with Jerry's chording like Chuck Berry. A special treat in a show where Jerry is hitting an amazing number of notes. Arpeggio maximus. How did he just keep getting faster even as his health was declining?
    Cheers all!

  • icecrmcnkd
    Joined:
    Sorry that was so long

    I would have just posted the lynk if I could.

    It came from a site called audio asylum.

  • icecrmcnkd
    Joined:
    Thanks for the info

    Arthur,
    What you posted appears to be from VLC. If you used VLC to convert a 16 bit CD to 24 bit FLAC you just put 16 bits into a 24 bit container. That’s not the equivalent of playing a 720p DVD in a BluRay player that upconverts to 1080p.
    If you used actual software that decodes HDCD please tell us what software that is.

    Ziffle,
    What you said is in line with what I’ve read online.

    Simon,
    I thought you had a CD player that let you toggle between CD and HDCD.

    Since I can’t post a lynk, here’s the text.

    Huge misconception regarding HDCD
    Posted by Charles Hansen (M) on June 12, 2017 at 23:26:28
    In Reply to: RE: MQA vs HDCD posted by Jeff Starr on June 9, 2017 at 02:03:01:

    >> HDCD was a way to get 20 bit sound out of a redbook CD. <<
    That is what Pacific Microsonics (PM) *claimed* for HDCD. The truth is that was simply marketing hyperbole. PM built an A/D converter designed by Keith Johnson, called the Model One. The later Model Two was similar but added support for both dual- and quad-sampling rates. There were three unique features of the PM A/D converters that comprised the HDCD system:

    1) Peak Extend (PE) - was a compansion algorithm that compressed the top 9dB of audio signal during recording into the top 3dB of digital codes on the disc. When played back through an HDCD-enabled DAC or CD player, a "sub-code" that replaced some of the audio signal in the 16th bit (LSB) would instruct the DAC to expand the compressed signal and restore the full dynamic range.

    2) Low-Level Extension (LLE) - was a method to automatically boost the gain as the audio signal dropped, starting when the signal level fell to -45dBFS. It was boosted in 0.5dB steps as the level fell, reaching a maximum gain shift of 4dB if the signal ever fell another -18dB to -63dBFS. Again when played back through an HDCD-equipped DAC or CD player, the instructions mixed in the LSB of the audio signal would instruct the DAC to lower the gain (and background noise) by the appropriate amount.

    3) Transient Filter (TF) - was a method whereby the A/D converter measured the amount of high-frequency energy in the top octave. When it passed a certain threshold, the HDCD system would select from one of two available anti-aliasing filters (ie, "digital filters"). The original plan was apparently to have a complementary process during playback, but this never materialized. My best guess is that this was because Ed Meitner (then of Museatex) had beaten PM to the punch and already patented a DAC that switched reconstruction filters (ie, "digital filters) during playback, again by sensing the amount of high-frequency energy in the top octave.

    The problem is that the claimed 20 bits of resolution is a horribly distorted representation of the truth.. It was one of the greatest marketing misrepresentations in the history of high-end audio. In actuality, both PE and LLE could be *optionally* applied by the mastering engineer, and the instruction manual warned that there were specific reasons for not doing so on certain types of music. Also there never was any way to decode for the TF feature (which was always engaged). However every single CD made with a PM A/D converter would light up the mandatory "HDCD" logo light on a licensed DAC - even when there was no decoding of the disc even possible - apparently in an attempt to scare people into purchasing a new CD player or DAC that had HDCD decoding (and from which PM received royalty payments).

    The truth is that PE (*if* engaged by the mastering engineer) could only ever provide a maximum dynamic range increase of 6dB - and even then only if the recorded signal reached 0dBFS. In the very extreme case, this only adds 1 bit of resolution, to 17 bits.

    The truth about LLE is even more underwhelming. *If* the mastering engineer chose to engage it, it only became active when the audio signal dropped below -45dBFS. I have analyzed scores of HDCD discs using the tools available in Foobar. For popular music LLE was *only* ever engaged during song fadeouts. It turns out that -45dBFS is an extremely low level, nearly 8 bits below the maximum. Even with classical music recorded using LLE, the gain-shifting only activates infrequently - specifically during very quiet passages when only 1 or 2 instruments are playing. I have never seen an HDCD track ever use the full 4dB range of level shifting, as the signal level would have to fall to -63dBFS, nearly 11 bits below the maximum. The *theoretical* maximum gain shift of 4dB amounts to about another 0.6 bits of dynamic range.

    If *both* features were engaged by the mastering engineer, and everything completely optimized in an extremely unlikely real-world scenario, the most that HDCD could boost the dynamic range would be 1.6 bits to 17.6 bits. In more realistic situations, engaging both features would increase the effective bit depth between 0 and roughly 1.2 bits with classical music, and between 0 and roughly 0.9 bits with popular music.

    At this date we have all had chances to hear the differences between 44/16 files and 44/24 files. The most common example was the 2009 remaster of The Beatles box set. The CDs were dithered down to 16 bits, while the "green apple" thumb drive contained the original 44/24 files (reduced from the 192/24 tape transfers made with Prism A/D converters). Yes there is a difference in sound, but it is hardly "jaw-dropping" or "transformational". So if adding 8 true bits of resolution only improves the sound slightly, one wonders how much improvement would be heard with only 1 extra bit of resolution - *if* the HDCD features were even engaged by the mastering engineer.

    So where did PM come up with the "20 bits of resolution" claim? Simple - they added the extra bits as the A/D converter also had optional dither algorithms. This is where it gets weird. Prior to the PM converters, by far the most common alternative was the Sony PCM-1610. While it did not have any dither built into that converter, the incoming audio signal was always dithered anyway - by the tape hiss present on the analog tape that was being transferred to digital. There is no tape recorder on the planet that has an unweighted S/N ratio greater than 96dB, which is what would be required to create the need for external dither to be added.

    The next question is why was HDCD so enthusiastically received by the audio press and many mastering studios? Again the answer is quite simple - it sounded far better than the competing Sony unit. *Not* because of the HDCD features but simply because it was designed to a far higher "audiophile" standard by Keith Johnson, an extremely talented designer.

    The A/D converter is simply one box in the chain between the recording microphone and the playback speaker. We have all heard the difference made by replacing (say) a cheap preamplifier made with very old, low cost op-amps, electrolytic coupling capacitors, and low quality parts throughout with a mega-buck preamplifier made by one of the top designers on the planet using fully discrete circuitry, state-of-the art parts throughout, and designed for the absolute maximum performance.

    A change like this can completely transform the sound of a home stereo system. And a similar change to the A/D converter can completely transform the sound quality of a CD.

    That is the real story of HDCD - a superior sounding product that was sold through deliberately misleading marketing strategies and false comparison setups. For example at the 1997 CES, PM gave out free CDs with "comparison" tracks purporting to show the differences made by HDCD processing. The natural assumption was that the tracks were made with the same converter and simply engaging and disengaging the HDCD processing. But no, instead PM made three tracks with the PM A/D converter and three "comparison" tracks with a Sony PCM-1610 converter.

    In addition HDCD was dreamed up to be a money-making machine. The converters were sold to the studios for $20,000 each (I'm unsure if there were licensing costs there.) On the playback side each manufacturer had to pay a $5,000 licensing fee up front (later raised to $10,000), plus purchase a special decoding IC from PM. The IC was priced artificially high so as to constitute an easy-to-track royalty payment for each player sold.

    It fooled a lot of people for a long time. There were two separate events that led to the demise of HDCD. The first was that only a couple of years after HDCD was available to the public, both DVD-Audio and SACD offered true high-resolution formats, obviating the need to "hop up" the out-of-date Redbook CD format (by only a single bit of actual resolution). The second was that PM had paid roughly $500,000 to develop their custom decoding IC chip. It was made on a 600 micron process. (By comparison we are now down to the 12 to 16 micron range with semiconductor processes.) By 2002 or so that technology was so out of date that the fabrication house was dismantling the line and halted production. It would have cost another $500,000 to make a new version. There was an aborted attempt to fabricate it as a pre-programmed Motorola (?) DSP chip, but apparently there was only one sample batch ever made before PM sold the entire thing to Microsoft, where it died off fairly quickly.

    The only positive note to the whole story is that there are still a good number of mastering houses that still use the PM A/D converters. Even though the Model Two is over 15 years old, there are only a handful of other brands that can compete with it sonically. It is still one of the best sounding A/D converters ever made, just as the Marantz 9 was one of the best sounding power amplifiers ever made. Good sound never goes out of fashion.

    As far as any similarities between the 20-year old story of HDCD and the current story of MQA, I will leave that up to the reader to judge.

    As always, strictly my own opinions and not necessarily those of my employer or guru.

    EDIT: The above post was dashed off quickly and likely contains some minor errors. For example the units used in the discussion of semiconductor fabrication should have been "nanometers" and not "microns". Nevertheless I believe the overall arch is historically accurate. Corrections are highly welcomed.

  • Dennis
    Joined:
    That Mike and Ornette

    Saw Ornette at Town Hall in NYC when he was doing the Song X tour with Methany.

    Didn't understand one bit of it!!!

  • Dogon
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    Dennis, Joe and Lee

    I dont think you will be disapointed when it arrives.
    There is a rumour that a Lee Morgan 60s set is in the works, unfortunately you have missed the Hank Mobley 60s set, but keep your eyes open, it might turn up used, if it does, pounce!
    Also in Japan a whole slew of Lee Morgan reissues are being released in conjunction with the Live at the Lighthouse box.
    CD Japan is your friend, and if you were to order from them you will be surprised, after dealing with all the highs and lows of dealing with Deadnet, of the smoothness and efficiency of the transaction!
    I always pay for shipment via DHL, a bit more expensive, but 2, max 3 days delivery from Tokyo to my door in Sweden.

  • ArthurDent
    Joined:
    Encoding Info

    Artist Grateful Dead
    Title Let It Grow
    Album 1983-04-26 - Dave's Picks Vol. 39 - The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
    Track 10/10
    Disc 1/3
    Genre Rock
    Year 1983
    Rating
    Composer
    Size 79.88 MB (58% Compressed)
    Original Size 189.63 MB
    Length 12 minutes 31 seconds
    Channels 2 (stereo)
    Sample Rate 44.1 KHz;
    Sample Size 24 bit
    Bit Rate 2,116 kbps (DVD)
    Encoder FLAC reference libFLAC 1.3.2 20170101
    Encoder Settings
    Audio Quality Perfect (Lossless)
    Contains CRC, ID Tag [Vorbis Comments]
    Channel Mapping
    File 10 Grateful Dead - Let It Grow
    Type FLAC Audio File (VLC) [.flac]

  • Forensicdoceleven
    Joined:
    Only the guy who isn't rowing has time to rock the boat………….

    50 years ago today……

    August 7, 1971
    Golden Hall, San Diego, California

    Set 1: Big Railroad Blues-El Paso-Mr. Charlie-Sugaree-Mama Tried-Bertha-Big Boss Man- Promised Land-Hard to Handle-Cumberland Blues Casey Jones

    Set 2: Truckin'-China Cat Sunflower-I Know You Rider-Next Time You See Me-Sugar-Magnolia-Sing Me Back Home-Me & My Uncle-Not Fade Away>Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad>jam>Johnny B. Goode

    Deadicated to Seth Hollander, Oxford 88, Mr_Heartbreak, gcdeadhead, Shafts Of Lavender, Gratefulpeds, Gbow22, frampton, jpdonn1, chilly1214, and deadyettipa, because nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it…..

    Released as part of Dick’s Picks 35 in 2005, one of the so-called “houseboat tapes”, somewhat of a revelation at the time, as not all summer 71 shows circulated. Not the greatest show but I will always take whatever 71 is officially released!!

    There’s not a “big jam”---although there is an interesting but short jam between GDTRFB and Johnny B Goode---but it’s OK. What I call “the three R’s of live Dead”----rockin’, rowdy, and raucous!! Needless to say, worth a listen!!!

    Rock on!!

    Doc
    We are imprisoned in the realm of life, like a sailor on his tiny boat, on an infinite ocean……

  • simonrob
    Joined:
    HDCD...

    I have no idea if HDCD encoded discs sound better. I only have one CD player and that has no possibility to turn the HDCD on or off, so making a comparison is not possible. My player, like most, has the DAC built in. A comparison using my player and another with a different DAC and no HDCD would reveal the differences between the DACs as well as any differences with HDCD on or off, making such a comparison pointless. I can only read discussions on this by others, such as Ziffle, who are (or at least claim to be) better informed than me on the subject. I don't lose sleep over this as there is nothing I can do about it- I just put CDs in the player, hit 'Play' and the magic begins.

  • Angry Jack Straw
    Joined:
    Satisfaction

    Wharf - I believe you are referring to the 8/8/82 Alpine Valley show. The whole show is awesome stuff.

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We're feelin' Philly 4/26/83 and its '80s highs. See what we're on about when you pick up DAVE'S PICKS VOLUME 39: THE SPECTRUM, PHILADELPHIA, PA, 4/26/83, the final show of a three-week tour, played at the venue that the Dead played more than Madison Square Garden (there's your daily dose of Dead trivia). This one fires on all cylinders, with extremely well-played, high-energy tight sets featuring newbies "West L.A. Fadeway," "My Brother Esau," rarities like Brent's tune "Maybe You Know," precise medleys "Help>Slip>Franklin's," an inspired new pairing "Throwing Stones>Not Fade Away," and the Dave's Picks debut of "Shakedown Street."  And before you come down, we've got a prime slice of bonus material from the previous Spectrum show 4/25/83 and an extra dollop of '83 from the War Memorial Auditorium, Rochester, NY 4/15/83 (featuring the Bobby rarity "Little Star").

Limited to 25,000 numbered copies, DAVE'S PICKS VOLUME 39: THE SPECTRUM, PHILADELPHIA, PA, 4/26/83 was recorded by Dan Healy and has been mastered to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman.

*2 per order. Very limited quantity available.

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Listened at work,,,, sounded good (this is when I was going),,, we went north that year to New Haven.

Daverock - Mosaic - I got the Louie Armstrong collection a few months back,,,, very nice.

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Yes the tapes have been plangetized for wow and flutter on the tape and sound remarkably better than the copies on Archive. I guess all the old guys are getting a small feeling for a large part of our countries history. Now just imagine how the indigenous people felt in the US and South America. My family came during the potato famine by way of Newfoundland, so we've been called invaders too but luckily we didn't kill anybody on their land and take it. Just got spit on and became Boston police captains LOL White people talking about states belonging to them, irony runs thick in this stew. Now who wants to play "cowboys & indians"? We all know this country started in Massachusetts so anyone West of the CT River Valley can GTFO!
If you want an interview with someone of plangent search for this...
"TapeOP Jamie Howarth: Behind the Gear with Plangent Processes" the writers blog should show up. Links are blocked on Dead.net now sorry!

I think he just moved to Colorado but still has a vacation home in North Carolina.

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10 years 3 months

In reply to by Dennis

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Dennis -I have just listened to a 1954 version of this online, from the Mosaic Box "Complete Colombia, RCA and Victor recordings 1946-1966". Beautiful.

People often seem to have a misplaced sense of ownership about where they live. You surely can't be expected to live in your place of birth till the day you die.

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13 years 5 months

In reply to by direwulf

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Wow.. the first Cassette Master to get the Plangent treatment. It's a brave new world my friends..

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8 years 2 months

In reply to by JimInMD

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Sweet, thanks for the update on that.

So, they must have expanded their ability for their process to cassettes. This should open up some other possibilities for the 1980s.

Looking forward to it.

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Has anyone had luck with having WMG provide a replacement for an individual defective DaP disc? 39 arrived yesterday and straight out of the case Disc 2 has a 1/4 inch scratch that runs in the direction of the tracks about 1/4 inch in from the outer edge of the disc. I sent an email to their customer service and am waiting to hear back. Given what I’ve heard about their customer service I’m fearful that this is a lost cause but curious as to what others have experienced.

And what is up with the quality control on CDs these days? My copy of Skullf*** 50th had a disc that was scratched up right out of the box, and the Real Gone reissue of Road Trips V2 No. 3 had scratches on one of the discs. I’ve bought CDs since 1989 and have never had this problem…and now we’re up to 3 times in 7 months.

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Come on over all you huddled masses yearning to breath free. Just don't expect to find good paying work unless you're in construction. Bring your own gig and you're fine. But for those who wish to semi-retire here for the good life just bring lots of money and the native born will tolerate you. We even tolerate the tourists as they are the source of half our jobs. I came over the hill from Denver (which we always lovingly called the brown town for the air quality) in '79 and I'm still treated like an outsider by those with the pioneer license plates because I'm not a farmer or rancher. The demographic is changing and occasionally someone with vision sneaks onto the city councils but no way the county commissioners positions, but also expect to be outvoted on anything progressive or liberal. Obvious exceptions to this are Aspen and Telluride but you better bring ten times the money you would need here in good 'ole Montrose. That said, I just lost my cool fallow unused 9-hole executive length golf course that was our dog walking and disc golfing green belt to development of more mobile homes. Dang, I had that private disc golf country club for eight years though. And so it goes. I think I should re-read the Monkeywrench Gang.
Hey Nappy, did you ever visit Chuck Brown's used book store in Flagstaff? He was the Kokopelli-like bringer of wares and was my mentor at the R.E.I Tempe before he escaped PHX.
Cheers to all and Latvala!

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16 years 8 months
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I am super impressed that the team chose to spend the money to restore these tapes for a DaP release. Being the third release in a subscription series, it really serves no marketing purpose to spend this extra money. To me this proves just how dedicated these folks are to making the archival releases sound "just exactly perfect" or at least as close to it as they can with less than "just exactly perfect" masters. All I can say is thank you so much for the dedication to strive for perfection!

What was Bob thinking? This is my first time hearing it since being at the show. I don’t need to hear it again.

This release is better than DaP35, but I still struggle to get past the keyboard sound. Just not to my liking and I doubt it ever will be. The Shakedown is cool though.

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12 years 1 month

In reply to by daverock

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Did you mean the 1954 recording of St Louis Blues at almost 9 minutes with ad libed lyrics?

Great cut. I've been very happy with this collection.

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In reply to by Angry Jack Straw

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AJS always gives you the straight dope.
But how does it compare to the Boise release, Dave's #27?

I am not hugely into the weeds on sound quality. More of a show quality guy. Was just listening to some ood cassettes in the garage yesterday (2/12/89 Forum FWIW).

Having said that, I found the sound quality for this release very fine. Considering it came from cassette and not reel to reel, this would to seem to open up more of the vault to restoration & release. Am I right on that?

If so, that is a very good thing.

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In reply to by sjbutler

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Sorry for your issues.

I have had defective discs/missing discs at least 10 times (various DaPs, 30 Trips, Golden Road, etc). So much so that I never throw the original packaging & slip away until I get a clean listen.

I have always gotten replacements *eventually*. A couple times Marye and Dr. Rhino had to intercede (30 Trips). Sometimes a gentle reminder has been required, and it generally takes a while (a couple weeks, minimum).

Recently, a polite email via customer service with the order number has done the trick. Though with COVID, don't expect immediate joy. A polite follow up inquiry is sometimes needed after a month or so. Good luck.

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In reply to by DeadVikes

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As far as sound quality goes for these releases, 39 blows 27 out of the water for me. It’s much more open and the sound quality is better. I don’t think Plagent was involved with 27(that probably has something to do with it). Like the vocals on the Mama Tried>Big River from 27 are very echoey and don’t blend well. 39 just has a few clicks and pops, and other small anomalies(see Dew). But as far as show quality, I prefer this show over 9/2. I think this show is played more tightly, and has a preferable setlist to me. That all being said both 27 and 39 are great releases, I’m glad to have both!

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Has anyone received their copy of DP39 that went through the UPS facility in Morrow, GA? My copy has been there since 7/30 and still shows it should deliver on 7/31 but tracking hasn’t updated since the 30th. I’ve contacted support here but no answer yet.

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In reply to by AnEstimatedProphet

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As far as sound quality goes for these releases, 39 blows 27 out of the water for me. It’s much more open and the sound quality is better. I don’t think Plagent was involved with 27(that probably has something to do with it). Like the vocals on the Mama Tried>Big River from 27 are very echoey and don’t blend well. 39 just has a few clicks and pops, and other small anomalies(see Dew). But as far as show quality, I prefer this show over 9/2. I think this show is played more tightly, and has a preferable setlist to me. That all being said both 27 and 39 are great releases, I’m glad to have both!

Posted by :AnEstimatedProphet on Tue, 08/03/2021 - 10:53

My higher-generation soundboard cassettes are the same way, so it was the original recordings of each show.
I don't believe that Plangent us used for the Dave's Picks series.

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I felt the same way about the tinkling of Brent's keyboard sound and also his voice compared to the tapes of shows I had of the 70s with keith, but as I started going to lots of east coast shows, he started to sound better and better to my ears as the 80s wound down. It was just like when bon scott died and was replaced by brian Johnson. Even though back in black was a monumental album, you just could not shake that thirst for Bon every time you heard B+B and the ones to follow. P.S.- opps, I put this post on the box set comments by mistake.

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11 years 7 months
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I had a few skippies in my PNW 73-74 Box Set. I sent an email to Rhino and indicated the specific discs that had issues and received a boiler plate email for returns. None of the situations applied as I’m not trying to return two skippies. I sent another email and was asked to take a picture of the two discs that skipped?!?! Will do Captain.

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sent an email yesterday about defective dp#38 disc, received response today replacement is being sent.

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13 years 10 months

In reply to by KRIYAS

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You see the stickers, you see the shirts, you hear the folks talk about how much they "love them", you see Dead and Company sell out shows but yet it takes days for these shows and box sets to sell out and sometimes they don't. I just don't get it. These are such great treasures to get at such a reasonable price. It just don't get it.

The Dave's Picks 39 commemorative 12 oz beer glass has sold out. I guess Deadheads really like their beer served in sturdy 12.5 oz thick bottom decorative glasses..

Mine came thru Morrow GA. Original delivery date was 7/30, received 7/31, after constant checking of mailbox on 7/30. I am sure it will be there in next day or so. I did receive understanding that the same UPS mail innovations tracking number also works for the USPS system tracker.

Have enjoyed this release. Has multiple highlights indeed. Still, wished for one of the many mega jams shows that are still out there. Sure some are still be debated for future box consideration. I will always take a Shakedown. I always prefer 2nd set Shakedowns.

At least we now know that it is pretzels...?

More later...

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The truth may have finally been revealed…Dave is in fact a Centaur. I too was puzzled by the Seaside chats constantly filmed from the waist-up. It all makes sense to me now. Sweet box set this year, looking forward to it. (Only part of this message is true- hopefully it’s easy enough to spot the fiction 😊.) And let me please also add that November of ‘72 and January of ‘78 are due for follow up releases, as these years roll gently past…

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Showed up slightly before a doctor's appointment so I quickly ripped it to iTunes. I took a walk around the block near her office and played the first three songs. Wow, what a great show so far!

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Yo bro, years ago -- like ~2004 -- we're in line at Red Rocks for a series of shows by "The Dead." I'm talking about the latest vaults releases, asking if anyone else dug 'em, and got completely blank stares. Nada! No one knew what I was talking about!

So I'd guess a mass contingent goes to the shows, makes the scene, digs being in the crowd at the live venues, what-ev, and certainly that's their prerogative. But the vast majority of those folks are not interested in archival music, specifically tapes of the "Grateful Dead" (to distinguish the original band from the post-Jer knock-offs). Many will rave about GD tribute bands or current jam bands (I can't stand any of 'em), but they have never bothered to learn about or listen to primal GD vault releases.

Like many things in this world, I do not understand this nor do I choose to spend much time attempting to fathom it. Just seems odd. But ... to each, his own. One man gathers what another man spills.

Rock on...

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In reply to by hendrixfreak

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It’s been a few days since I watched the seaside chat but I think I recall that Dave emphasized that these tapes were the best sounding from the tour, or something along those lines.

And yes, Plangent was involved, credit is given in the booklet.

Dave also said that the 3-25 filler was all that they had.

And not sold out yet?
Well, it’s ‘83 and 25k copies were made available. The subscribers got their’s and the resellers figured that they would have a hard time getting rid of an ‘83.

When Jerry was still alive a lot of people I talked to liked going to Dead shows but did not have any interest in listening to a recording of a concert, even if it was one of the few official releases. Those type of people really disliked the hissy cassettes I had.
I’m not surprised at all that people buying D&C tix don’t buy the official releases.

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I think you will find that these are not selling out because less and less people are using CDs or iTunes for that matter. More people are gravitating to streaming like Spotify, and not purchasing music.

CDs are dated technology, most new cars do not have players and most PCs are not coming with CD drives either.

Only a matter of time before these CDs are stopped being produced….should all be digital by now anyways.

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9 years 2 months

In reply to by Duece

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We’re financing the digitization of the tapes. Downloads will be available in the future, but not for a while.
The Download Series years ago was a flop.
Many Box Sets are available ‘byte size’.
Dave’s Picks is a CD series. Some sell out quickly, others take a while.

My car doesn’t have a CD player, which is digital. My car also doesn’t have a tape deck, which isn’t digital.
My car came with 6 months of Sirius/XM for free. I never used it.
My car has Apple and Google play. I’ve never used either.
My car has an input jack for a music player, but you can’t control it from the touch screen.
My car does have a USB port and will play AAC and FLAC from a flash drive, and will display it on the touch screen where you can scroll through the folders which I have as playlists made up of individual shows.
My playlists are made from the CD’s I buy, which means that my CD’s can stay at home and do not have to sit in my hot car in the summer.

Dave,
I’d like to buy more CD’s please.
And BluRay video too.

Youll notice how when ordering this Daves you had to select some digital trax

Yeah, unfortunately, CDs from the GD will probably stop. Digital download shyte only.

I am lucky that my 2005 Prius (runs just fine) has a CD player as well as a cassette player.

I will not go gentle into that lame "download or miss out" trip.

Grr.

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17 years 5 months

In reply to by proudfoot

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....I'm old enough to remember when they said vinyl was a dead medium.
But, you are a Patriots fan, so I'll cut you some slack lol.

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7 years 7 months
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Jerry is ripping it on gdtrfb. Fast and country style. I'm loving it.

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9 years 3 months
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Spewing hate? I think that’s a bit of an overstatement. I didn’t actually notice anything I would characterize as spewing hate, but I get the sense that your post was directed at me Oro, so let me explain why you should relax. If your post about spewing hate was not about me then my apologies for any confusion, maybe use a name when you call someone out.

In an earlier post you described your desire to move to someplace sparsely populated and cheap, but that those places were more often filled with more angry rednecks than freaks. I think exactly what you said was that you wanted to move Somewhere nobody wants to live, to get some land cheap, with little or no taxes but with a college/hospital nearby...of course many of those places are filled with angry rednecks, not freaks. It was an amusing enough statement, but it might also seem like you view the people already residing in places that you would like to move as angry rednecks and that you might use that term to dehumanize and vilify those with views different than your own.

Personally I thought it was mildly amusing, and living in a fairly empty state I figured, why not lean into Oro’s characterization and describe residents of my state as angry rednecks? We are a pretty empty, rural state that could fit Oro’s description, and are at least perceived as a pretty conservative state, although it’s really not that simple. We have one senator who is a Republican and one who is a Democrat, and during the 24 years I’ve been here we have had governors from each major party. But, based on common perceptions it seemed likely that MT is a place you might consider to have a fair number of angry rednecks. Since saying we have a fair number of rednecks didn’t amuse me much, I went with asserting that we are full and we are a bunch of angry rednecks. This is a joke, as we are neither full nor full of angry rednecks. A joke, just like Ledded’s assertion that CO is full, which was the amusing post that got me thinking about posting something in the first place. I particularly liked his admonition to “motherfuckers” not to move to CO, but that’s just my sense of humor. Which brings me to an unrelated question, why is that term used as an insult? Don’t mothers need love too? Couldn’t the term describe just about any father with more than one child? Further, since Ledded had specifically started the last settler thread by asking folks not to move to CO, I thought there was a nice symmetry to suggest that folks should move to CO. I guess if I owe anyone any sort of apology it would be Ledded. As far as the vaxx reference, it is a fact that just under half the population of MT has been vaxxed, and it seemed like the kind of thing many folks might view as a reason to not move here, which was the point of the joke in the first place.

Bottom line, relax, get off the high horse and don’t worry about my post, which was a far cry from spewing hate. Fun fact the videogame Far Cry had an entire installment of the game set in a fictional version of MT and I’m pretty sure they had some fun with the angry redneck stereotype associated with the state. If you don’t like descriptive phrases like angry rednecks, maybe don’t use terms like that to describe people you don’t even know in places you don’t live but might want to. On the other hand, Oro, message received, I’m not part of your in group. I’ll live.

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7 years 10 months

In reply to by Charlie3

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The problem with "digital downloads" is if your hard drive is not infallibly and redundantly backed up, and it dies, all your purchases go up into digital smoke.

A CD gives you the ability to extract the data over again if you need to.

Specifically for DEAD.net stuff, their ability to deliver correct high resolution digital files that they charge a premium for is abysmal. Seriously terrible, like they make Spirit Airline look like the greatest airline in the history of the world.

CDs can be extracted to 24 bit, which is better than the ALAC files they sell.

I would really like to be able to get the FLAC files and CD back up, with out having to buy the same product twice, but that would be progressive, forward thinking, competent, leader, etc all of which the music division is not.

I like the music, appreciate the effort in making it available, but the business end is strictly non-commercial.

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16 years 6 months
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50 years ago today……

August 4, 1971
Terminal Island Correctional Facility, San Pedro, California

Truckin’-Yellow Dog Story-Bertha-Me And Bobby McGee-Hard To Handle-China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider-Loser-Playing In The Band-Next Time You See Me-Me And My Uncle-Casey Jones-Cumberland Blues-Big Boss Man-Sugaree-El Paso-Mr. Charlie-Not Fade Away>Going Down The Road Feeling Bad>Turn On Your Lovelight

Deadicated to Andy Dufresne…..

One of the most unusual venues the Dead ever played, Terminal Island is a “low security” federal prison that opened in 1938, located at the entrance to Los Angeles Harbor, that holds approximately 1,000 inmates. Dead sound man Owsley Stanley was held there from 1970-1972. Other “famous” inmates that have been held there include Al Capone, Henry Hill, Timothy Leary, Charles Manson, Anita O’Day, and Flora Purim. At this time, it is unknown exactly where within the facility the concert was held, or how many “guests” attended.

I must admit, this is one of my serious “1971 guilty pleasures”. Lean and mean and not much in between. If you prefer your 71 Dead smooth and creamy, this may not be the show for you. But if you like some Dead that’ll rattle your fillings, dig in!!

For excellent Owsley/taping info, check out deadessays blogspot, bear-at-board..........

Rock on!!!

Doc
We who live in prison, and in whose lives there is no event but sorrow, have to measure time by throbs of pain, and the record of bitter moments………..

I'd buy any from the years I like. And none from the years I don't. My time for buying everything by The Dead has gone, I'm afraid.

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15 years 3 months
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My copy has just arrived. It is certainly the first DaP to arrive before selling out in the store. It has come via Switzerland although tracking hasn’t worked very well. The Royal Mail tracker still tells me they are waiting to receive it.

I don’t think items selling out quickly is a good thing, better to produce enough to satisfy the demand without generating a lucrative secondary market

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13 years 5 months

In reply to by DeadVikes

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Awesome.. you got yours before I received mine. Tariffs and taxes aside, I'd say that's a step forward.

It seems gone are the days when it took an extra couple months to get these across the pond.

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12 years 2 months

In reply to by JimInMD

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One of the first principles of being a Deadhead:

The scene was always better before YOU arrived.

The same thing goes for where you reside. Accept it and move on.

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11 years 6 months
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– When one implores someone to "relax", one should take their own advice.
– It's ironic to hear comments about the imminent demise of Grateful Dead CD output, while at the same time the Dave's picks series has grown from 12,000 to 25,000 items per series amid the global CD decline, and it's still selling out in days (weeks for 80's shows). Yes, cd's are dying globally, but clearly in the GD world CD's are going strong. And folks generally won't pay up for digital downloads (not in large numbers anyway). Not many people want to pay $40 or $149 for digital files with no tangible product. I bought a digital release once, and I felt ripped off by the lack of any tangible product, and the fact that the digital files in my computer had zero resale value if I ever wanted to get rid of them. Monetarily, they are worthless as soon as you download them. Conversely, you can buy a Dave's Picks CD, and sell it on eBay for at least as much as you paid for it in the future. That makes sense, it is easier to justify to the wife. Actually, when I did get rid of my Davies Picks 1 and I told her how much $ I got for it on eBay, she suddenly encouraged me to buy every Grateful Dead CD they release!

Thanks for the heads up regarding 8/4/71, Doc. I will spin it today and check it out! Hope you are well. (and did you ever complete that 1971 project? If so I would love to check it out.)

Finally, have you folks checked out the "Good Ol' Grateful Deadcast"? Amazing podcast on Spotify. Many, many installments, produced by Rhino I believe. Interesting topics with interviews of bandmembers, crew, key figures in the scene. I have found it and to be "must hear" stuff.

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16 years 2 months
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I concur with what you are saying ie digital vs cd, give me something to hold onto, some that will last and even though a Cd is not the best form of storage for cherished music (I prefer vinyl myself) it is IMHO better than a digital download. I also concur with the Grateful Dead physical copy being worth what you paid for it down the road and in some cases, much more. Pray tell, just what did you get for Dave's 1? :)

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9 years 2 months

In reply to by unkle sam

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Makes no sense.
Sound quality is still 16 bit equivalent but the file size is now larger.

Importing a HDCD as 20 bit would only work if you had a computer CD burner that recognized HDCD and had software that would play 20 bit.

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I can't recall what I got for DaP1, like $300? I needed cash last year and realized the first year of Dave's Picks were valuable. I think I sold DaP 1-3 for like $700 total.

People buy premium items for the collectibility, physical product, beautiful packaging... oh, AND yes the music. Open the mail and you feel a tingle, peel off the shrink wrap..... like a birthday present - a new shiny object you can show to a friend: "check this out!".

But with streaming... let's say you pay $149 for the St. Louis download, for example, you'll briefly see the progress bar as it completes downloading for like 6 seconds, and 'poof'.... that's all! No tingle. NO residual value - can't sell it, can't lend to a friend and compare notes, can't chill on the couch with a joint looking at the liner notes. It's just a digital file that disappears if your hard drive crashes. "Honey where's that cool box set you just paid $149 for? ....Why are you pointing to that hard drive?"

If you had bought all the DaP's as downloads (IF it were an option), you'd have paid $1,200 and have $0 residual value. If you bought and kept all the CD's, you'd have a collection worth at least $3,000+ (and growing). People from ANY state can see downloads don't make a lot of sense monetarily. And some may say "I don't buy 'em to flip 'em, man! I'm in it for the music!" Well yeah, we all are. But you worked hard for that money! As a financial advisor, the concept of buying something that instantly becomes worthless is absurd. What if you suddenly need the money (health, college, parental care) and want to at least recoup your cost? If you ever need the space, you can save all the music to your hard drive and sell, or you may want to leave something of value to your kids. No estate attorney ever fought for a family member's music files from a hard drive (I mean, apart from like Hendrix or Prince... lol)

Of course, anyone who is cost conscious and "just wants the music" can buy the whole box at full price, then sell it on eBay weeks later for not much less. That way you get the full tangible box experience, read all the liner notes and booklets, rip to your music collection, then sell it and only be out like $50. Or you can pay 3x that price for just the downloads...

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