• 2,801 replies
    marye
    Joined:
    New year, new update. Tell us of your musical adventures in real time!

Comments

sort by
Recent
Reset
  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    The sound

    Of thick air...

  • uncle_tripel
    Joined:
    always...

    ...avoided the NR on recording
    and found very early the highs just got too muted for my ear,

    returning to some more 1978 this week:
    june 4th 1978
    at Campus Stadium, UCSB in Santa Barbara, Ca

    some more friends of the devils? lol...
    ...= the "on stage" harley davidson acceleration into--->NFA

    make LOVE, not war!

    PEACE!
    uncle_tripel

    PS: new avatar = mickey & jerry on 7/4/86 @ Rich Stadium

  • JimInMD
    Joined:
    Noise Reduction and...

    I used Dolby for a brief blink of an eye when I first started copying tapes. Being young and naive, I thought who wants tape noise to come through on the recording, duh.. no brainer, I flipped the Dolby switch on my Nak and hit record. I just want to hear the music, no hiss.

    Very quickly reality set in. Was it Dolby A or Dolby B? Was the source tape recording using Dolby, if so, if you hit Dolby wouldn't it further compress the recording and further alter the sound, you can't play back using Dolby Squared, right? And what do you do in the car, in the boom box (yes.. we were just a few years out of 8 tracks when I started getting tapes). And who really flips or unflips the Dolby switch anyway based on how you think the recording was made. After all, were all these tapes properly notated every step of the way.

    So I quickly gave up on noise reduction, I had a good enough tape deck that I shouldn't be so worried about tape noise. I quit Dolby and never looked back (and never worried about pressing the Dolby button again).

    Just spit balling here, but my prejudices sometimes come to the surface when I hear a Dicks or Daves or Road Trips that sounds a bit muffled and I wonder if the particular Reel or Cassette or Betamax or whatever might have had a Dolby snafu baked in. To be clear, I have no proof this has ever occurred, I just wonder sometimes.

    I should emphasize Jeffrey Norman / David Glasser, etc. have gotten better at their jobs. So if there is any compression or noise reduction used anywhere along the way, they better at making this music sound as good as it possibly can, regardless of the sordid history of the source tapes. Thank you GD, Mockingbird Studios, the good folks and Plangent Processing and all the others that get this music to my front porch. Oh, and thank you tapers too!

  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    Ooops, forgot

    I can’t say for sure off hand about everyone who recorded Dead and NR, but Betty was known for not using it, and if things are done right, no need.
    Nothing comes for free, so every time you do something, it will effect other things, sometimes negatively…a cost benefit trade off…perhaps just like BITD with high gen cassettes? To Dolby or not to Dolby, that is the question lol
    I always have tried not to do any permanent adjustments/fixes, preferring to try and fix some other way, eq etc, but nothing permanent that you can’t fix yer fix!

    Imho NR etc becomes more of a band aid for when things weren’t able to be right, or to help mask issues beyond repair, i.e., the ravages of time.
    Don’t think I’ve ever used any on a master recording?

    Onto rest of GDM soundtrack this afternoon…

  • 1stshow70878
    Joined:
    Thx Oro

    So 15 ips or 30 ips would have been impractical for shows I imagine. Expense, changing reels too often, and as these were for listening by the band not studio use, etc. But what about them using noise reduction? I'm guessing no Dolby.
    As an aside, I seldom have my Dolby on when listening to cassettes even though most were recorded with it. Even factory tapes with Dolby seem less muffled without it and I'm not listening at thunderous levels (most of the time) where hiss is an issue.
    Skylabs, a top notch mid-western audio repairer, no longer works on certain categories of equipment: Consoles, quad receivers, linear tracking turntables, automatic turntables, and reel to reels. Just not worth it from a cost perspective for what those machines sell for vs. repair costs. There are still plenty of specialists who will and R-to-Rs are available restored at very reasonable prices but good luck finding pre-recorded tapes (old or new). Nobody makes them anymore. I was never tempted but my cassette guy sells tons of R-to-Rs for like $200-$300 fully restored, but they are more run of the mill Sony and not high end. And they sell fast!
    Thanks again and cheers bro

  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    First half of GDM soundtrack

    Ist show. The more surface area (wider the tape), and/or the faster the recording speed, the higher the resolution. And yes R2R can most certainly sound best. (Like anything though, if done well)
    The problem is a good one is very expensive, they’re as hard to keep maintained etc as a TT, and good linage quality tapes are rare and expensive, oh, and more a pain to “flip” than even a record…but they can sound amazing!

    Remember, many CDs AND most vinyl are sourced from (hopefully) master R2R tapes! A purist with the gear and ears might argue that direct to (vinyl) disc recording is the ultimate…but good luck lol
    One of the main reasons digital still gets such a bad rap is twofold
    1- the conversion used originally, and lack of attention to disparity’s between different DACs in the chain. Conversion has come a loonnggg way baby! AND…
    2- a significant number of the CDs first produced to meet the huge demand were not sourced from the master tapes, and lineage and source quality were often a joke! Caveat emptor: not all CDs are created alike!…or Blu-ray’s, or DVDs, or Vinyl etc Like drugs boys and girls, know your sources!

  • 1stshow70878
    Joined:
    4-11-78

    5th show in the box.
    OK, now were getting there.
    Great 1st set.
    2nd set list looks good too.
    Moving right along...
    Cheers

    Random ?s for the tapers and the knowledgeable. Were these original tapes running at 7.5 ips on reel to reels and were they done with any Dolby or whatever? And do you audience tapers use any noise reduction? Been talking to an analog guy who says with reel to reel running fast you get superior saturation and the best analog sound of all, which to his ear beats CDs and even vinyl, and Dolby is unnecessary for good reel to reel recordings.

  • uncle_tripel
    Joined:
    "Don't...

    climb on the fence, you idiot"

    august 6th 1974

    now that's much better, the sound is less polished or over-dubbed...or whatever...

    support your local library,
    my better half's employer also

    Peace for All!
    uncle_tripel

    PS - Hey Bobby, party like it's 1984, Happy B-day!

  • Colin Gould
    Joined:
    Right now

    This is a little niche for this forum since I’m streaming it on BBC iplayer so it’s probably only accessible in the UK,
    John Martyn - Live at Reading University 1978
    This is an episode of ‘Rock Goes to College’. We saw him several times 78 -79 and his solo concerts were always excellent. It’s available for the next 27 days and is highly recommended. For those who can’t access it I recommend his album ‘One World’ which was his current album when this concert was recorded.
    Edit: To be honest I’d recommend any of his albums really

  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    Slumming it ; )

    With Dave’s 17, since the rude abrupt halt to my research via the archive being down : (
    Ah well, I’ll just have to suffer lol

    Hope their highly trained crack equipment crew gets it just exactly perfect sooner than later 🤞Was gonna do the big five O anniversary treatment of Rocktober 74, complete in order as I don’t think I’ve done so? Sigh…bastards!

    Kudos to Uncle T supporting the local Library! (TOO is a librarian ; )
    If you don’t use em, ya lose em!
    And remember, they killed Marion ; )

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months
New year, new update. Tell us of your musical adventures in real time!
user picture

Member for

4 years 6 months
Permalink

Hey y’all
I have a cassette of a show that doesn’t have a date on it. Brent is singing, so it’s in the ‘80s and the crowd cheered loudly when Memphis was mentioned…maybe held in Memphis, TN??? Can anyone help me ID the show for my collection? Set list is below:
Set 1
Touch of Grey
Walkin Blues
Candy man
Queen Jane Approximately
Loser
It’s All over Now
Far From Me
Cassidy
Don’t Ease Me In

Set 2
Feel Like a Stranger
Franklin’s Tower
Box of Rain

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months

In reply to by gr8fulgal77

Permalink

Looks like you might have 3-24-88 The Omni set I, with some of 3-28-88 Hampton set I as filler. I just cracked open my trusty DeadBase to check. It's a fun game, guess the show... :-)

user picture

Member for

4 years 6 months

In reply to by wilfredtjones

Permalink

The compilation matches the style of the taper I got them from-he tended to combine shows!! Thank you so much!!! It’s a fun game! Do you know anything about the Terrapin from the Omni Show? I love a good terrapin!

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months

In reply to by gr8fulgal77

Permalink

Have you ever heard of the site called heady version (all one word)? It's a deadhead generated ranking of all the Grateful Dead's catalogue. According to the site, it lists the top 3 versions as: 2-26-77, 5-17-77 and 1-22-78.

-edit- Looks like Terrapin from 10-22-83 gets some high ratings from the 80's.

user picture

Member for

11 years 9 months

In reply to by wilfredtjones

Permalink

I was listening to the sound of the ribs sizzling on the grill....

user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

10 years 10 months
Permalink

CD by Martin Taylor and David Grisman's Acoustic Jazz Quartet, called "I'm Beginning to See the Light.," 1999.

Taylor and Grisman go at a bunch of true standards (Autumn Leaves, Cheek to Cheek, Lover Man, Willow Weep for Me, Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered...etc.) It is good because it does focus Grisman a little, like Garcia used to do, and bring David down from his free form "Dawg" jamming. It's nice, like at a Dead concert, when the riffing resolves into a recognizable song and melody. On the other hand, maybe you can say that Grisman is excessively disciplined and sticks too closely to the melody here rather than riffing and improvising as much as many jazz players do - could have been a happy medium with his Dawg somehow - maybe he felt a little more free to do that in his collaborations with Jerry. But this is good. Great music for dinner or reading and you raise your head every once in awhile at a nice riff or return to well known swing melodies. And danceable if you know your Lindy. That's probably what was intended. Jerry would have appreciated it, I think - Jerry himself in his last interviews said he was going to see Steffan Grappelli doing this sort of riffing on standards before both of them unfortunately passed on. And of course Jerry was named after Jerome Kern, or so I heard once upon a time, so these standard would be right up his alley.

user picture

Member for

16 years 6 months
Permalink

Don’t miss this title from bassist Cleveland Eaton from 1974: Cleveland Eaton, Plenty Good Eaton.
This record refuses to get off my turntable deck.
Sorely underappreciated…

Shwack in NH

user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

2 years 3 months
Permalink

I'm listening to Roy Kim's "Only If" right now and it makes me sleepy coz it's a ballad song.

user picture

Member for

2 years 7 months

In reply to by _

Permalink

Haiduk - Morph [blackened death metal]

youtube.com/watch?v=uNQ1-hyWLxo

user picture

Member for

6 years
Permalink

Listening to Mason's Children and New Speedway Boogie, 2 Dead songs which were largely overlooked by both band and fans for quite a while.

user picture

Member for

17 years 1 month
Permalink

any recommendation? what are people wanting to snag? im looking at.....

-muddy waters woodstock album
-sun ra
-howlin' wolf
-alex chilton
-ABB

user picture

Member for

10 years 2 months

In reply to by Sun King

Permalink

I'm off to get...

Gong Live in Lyon 1972 as a certainty. Mind your head!
Charlie Parker as a maybe.

Can't think what else I saw - those are the ones I remember when I had a look last night.

Well, I'm not off anywhere - I'll be poking around online.

user picture

Member for

1 year 2 months
Permalink

Currently listening to and learning Deep Elem Blues ... i noticed there are 2 dominant versions, live at harpur College version, which is a slowed down real bluesy version, and then the more classic and common "bluegrass" version as heard in the acoustic and JGB shows...

wondering if anyone knows what these two styles are called in the dead/music world, as I'm trying to learn the Harpur College version and having trouble searching for lessons on that specifically that version ("real bluesy version" and "harpur college version" isn't working in the searches)

Much love!

user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

11 months 3 weeks
Permalink

i am listening to the Doors break on Through Center Coliseum, Seattl 1970

user picture

Member for

7 years 9 months

In reply to by orian75

Permalink

This is one of those shows where we're so very lucky to have the tape that we have. Mike Tannenbaum's recording gear was supposedly concealed inside a wheelchair. Once your ear gets used to the recording quality, though, this show has some ferocious passages that are absolutely worth hearing. I come back to the Cryptical->Other One->Cryptical->Sugar Mag time and time again. Garcia is just a demon dancing across Other One. And the Sugar Mag... a song that would go on to be played hundreds of times, but here has barely been done a dozen... Garcia's solo is effortlessly rockin' right out of the gate, just so assured. And beautiful harmonies from the boys.

figured I'd post here since someone had revived this thread

user picture

Member for

9 years

In reply to by orian75

Permalink

The new Matrix 1967 release is a good one.

user picture

Member for

10 years 2 months

In reply to by icecrmcnkd

Permalink

A great box set of David Bowie's demo and live recordings from 1971, leading up to the release of Hunky Dory. It's surprising how tentative he seemed performing live at this time. Come the beginning of 1972, an inspired make over and change of outlook - hey presto - Ziggy played guitar. This box set is really good, charting the path from nowhere's ville to the stars.

user picture

Member for

17 years 4 months
Permalink

1981 european tour munich west germany.
my first crispy maxwell xl2 found at street fair in greenwich village new york.
best ever opening jack straw….perfect

user picture

Member for

7 years 9 months
Permalink

This has to be the most random bit of folk/singer-songwriter material I have ever stumbled into. The artist is someone I'd never heard of: F.J. McMahon.

McMahon's album, "Spirit of the Golden Juice", had a limited pressing in 1969 and McMahon tried touring to support it, even eventually doing the tourist circuit in Hawaii, but the album got no play. He finally found himself uninspired by playing covers, so he joined the navy and soon forgot all about playing music for a living. (I tried to say more but it was at this point that I got hey now'd)

(trying to edit my post) try the song 'Early Blue' if you just want to see what the fuss is about

user picture

Member for

7 years 9 months
Permalink

the Cleveland 12/4/73 show ( I was tryna say more but something kept getting me hey now'd) <sigh>

Wow, what got into Phil Lesh that night!? Somewhere I read that he was ticked off with the promoters and that's part of the reason set II is short. I wonder if Phil was trying to bring the ceiling down on those miscreants. Whatever his motivations were, it's just marvelous the things he does with his bass. He just takes over on Eyes and drives things into one ferociously weird bit of feedback. And that Stella Blue, too...he's playing behind Garcia instead of being way out in front, and yet Phil just goes thundering along. Intense. I've spent the last 90 minutes just grooving to Phil and replaying those two songs. Good stuff!!

user picture

Member for

10 years 2 months

In reply to by icecrmcnkd

Permalink

Fillmore East 12/31/69 - 1/2/70. The photo in the book of this box, of the Fillmore East advertises The Dead's shows for 1/2-3/70. Which isn't a bad idea for the New Year.

user picture

Member for

11 years 3 months
Permalink

JGB 12/31/75
Dead 12/31/76
Dead 12/31/78

user picture

Member for

9 years

In reply to by TN John

Permalink

Allman Brothers 12-31-73

This one should be cleaned up and released.

user picture

Member for

10 years 1 month
Permalink

They were ripping it up and loving it in their first visit to Red Rocks.
Rumor has it that rocks were jostled loose from the walls by Phil's bombs, but that may have been some illegal climbing up there.
Cheers

user picture

Member for

11 years 3 months

In reply to by 1stshow70878

Permalink

9/16/90

user picture

Member for

11 years 3 months
Permalink

5/26/77
Love me some '77 "Sugaree".

user picture

Member for

9 years

In reply to by TN John

Permalink

From the wonderful HCSS Box

user picture

Member for

11 years 3 months
Permalink

11/30/73

user picture

Member for

11 years 3 months
Permalink

7/17/76
Amazing "Comes A Time"

user picture

Member for

10 years 2 months

In reply to by TN John

Permalink

I'm thinking of getting a cat. I'm not - but I keep getting hey now'd when I mention The Dead.

user picture

Member for

10 years 1 month
Permalink

Tried but got the hey now.

Downhill From Here last night. Meh.

Cheers

Jan. 8 doing DiP20 because I woke up hearing Cosmic Charlie in my head.

user picture

Member for

10 years 1 month
Permalink

Fall '77 from a bit of everywhere.
Just finished 5-21-77 from DiP 29.
Cheers

user picture

Member for

1 year 1 month
Permalink

yup 1981-05-02

Peace All!

user picture

Member for

1 year 1 month
Permalink

of healy, latvala, norman, cutler for Nassau 1981-05-06, it is
hard for me to grasp that this 13th version of dick's picks has been in my GD treasure chest for 25 years!
Rock On Today and EVERYDAY!

Peace All!

user picture

Member for

1 year 1 month
Permalink

TODAY with a listen to 1981-12-09 [daP 20] CU Events Center in Boulder, CO; it's been five weeks of some very COOL music from 1981 and "tripping the light fantastic", wow:) and THANK YOU for a real good time!

Peace All!
uncle_tripel

user picture

Member for

11 years 3 months
Permalink

Starlight Theater
Kansas City, MO
An excellent Chris Chappell matrix over at the archive.
This is one smoking show!

user picture

Member for

9 years

In reply to by TN John

Permalink

Bonus songs on “Don’t Look Back” Blu-ray

user picture

Member for

1 year 1 month
Permalink

1974-02-22 (bonus 2022 disc) crank up the HEAT and bring it on china>rider & ujb!
everyone enjoy your saturday
Peace All!
uncle_tripel

user picture

Member for

10 years 2 months

In reply to by uncle_tripel

Permalink

Due to hey nows. It's mentioning 1974 that seems to be the problem.