The Stephen Desper Thread
Stephen W. Desper:
Quote from: andy on January 02, 2006, 08:23:49 AM
I'm not Stephen, but I know the noise you're talking about.
I always assumed it was a slow swell from a crash cymbal emulating a tidal wave. Do you remember that happening by chance, Stephen?
What cymbal crash? The tidal wave was generated via Moog. It's filtered and shaped broadband noise injected into a moving DC controled notch filter the output being splite into two continuously variable delay filters each folded back on itself in the opposite channel. ~swd
andy:
Wow. Well, that's pretty awesome! And it's what I get for assuming. It gives me chills every time I listen to it.
yrplace:
Quote from: Stephen W. Desper on January 02, 2006, 09:31:43 AM
Quote from: brother john on January 02, 2006, 07:54:56 AM
Thankyou Stephen, very much...
OK, I have just one more comment/question on this...
The swelling noise I mentioned and which you described as 'below noise level adjacent track leakage from unused tracks' (but from an unused track...? I don't know enough to understand this I don't think) is very apparent on the box set version of Surf's Up (track) but all but absent from the twofer with Sunflower (2000, 24-bit remaster). Can you explain this? I guess the only way to hear it the way it should be is to listen to the original 12" LP version, though in the UK these tend to be scarce and pricey.
I hope I understand what you are talking about.
The leakage is on the multitrack. It's below noise, so when the twofer was made they used one of the digital noise cancellation algorythms (NONOISE) to remove some analog hiss, and along with that took out the leakage with the noise along with analog beauty.
The UK LP is one generation removed from its USA counterpart. The most pure form is an early issue USA LP. The only release approved by Carl and myself. ~swd
To be accurate, No-noise was not used on the twofer release of Surfs Up released around 2000. The only release to use No-noise was the one done in the early 90's which was supervised by Steve. I don't recall hearing any problems with Brian's vocal or double on either the original 3 track of the song or on the 16 track xfr that was made for the finished version in 1971. The version on the GV box is mixed directly from the original 3 track tape. This tape was copied to 16 track by the beach Boys around 1971 to create the 2nd half of the song as released on the album.
Mark Linett
brother john:
WOW! Everyone's here today. What next, the big guy himself?
You'd think that the sophistication of today's equipment would be able to produce a successful copy of an original recording. Its a shame that human intervention (in terms of noise-reduction etc.) has a tendency to spoil it for those that really care about the recordings.
So, it seems that the released Surf's Up on the box set (the completed track, not the demo) is a more authentic version than the one on 2000's twofer?
Thanks Stephen for pointing out that the UK version is a generation away from the original. Why? I suppose sending master tapes across the Atlantic without a bodyguard is just too risky. Ho hum.
brother john
Stephen W. Desper:
Quote
via Mark Linett: To be accurate, No-noise was not used on the twofer release of Surfs Up released around 2000. The only release to use No-noise was the one done in the early 90's which was supervised by Steve. I don't recall hearing any problems with Brian's vocal or double on either the original 3 track of the song or on the 16 track xfr that was made for the finished version in 1971. The version on the GV box is mixed directly from the original 3 track tape. This tape was copied to 16 track by the beach Boys around 1971 to create the 2nd half of the song as released on the album.
Mark Linett
Comment to Mark Linett --
Thanks Mark for clearing that up for me as well as others here. You've been with those masters more recently than myself. I get confused with all these versions and re-issues. It's the first transfer that had all the problems, that is, the first third part of the song. The last third part was OK as you said. Brother John wondered about the mono mix on the GV box. If he's talking about the first part, as I recall (help me out here) it was mono or double-tracked to mono, and if I remember the piano was with the vocal. We synthesized it to stereo. Then on the last part -- if that's what he's talking about -- the three-track with vocals was seperated and just dubbed over.
I do hear and have always heard the noises and voices he's noted. I believe they are either adjuscent track leakage or remains of something on that particular reel of tape used for Surf's Up. One thing I didn't like about the 3M machines was that they could not remove everything from a well-modulated tape. Most always I'd bulk erase 16-tracks and 2-tracks before use. Surf's Up slipped by or was not properly done and there were areas of remnet sound. It's very low and well under the noise. Mostly you hear it over headphones. ~swd
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page