The Stephen Desper Thread

[tansen]

I hear you regarding the NS10. I've always found them to be good monitors to double check a mix on, but I would never use them alone either! I quite like Genelec's combined with a woofer though (albeit a bit on the bright side).
The 'Virtual Barbershop' is amazing - I heard that one a while back, and it really is incredible! But many of the other 'illusions' I hadn't heard about (Shepard’s paradox for one) - some really interesting stuff there!

COMMENT:  

You've got to be kidding? ...................... NS10M for sale on Ebay @ $830.00, the pair. These things are holding their value better than a bar of gold. That's double the original selling price!

>>>  http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yamaha-NS-10M-NS10M-Nearfield-Professional-Monitors-MATCHED-PAIR-EXCELLENT-COND-/200827297766?pt=US_Pro_Audio_Speakers_Monitors&hash=item2ec23d5fe6

Oh, By the way, I've got a used roll of original 1978 paper towel used to damp the tweeters. I'll let it go for a mear $225.00 including shipping!  'cause I'm such a nice guy.

~swd

Haha! Insane, right? Especially considering that they really don't sound that "nice"

[Stephen W. Desper]

Haha! Insane, right? Especially considering that they really don't sound that "nice"

COMMENT:   All you ever wanted to know about questionable reference monitors.   ~swd

NS-10 History >>> http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep08/articles/yamahans10.htm

[tansen]

Haha! Insane, right? Especially considering that they really don't sound that "nice"

COMMENT:   All you ever wanted to know about questionable reference monitors.   ~swd

NS-10 History >>> http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep08/articles/yamahans10.htm

Thanks for that Stephen - that was a great read, very informative! I think my experience with the NS10's is somewhere along these lines from the article:

"I found a familiar comment on the SOS Forum that reads: "If it sounds good on NS10s then it'll sound good on anything." Again, that's not because the NS10 is inherently poor, but because it is effective at revealing the fundamental compromises inherent in recorded music." - but like someone else from the SOS forum mentions, they should never be used for anything else than cross reference monitors.

[Stephen W. Desper]

Haha! Insane, right? Especially considering that they really don't sound that "nice"

COMMENT:   All you ever wanted to know about questionable reference monitors.   ~swd

NS-10 History >>> http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep08/articles/yamahans10.htm

Thanks for that Stephen - that was a great read, very informative! I think my experience with the NS10's is somewhere along these lines from the article:

"I found a familiar comment on the SOS Forum that reads: "If it sounds good on NS10s then it'll sound good on anything." Again, that's not because the NS10 is inherently poor, but because it is effective at revealing the fundamental compromises inherent in recorded music." - but like someone else from the SOS forum mentions, they should never be used for anything else than cross reference monitors.

COMMENT:
You should be an editor. You have condensed an over-worded distillation to the very core of its essence.
I agree with your sentiment.  ~swd

[Myk Luhv]

Perhaps my Googling skills leave something to be desired but I was unable to find any information about this... so I figured I'd ask you directly, Stephen: What, if any, non-Beach-Boys (or BBs-related) studio sessions have you engineered? I know you mixed for Zappa's live act so perhaps you engineered some of his studio sessions or something?

[Stephen W. Desper]

Perhaps my Googling skills leave something to be desired but I was unable to find any information about this... so I figured I'd ask you directly, Stephen: What, if any, non-Beach-Boys (or BBs-related) studio sessions have you engineered? I know you mixed for Zappa's live act so perhaps you engineered some of his studio sessions or something?

COMMENT:

Thank you for asking Dr. Voldelabra. I posted my profile for two days which should have answered your question. I have removed it. If your question is still unanswered, please post here again and I'll try to answer as best I can.       ~swd
 

[Sangheon]

Hi Mr.Desper

Thank you for the CCW video.It's so amazing!!
I really really hope the alternate mix will be released officially!

By the way, What do you think about the remastering of the reissued Sunflower CD this year?
Do you think there is difference between 2000 version and 2009 version?
I really enjoy listening both version.

I'm glad if I will hear your feel or thought about mastering of 2009 version.
(I was disappointed that there is not credit of you as a original engineer in booklet....)

COMMENT:

Unless the re-mastering utilized the playback end of the recording matrix, all reissues are lame and incomplete.

I don't care how much TLC you put into a remastering project, without resolution, it's just stuck in stereo.

In my opinion these remasters are just playing on the collectable value the market may bear, that is, how many fans are out there who will pay to have, yet another issue, added to their collection.  But these additions bring nothing new to the fan.

I intend to bring to the fan's attention many BB songs I think should be heard in the light of Modern Playback Techniques. With the study-videos (such as CCW) as a vehicle of education, eventually all the songs I have mixed will be hearable by you as they were originally intended to be heard.

As to credits, my credit missing is a violation of my contract with The Beach Boys, but when they licence someone to make a reissue, those agreements are never enforced.  Look at how many albums you have in your collection that are Beach Boy creations, but don't even name one Beach Boy, including Brian. So if the very core of these albums is given no credit, am I to expect any more.  At any rate, I'm not going to lament over it, I just want to get these songs out there with their full potential available to hear by those who appreciate good sound.

~swd 

Thank so much for your comment!! I'm so glad to hear your comment directly!

I haven't know 'playback end of recording matrix' until I saw CCW video and your comment.
I don't know much about recording process.Could you please tell me.


It is not master tape?

 I think remastering is usually done by using master tape.
But Sunflower's master tape doesn't include the mix you and producer(maybe Carl?) intended.
So, if reissue project team want to make worthy remastered Sunflower, they need to use the palyback end of recording matrix. right?

[Stephen W. Desper]

Hi Mr.Desper

Thank you for the CCW video.It's so amazing!!
I really really hope the alternate mix will be released officially!

By the way, What do you think about the remastering of the reissued Sunflower CD this year?
Do you think there is difference between 2000 version and 2009 version?
I really enjoy listening both version.

I'm glad if I will hear your feel or thought about mastering of 2009 version.
(I was disappointed that there is not credit of you as a original engineer in booklet....)

COMMENT:

Unless the re-mastering utilized the playback end of the recording matrix, all reissues are lame and incomplete.

I don't care how much TLC you put into a remastering project, without resolution, it's just stuck in stereo.

In my opinion these remasters are just playing on the collectable value the market may bear, that is, how many fans are out there who will pay to have, yet another issue, added to their collection.  But these additions bring nothing new to the fan.

I intend to bring to the fan's attention many BB songs I think should be heard in the light of Modern Playback Techniques. With the study-videos (such as CCW) as a vehicle of education, eventually all the songs I have mixed will be hearable by you as they were originally intended to be heard.

As to credits, my credit missing is a violation of my contract with The Beach Boys, but when they licence someone to make a reissue, those agreements are never enforced.  Look at how many albums you have in your collection that are Beach Boy creations, but don't even name one Beach Boy, including Brian. So if the very core of these albums is given no credit, am I to expect any more.  At any rate, I'm not going to lament over it, I just want to get these songs out there with their full potential available to hear by those who appreciate good sound.

~swd 

Thank so much for your comment!! I'm so glad to hear your comment directly!

I haven't know 'playback end of recording matrix' until I saw CCW video and your comment.
I don't know much about recording process.Could you please tell me.


It is not master tape?

 I think remastering is usually done by using master tape.
But Sunflower's master tape doesn't include the mix you and producer(maybe Carl?) intended.
So, if reissue project team want to make worthy remastered Sunflower, they need to use the palyback end of recording matrix. right?

COMMENT:

In the case of Sunflower -- the album -- the MASTER MIX TAPE contains the mix that Carl approved. Carl was acting producer. The MASTER MIX TAPE was then mastered for release on vinyl at 33.33 RPM. This process is called mastering. The LP matrix (not to be confused with the sonic matrix) is made directly from the MASTER MIX TAPE. The LP matrix is a "mother" (positive) that will give birth to many "stampers" (negative) used to make the LP you buy in a store. At the same time the LP matrix is cut, a MASTER LP TAPE is made. This tape is used to make additional mothers if the original mother becomes over-used or damaged. The MASTER LP TAPE is also copied and sent to pressing plants outside of the US. The LP matrix mother will begin to deteriorate within hours of being cut, so it is always rushed to the pressing plant to be plated for production of the stampers ASAP. You can't send mothers to Europe or Japan because of the travel time, so a tape copy is sent.

The very best of all this is to buy an LP of the first pressing. This will be one of the first 100 or so pressings. That is to say, the first mother is cut and the first stamper is made and the first 100 pressings are about as good as it gets. I have a few in my collection, still sealed.

With respect to Sunflower or Surf's Up;  the MASTER MIX TAPE was approved by Carl and myself. Also, the LP matrix mother was also approved by Carl and myself via a test pressing which comes back from the pressing plant -- off of the first run.  So only the first run from the LP matrix was actually approved by Carl and myself. All others are just copies -- and we hope are true copies.

RE-MASTERING uses the MASTER MIX TAPE to again master what is on that tape. This is usually done when new technology allows something more to be gleaned from the MASTER MIX TAPE then was before possible.  The MASTER LP TAPE recognizes the unique qualities of the LP record. But, when the CD came along it did not have the mechanical uniqueness of the LP and so required re-mastering for that medium. The resolution of DVD or HD Audio further requires re-mastering to adjust the sound to compliment this higher fidelity medium.

However, I myself don't see the point of buying a record made in Japan or Europe or even the USA if the record is being made today. First of all, to get the master over to Japan, it will be digitized, the sent by email file over to Japan, made back to analog and then cut to vinyl. This is several generations from the original. Why not just buy a good copy made here and from the original LP matrix?  That way it is close to the MASTER MIX TAPE and approved by Carl himself, not some unknown person in Japan.

As far as the Matrix (the one used in the recording) is concerned, it is backward compatible, so musically both the stereo version and the matrix-ed version have the same musical balance, but the matrix is much more spatial. Other advances today can produce fantastic product if applied correctly. An example of this follows this posting.

In the "re-masters" I am doing, the source is not the MASTER MIX TAPE, but usually a CD. But, my process imposes such changes for the better that the source can be a CD. It is not necessary to go all the way back to the MASTER MIX TAPE because we are changing so much from the original that there is no need to use it.

I know this all can be confusing, but we engineers have everything under control. Just enjoy the music.

~swd     

[Stephen W. Desper]

COMMENT:

====================================================================================
====================================================================================

Announcement  &  Guidelines for Use

With help from Will C. Music Productions I am proud to announce the second of many study-videos that will explore the sound production techniques I used in the making of Beach Boy and other artists’ music. These studies also include examples of my favorite mastering techniques applied to finished works. I believe you will find they clarify the music and expand the presentation in the stereo panorama. However, this "privilege of study" can cease to be, if abused.  

The study-videos provided under password covenant involve the use of copyrighted material. Copyright “Fair Use” rules and regulations allow for study and examination of copyrighted material provided that certain requirements are met. Navigating the Fair Use regulations is a slippery slope and open to much interpretation, depending on each particular situation.

Openly posted copies of copyrighted works proliferate the Internet today. In most cases these postings remain unchallenged by the copyright holder, and thus seem to be setting a broader precedence for tolerance. However, I caution you to be vigilant. The studies I am providing are not for use by the general public and are not openly posted nor should be openly posted. I have placed all these studies behind a password and non-descriptive web-address for a reason. Please respect my request that anything protected behind a password remain within and must be confined to this study. They are not be copied or posted elsewhere, such as Youtube.com, or to become the subject of a bootleg copy. To do otherwise is to tempt and/or “push” the Fair Use doctrine to a point that may not be tolerable or allowed by the copyright holder, resulting in the forced removal of the study(s).

I’m sorry to be so restrictive in my requests, but posting comments is one thing. Posting the actual music is another – even if used in a study format. All of these studies are available by privilege. Let us all respect that privilege and not violate the opportunity granted us for study by abusing the rules.

This message board is where I post. It is not connected with these study-videos.

These studies are provided for use by the dedicated and interested Beach Boy fan. Please feel free to share the study-site with fellow interested fans. But if you share, please caution those with whom you share of the restrictions that must be followed under this privilege.  Any copy of music or commentary should (1) be for personal use only, (2) not be for monetary gain, and (3) be in addition to purchased copies of the same material, i.e., not be used in place of the original purchasing of the musical product from a retail or Internet store.

IMPORTANT!  All of the provided studies are designed to be reproduced over any stereo system, from small to large. I would encourage you to connect your computer to a good set of speakers or to your stereo system (via the headphone or output jack) for a complete realization of the music-subject explored in each study. I master for good sound. Connect your computer to the best sound you can. The listening rewards are enormous.
 
Required passwords can be seen by clicking on my name, then look under Website. The best way to enter the password is to copy and paste. Copy only the two words (not the quotation marks) and paste into the window at VIMEO.

Please post all comments and/or discussions back onto this thread.  

Thank you and Good Listening,  ~Stephen W. Desper

====================================================================================

Cool, Cool Water >>> http://vimeo.com/willcmusicproductions/w583rthv42tr808ccw

Heroes And Villains >>> http://vimeo.com/willcmusicproductions/w583rthv42tr809hav

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[mikeyj]

Brilliant! Thanks Mr. Desper! Listening now.

[grillo]

The best sounding version of H&V I've heard! Really great, Stephen. Thanks so much.

[seltaeb1012002]

Awesome! It's like the Sunflower-ized version of H&V.

Thanks again Stephen & Will!

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

I always have trouble with these passwords!!! ughhhh I can't wait to listen though!!!!!

[ontor pertawst]

Gorgeous! What a rich sound.... gah, why isn't THIS being released.

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

Fantastic mix! I've listened on both my Monitors and 5.1 system (cut down to 2.1 of course for this recording!)

Sounds great! Very full sound, unlike most mixes these days.

Also, Mr. Desper, if you are reading this, I have a huge favor to ask of you.
I'm a pretty young guy (15!) learning how to engineer, mix and produce music basically alone, with a bit of educated feedback from
people. However, I've never really gotten any really big tips toward reaching, for a lack a better term, YOUR sound.
My main problem is creating a mix that sounds good on all sound systems, which is something you've obviously mastered!

What I ask is, would you mind listening to some of my mixes sometime, and giving me some ideas and or feedback?
I'm trying really hard to reach the great sound of the later BB's albums, but I need some help, and who better to ask?

Anyway, hopefully it's no trouble, if you can take a quick listen, send me an email (it's on my profile page) and i'll send you some
lossless mixes! Thanks either way!

[Rich Panteluk]

Mr. Desper,

I just wanted to add my name of the long list of people who are VERY grateful for your contributions here.  The music of Beach Boys is the most emotional response inducing thing I have ever encountered.  The records you engineered are my favourite sonic experiences.  Thank you for making some of the world's best singers reach even more brilliant heights.  I just watched the 40 min CCW video.  I am stunned.  What a beautiful gift you have given us.  To break down and dissect this dense, intricate music as you have is just a joy.

I hope you realize how much your contributions mean to us.

I am off to watch the Heroes video.

All the best,
Rich Panteluk
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

[Don Malcolm]

It's uncanny how the re-spatializing makes it so much more possible to retain and follow the various background vocals, particularly in the "barbershop" sequences. And it really does seem to work on all types of sound reproduction equipment...but it seems to be best of all in those "cheap" Sony headphones! Simply superb work, Mr. Desper--please consider giving us a re-mix of "Cabinessence."

[king of anglia]

Desper!

Can you explain about the restoration of the leading edge harmonics a bit more? How does it work? Is it analogue? Does it accentuate peaks, kind of like a reverse limter?

Ta,
Steve

[brother john]

Sounds fabulous, definitely an improvement on the flat transfer.

I'd like to know, when the track is put through your device how much tweaking is necessary to achieve the results, or is just a matter of allowing the device to work its magic on the peaks?

[brother john]

Stephen, thank you very much for CCW and H&V - they have been most instructive and extremely pleasurable listens.

I don't know what else, you have planned for your classes, but I took part in a long and fascinating conversation some years ago here on the forum about Surf''s Up and that would be a brilliant work to hear your thoughts on and discuss.

[EgoHanger1966]

I cannot get the password right. I had this problem last time but forgot the right way. Anyone help??
 ----- edit: never mind. it only took me like an hour!------------

[SMiLE Brian]

Wonderful Job Mr. Desper, the restored mix sounds great and shows the genius of Brian Wilson in creating deeply layered productions. This remaster shows that Brian really knew what he was doing in finishing the track after all the tinkering earlier in the year.

[leoleoleoleo]

ive tried both passwords and neither work, can someone please give me a clue?

[Amazing Larry]

I think it'd be fascinating to have WAVS of the multitracks for Cool, Cool Water.

[Al Jardine: Pick Up Artist]

I think it'd be fascinating to have WAVS of the multitracks for Cool, Cool Water.

Well, that's nice, but it ain't gonna happen 'round here.