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stereo/mono on the same cd


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You're right Chewy. I keep seeing people posting about some flaws on one or two tracks of such and such. I wonder if people would prefer a perfect mono master to be substituted for a stereo master with something wrong with it. Or, if not substituted, let both versions be put on the CD, as you've suggested.

I suppose it depends on how bad the flaw is. I have a strong feeling that I, for one, couldn't hear the differences some people think are horrendous.

MG

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This has occasionally been done, for example on the "John Coltrane with Johnny Hartman" SACD reissue or on a John Lewis Orchestra USA CD on one of those spanish labels.

On the Coltrane/Hartman disc the mono tracks come first, because Rudy Van Gelder considers them as the "master mix". Given that the session is only 33 minutes long, it was possible to accomodate both recordings on a CD.

Because in the early 60's most people were listening in mono, some engineers took more care in the mono mix than in the stereo mix. Therfore some sessions sound better in the mono version. That also justifies releasing the mono mix even when there are no flaws on the stereo tapes.

Edited by Claude
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Thanks Claude. I wonder if that's why I could always hear Bobby Hutcherson better on my mono copy of "Let 'em roll" than on my mate's stereo copy. I deliberately bought the mono version because of that.

MG

Perhaps it's just me, though. :)

Edited by The Magnificent Goldberg
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This is a nice idea but this would only be useful, IMHO, for certain BN titles - particularly earlier (pre-1958) ones. On the Steve Hoffman forums, there have been several discussions about Rudy's recordings and production of stereo and mono versions of the BN sessions after 1958. Some of the mono records from that point on, according to people who are in the know, were merely fold-downs from the stereo master tapes. No point having added mono versions that are just fold-downs from stereo - heck, you could make those yourself! :)

Others were from a true mono master tape, though, and those would be GREAT to have included along with their stereo counterparts on a single disc! :tup

Edited by DrJ
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This is a nice idea but this would only be useful, IMHO, for certain BN titles - particularly earlier (pre-1958) ones. On the Steve Hoffman forums, there have been several discussions about Rudy's recordings and production of stereo and mono versions of the BN sessions after 1958. Some of the mono records from that point on, according to people who are in the know, were merely fold-downs from the stereo master tapes. No point having added mono versions that are just fold-downs from stereo - heck, you could make those yourself! :)

Others were from a true mono master tape, though, and those would be GREAT to have included along with their stereo counterparts on a single disc! :tup

The flaw in your (and the Hoffman crew's) thinking relates to possible deterioration of the stereo tapes while the "fold downs" are intact.

Never leave the decisions in the hands of the engineers.

Edited by Chuck Nessa
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This is a nice idea but this would only be useful, IMHO, for certain BN titles - particularly earlier (pre-1958) ones. On the Steve Hoffman forums, there have been several discussions about Rudy's recordings and production of stereo and mono versions of the BN sessions after 1958. Some of the mono records from that point on, according to people who are in the know, were merely fold-downs from the stereo master tapes. No point having added mono versions that are just fold-downs from stereo - heck, you could make those yourself! :)

Others were from a true mono master tape, though, and those would be GREAT to have included along with their stereo counterparts on a single disc! :tup

Hi Tony,

Yep, I know what you're talking about. But as I've learned more and listened to some of these records it seems as though the technique can produce decent results. The post "Moanin'" albums that I've heard mono versions of have usually sounded just great. Same with the 200gm monos done by Bernie Grundman for Classic Records. It seems Rudy did this to have "more" control with setting balances when doing the mono mix by recording to 2-track stereo. Bernie Grundman uses Rudy's technique of folding in the channels 50/50 per Rudy's instructions (I'm getting this from the ads; you've seen 'em, I'm sure).

And I do recall how SH had said something like it's really not the best way to go about doing a mono recording, and I'm sure that's probably true, but I'll be darned if I don't go ahead and enjoy 'em quite a lot.

I guess I just take these things on a case by case basis. :cool::ph34r:

Just my two cents... :)

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so whats the best Blue Note Stereo mixes? what albums?

yea yea and didnt one of those tech posts say that when they remaster to lp they go straight from analog no digital conversion? well i was listning to db at the half note on tape and all those tapes are digitally remastered....so they dont go straight to analog w/ the tapes

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