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Mastering Session 2 Voting

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Silent Bob:
Well, that sucks (about your monitors).

This mistake in uploads was a good learning example.  #1, as business owners, we must keep track of records to the letter.  I once did a job for somebody back when I was recording on computers and used the wrong vocal take.  The client didn't notice my mistake until I had already deleted the correct one for consolidation to the archive medium (DVD) and it could not be corrected.  As we were on a deadline, we had to go with it.
This is the same deal, wrong mix got used and the client (Py) didn't notice till it was too late.  So, we could call Submission-1 the victor based on having the best of the wrong mixes or Submission-3 for being the only one with the client approved mix.
#2, a master can only be a letter grade than its mix.  While the oldbobd mix wasn't bad, Py's was slightly superior (which was a VERY hard decision for me to make, I know that) and thus made for a better master.

Note about the ADAT recording:  The ADCs of the original Blackface were actually quite good (better than the DA-88s') for their time and outperform a lot of newer low-end 24-bit systems including M-Audio, Behringer and to a lesser extent, Apogee.  The DACs used quality Burr-Brown 18-bit direct-converting DACs in non-oversampling mode with a passive 10-pole ladder filter to reduce imaging.  Alesis apparently decided to maximize capture quality but skimped on the repro because incorporating the oversampling chip for the DAC was deemed "too costly".  The recording used here was dumped through Lightpipe, thus bypassing the "old digital" aspect of the ADAT.

I was involved in a thread on another forum where several people were marveling at how well their old ADAT tapes compare to what they're doing now.  I said one day, I'll try recording a single source to both my RME and ADAT at the same time and compare the repro through both, maybe even cross feed the signals to each other's DACs to see which part of the system is more objectionable.

oldbobd:
SB:

Boy that's NOT my experience but I've always listened to the result by playing back on an ADAT.  The word clock (recorded synce signal) also tends to mess up causing a sputtering in the audio.  The DA-88 gets it's word sync from every track (not a dedicated sync track) and has pretty much always been stable for me.  It's old technology so...

In our student control room we derive digital signals through the 02R converters but get extra inputs using an ADAT to convert the signal.  The instructor says that his experience is that the 02R conversion is a bit better - not a scientific eval though.

:old: bob

The monitor situation is caused by defective cords - looks like I have to bite the bullet and pull out my wallet.

Silent Bob:
The first thing I noticed about the ADAT was a heightened sense of 5K as well, but my test sweep appeared to be flat from 20Hz-18KHz  :o  Perception is a funny thing.  On that note, it seems like early DASH systems had a ton of 3KHz, or maybe that's just how people worked with them at the time.
I'm starting to move stuff into my new control room now, so I'll be able to retest it using my more accurate converters soon.

oldbobd:
I notice that too - as a mater of fact that "sense" of 5K was the harshness and "distortion" I kept talking about (Jazz Recording).  I don't think it is a frequency response thing.  Harmonic distortion tests on frequencies from 1-5K may be more revealing.  I think you'll find the most distortion of the 1K-2.5K range - sounds like even-order harmonic distortion to my ears.

let us know if you run tests.

:old: bob 

pyrael:
I didn't notice that the mix wasn't mine, other than that it didn't have the "hit it Marty" at the beginning. But figured that was edited out for one reason or another. I guess I could have mentioned it then, and maybe... well hindsight....

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