Tommy CDs (Polydor)

Just what the name says.
Phil Elliott
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Postby Phil Elliott » Sun Jul 09, 2006 10:49 am

Andreas wrote:Pinball Wizard: http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?a ... 9A0DB44FAB

The two masterings of Pinball Wizard are different in the same manner. Louder, more compressed and booming on Phil's sample, thinner and less bass/lower midrange but more dynamic on mine.


Ah. Not liking this much at all; the midrange is pretty honky here - it just doesn't work for this song, especially in the intro.

The speeds between these two is "really" close, as though it's the same tape on the same machine; no way of knowing of course ...

Andreas' sample fades out earlier, FWIW.

Here's something I've wondered about - Andreas: does your copy have audible print through from "Miracle Cure" immediately after "Sensation" finishes? I've always been puzzled as to why it should be there. 1) The two songs shouldn't be on the same reel, unless a copy was made at 7 1/2 ips and 2) shouldn't there be leader tape somewhere?
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lukpac
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Postby lukpac » Sun Jul 09, 2006 10:56 am

Just compared Andreas' 01 Overture to the original (non NM) MCA. They don't sync, but they sound very close.
"I know because it is impossible for a tape to hold the compression levels of these treble boosted MFSL's like Something/Anything. The metal particulate on the tape would shatter and all you'd hear is distortion if even that." - VD

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Postby lukpac » Sun Jul 09, 2006 10:57 am

Phil Elliott wrote:Here's something I've wondered about - Andreas: does your copy have audible print through from "Miracle Cure" immediately after "Sensation" finishes? I've always been puzzled as to why it should be there. 1) The two songs shouldn't be on the same reel, unless a copy was made at 7 1/2 ips and 2) shouldn't there be leader tape somewhere?


Why wouldn't they be on the same reel?
"I know because it is impossible for a tape to hold the compression levels of these treble boosted MFSL's like Something/Anything. The metal particulate on the tape would shatter and all you'd hear is distortion if even that." - VD

Phil Elliott
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Postby Phil Elliott » Sun Jul 09, 2006 11:13 am

Sensation was the last track on side 3. My mindset is stuck on keeping album sides on seperate reels, I guess. As usual, this doesn't prove that Tommy actually was on 4 reels of tape... any other way would be impossible though if they stuck to what seemed to be the most popular way; i.e. a reel being 2500 ft running 15 i.p.s (giving 33 mins per reel)

For all I know, someone might be about to prove me completely wrong.
Last edited by Phil Elliott on Sun Jul 09, 2006 11:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Andreas
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Postby Andreas » Sun Jul 09, 2006 11:15 am

Phil Elliott wrote:Ah. Not liking this much at all; the midrange is pretty honky here - it just doesn't work for this song, especially in the intro.


I agree. I clearly prefer the mastering on Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy.

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Postby lukpac » Sun Jul 09, 2006 11:37 am

Phil Elliott wrote:Sensation was the last track on side 3. My mindset is stuck on keeping album sides on seperate reels, I guess. As usual, this doesn't prove that Tommy actually was on 4 reels of tape... any other way would be impossible though if they stuck to what seemed to be the most popular way; i.e. a reel being 2500 ft running 15 i.p.s (giving 33 mins per reel)

For all I know, someone might be about to prove me completely wrong.


I seem to remember Hoffman saying there were 4 reels at MCA back in the day. No idea about Track/Polydor.
"I know because it is impossible for a tape to hold the compression levels of these treble boosted MFSL's like Something/Anything. The metal particulate on the tape would shatter and all you'd hear is distortion if even that." - VD

Andreas
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Postby Andreas » Sun Jul 09, 2006 11:57 am

Phil Elliott wrote:Here's something I've wondered about - Andreas: does your copy have audible print through from "Miracle Cure" immediately after "Sensation" finishes? I've always been puzzled as to why it should be there. 1) The two songs shouldn't be on the same reel, unless a copy was made at 7 1/2 ips and 2) shouldn't there be leader tape somewhere?


No audible print through. Sensation fades from 2:20 to 2:24 on the tape (hiss stays), then the CD fades down the hiss within one more second, and the remaining 3 seconds of the track are completely silent.

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lukpac
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Postby lukpac » Mon Jul 10, 2006 9:36 am

Anyone else besides Ryan and I have the original MCA? If not, I'll post Overture later today.
"I know because it is impossible for a tape to hold the compression levels of these treble boosted MFSL's like Something/Anything. The metal particulate on the tape would shatter and all you'd hear is distortion if even that." - VD

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Postby lukpac » Thu Jul 13, 2006 12:15 pm

Ok, so it's a few days later...

http://lukpac.org/mp3/who/Overture%20MCA.flac

I did a range copy to more or less match the Polydor - the MCA includes It's A Boy as part of track 1.

Sounds pretty close to the 01 Polydor to me.
"I know because it is impossible for a tape to hold the compression levels of these treble boosted MFSL's like Something/Anything. The metal particulate on the tape would shatter and all you'd hear is distortion if even that." - VD

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Postby lukpac » Thu Jul 13, 2006 2:25 pm

Andreas wrote:Made In W. Germany by PolyGram
Disc 1: 800078 2 01
Disc 2: 800079 2 02


They look just like that, with no spaces after the 800 or dashes?
"I know because it is impossible for a tape to hold the compression levels of these treble boosted MFSL's like Something/Anything. The metal particulate on the tape would shatter and all you'd hear is distortion if even that." - VD

Andreas
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Postby Andreas » Thu Jul 13, 2006 5:29 pm

lukpac wrote:
Andreas wrote:Made In W. Germany by PolyGram
Disc 1: 800078 2 01
Disc 2: 800079 2 02


They look just like that, with no spaces after the 800 or dashes?

Yes, that's the inner ring information. On the other hand, the numbers printed on the front side of the CD are "800 078-2" and "800 079-2", respectively.

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Postby lukpac » Fri Jul 14, 2006 10:11 am

Did you listen to that MCA clip, Andreas?
"I know because it is impossible for a tape to hold the compression levels of these treble boosted MFSL's like Something/Anything. The metal particulate on the tape would shatter and all you'd hear is distortion if even that." - VD

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Postby Andreas » Sat Jul 15, 2006 1:31 pm

lukpac wrote:Did you listen to that MCA clip, Andreas?


Sorry, not yet, I will soon report.


A different Who question:
We always assumed that Pictures Of Lily is represented by the correct single mix with the increasing volume on both the MCA Who's Better Who's Best CD and on the Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy CD. But now look at the waveforms of the two...very different! You can't see any crescendo on the MCA WBWB CD. What it has in in common with the MBBB CD is the dry ending (the alternate version have a lot of echo on the last vocal). Steve has written on his board that every version without that crescendo has been fixed...any thoughts?

Phil Elliott
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Postby Phil Elliott » Sat Jul 15, 2006 1:41 pm

Two things re POL:

1) The MCA WBWB doesn't have the crescendo, that's correct. It DOES however have an increase in distortion where the crescendo normally occurs. So it's definately the same mix, only someone corrected the crescendo (which always sounded to me rather like an accident ...)

2) I'm not sure Steve knew about the alternate mix when he made his statement; he doesn't seem to have commented since either, but that needs to be taken into account, as it would appear unlikely the alternate had a crescendo aswell.
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Andreas
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Postby Andreas » Sat Jul 15, 2006 2:52 pm

Phil,

yes that makes sense. The MCA WBWB CD still sounds like a better source to me than MBBB, maybe that's just because it was mastered in true mono.