Q about the Elvis Complete Masters set

Discussion of CD reissues, including sound quality and track lists
czeskleba
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Q about the Elvis Complete Masters set

Postby czeskleba » Sun Apr 24, 2011 8:35 pm

I recently acquired this set, and I noticed an anomaly on disc 15 track 14 (You Don't Know Me). At about the 16 second mark, Elvis's voice shifts over to the right for one second, then moves back to center. I doubt it's a master tape issue because it doesn't sound this way on any other version of the song I've got. Does anyone else have this set, and can confirm whether it's like this or not on theirs? Or is what I'm hearing the result of a ripping error? Is it even possible for ripping to introduce an error like that? There's no click, pop or any kind of digital noise, just a shift to the right for one second.

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lukpac
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Re: Q about the Elvis Complete Masters set

Postby lukpac » Tue Apr 26, 2011 9:46 pm

Can't say I know anything about that set. Or Elvis in general.

Post a clip?
"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

czeskleba
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Re: Q about the Elvis Complete Masters set

Postby czeskleba » Fri Apr 29, 2011 2:34 am

Here is a clip:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/16y38q

The first 20 seconds is the new Complete Masters version which has the apparent glitch at the 16-second mark. The second clip is from the old Essential 60's Masters box.

So does that sound like something that could result from a bad rip?

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lukpac
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Re: Q about the Elvis Complete Masters set

Postby lukpac » Fri Apr 29, 2011 11:27 pm

That doesn't sound like any ripping issue I've ever heard. Nor does a spectral view suggest any sort of had transition one would likely see with a digital glitch.

Without knowing more about the recording/release history, my inclination is to say it is an analog dropout.
"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

czeskleba
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Re: Q about the Elvis Complete Masters set

Postby czeskleba » Sat Apr 30, 2011 3:51 pm

Thanks. I've never heard anything about the master tape having been lost for this song, so I'm doubtful it's an issue of the earlier version being sourced from a higher-generation tape and the master having the dropout. I'm surprised no one at hoffman has commented on this, though perhaps it's lost in the shuffle since it is a 750-track box set. I was reluctant to mention it at hoffman because I didn't want the discussion to detiorate into a "it's naughty to download stuff" thread, but if you're pretty sure it's not a ripping issue I think I'll take it over there.

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lukpac
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Re: Q about the Elvis Complete Masters set

Postby lukpac » Sat Apr 30, 2011 9:24 pm

Again, without knowing more, all I can think of is:

- the tape was damaged since the last release
- a bit of oxide was gunking up the head and happened to cause a dropout in that spot during that particular playback
- other releases came from a different tape
- other releases had an edit to fix that spot
- other releases adjusted the volume at that spot to compensate for the dropout
"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