Steely Dan UHQR
There is a great interview with audio engineer Bernie Grundman on the new UHQR album "Aja". At $150 it better be amazing. He talks about how they had to modify the sound of albums in the past so they would play on crappy turntables and how this album, at 45rpm, is designed for the best turntables and cartridges. He also speaks about how the "Dan" gang wanted to use their own speakers to listen to the master and not Bernie's. (Wish he had called out the speakers) But let me ask you this, can a sound engineer with 80 year old ears (born 16 December 1943), have the hearing to engineering a UHQR album to audiophile standards......I know my hearing is shot due to what I did in my 20's with Rock n Roll sound levels....At 70, no way could my ears be trusted for such a task.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGLFTm6jMrY
Didn't Analog Productions come out with AJA maybe 12 or 18 months ago? Not sure if that one is 45rpm but I'm pretty sure it is. And was just about the same price. Scott Hull at Masterdisc did that one. Have seen them a bunch of times (with and without Becker) and when they start jamming on any tune I honestly don't see how they could be construed as elevator music. Regards, barts
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I saw somewhere on the internet that Becker & Fagan used Magneplanar III speakers--not bookshelf--to master their recordings back in the day. The IIIa Maggies I used to own had a wonderfully realistic midrange, but were light on low bass. So mastering with them could have yielded pretty robust bass, although it never sounded excessive to me on any of their LPs, even on speakers with robust bass. My ABC LP has the etching AB-1006 (RE-3). Does the "RE-3" signify a later reissue or pressing? It does sound very good. |
@drmuso I was only repeating what was said in the interview with the guy who mastered the original LP. No idea if it's correct. Cheers. |
I've had the OG AB-1006 since the day it came out in '77, and it is indeed an awesome sounding record - just listened to it last night, in fact. Just received the UHQR today and gave it a listen. I find the UHQR to be superior sonically in every way, ultimately being so much more PRESENT in the listening space; the difference is not small or subtle, you don't have to 'listen for it'. I would say that if you love 'Aja', have good sound gear and don't mind shelling out the dough, it's a no brainer. It will sound like you've not heard it before. I just wish it was also available in a less fancy packaging for maybe $100, but I can understand Chad wanting this series to have a special presentation. Also got the 2-45's of Jethro Tull's 'Stand Up' today, which is not UHQR, cost $65, and does not have fancy packaging (though the stand-up is there!) and sounds superb. |
