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The Plangent Process playback system? Huh?

This from the Acoustic Sounds description of the upcoming box of the first seven Springsteen albums:

"Using the Plangent Process playback system, noted for its ability to correct pitch errors and other distortions in the magnetic tape, this is, hands down, the most detailed take on Springsteen's high-energy studio performances anywhere."

I've never heard of this Plangent thing. Does anyone know anything about it?

I'll be buying this box no matter -- I've long loved these records -- but would be absolutely thrilled if they were somehow made to actually sound, well, better than they used to. Even when I was spinning "Darkness on the Edge of Town" on a crappy little department store stereo back in the 1970s, I remember thinking that the record didn't sound so good. Growing up to a real system only confirmed that, and made me long for more. Here's hoping these remasters will give us what we've been missing all this time.

Thanks.

-- Howard
hodu
lenny_zwik
259 posts
 
Heck, the sound continues to be awful on his recent work. It's too bad, because the music is amazing. Either he's deaf or that's the way he wants his records to sound.
guinness
48 posts
 
I’m one of many firm believers in Plangent Processing. It’s been used on live Grateful Dead recordings since at least the 1973 Winterland box set released in 2008. That was a ¼” two track tape recording. They’ve used it on their annual box sets, all eleven Dave’s Picks and some of the Road Trips series. Just read some of the comments about it and Jeffrey Norman’s work on their Spring 1990 (The Other One) order page.

However, PP is not a fix-all. Born to Run as an example, has other issues besides tape machine errors. In order to build the “wall of sound” feel, tracks were overdubbed so often the original tracks deteriorated. That’s different from a single undubbed source tape being corrected based on anomalies in the recording machine.

Nothin' left to do but smile, smile, smile (~):}
jafant's avatar
jafant
19,745 posts
 
This mastering stuff always fascinates. I wish the catalog were being released on SACD. It is a Sony product afterall.
Still, it is going to be great having some of these titles remastered fort he 1st time. Let us hope it is a job well done! Happy Listening.
gpgr4blu
1,088 posts
 
Love Bruce and will bite as well-- but don't expect sonic masterpieces. I have first pressings of most of his albums and they consistently are among the worst sounding---exceptions being Tunnel of Love, Lucky Town, Human Touch, Wrecking Ball and High Hopes. I must also note that Born To Run was purposely murky (missed wall of sound attempt) and Darkness had a sound that was perfect for the feeling that the Boss was trying to evoke. Magic is on the other hand, one of the worst sounding cds that I have ever heard. The vinyl is better but that is not saying much.
crna39's avatar
crna39
145 posts
 
Yeah, there's more problems than wow/flutter with those tapes, and that's all the PP does.
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