Remastering eleven of The Alan Parsons Project albums for a disc set at Abbey Road

[DSJR]

First, I don't know how long ago this work was done, as the remastered CD discs have been around a few years now, including a proper release of 'Tales' which before was a remix on CD, but it's a fascinating tale to me at least, of locating the very best analogue tapes, the best and hopefully original digital masters and a tale of one of said 1984 or so masters on a pro video cassette being judged unplayable by the US based record company, their eventual agreement to send supposed duff original master to this chap to work on (it apparently took three people to rescue the music files from it and re-compile them back to album status).

I was fascinated at a mastering life I nearly could have had in the past, the use of double-box PMCs as main monitors (with smaller PMCs I think alongside, a current Technics 1200G I believe with AT VM540 pickup for general checking of acetates and test cuts and the general love and care this gent puts into his work There's a few other Youtube vids with him in it, preparing a 30IPS master brought into him of Sgt Pepper originally made for an Australian audiophile release in 1981, but here's the one which I think should be heard by many here who still don't understand the race against time in preserving the music we love so much and which really transcends all the gear-chat as without the music to play, the gear is useless.

It's also alarming that at the time of the vid being made, the parts for analogue tape machines are incredibly rare (unless some are being re-made now) and parts for his beloved cutting lathe almost have to be customised - and he's trying really hard to get his lathe better than it was when new and apparently succeeding.

 

[levimax]

First, I don't know how long ago this work was done, as the remastered CD discs have been around a few years now, including a proper release of 'Tales' which before was a remix on CD, but it's a fascinating tale to me at least, of locating the very best analogue tapes, the best and hopefully original digital masters and a tale of one of said 1984 or so masters on a pro video cassette being judged unplayable by the US based record company, their eventual agreement to send supposed duff original master to this chap to work on (it apparently took three people to rescue the music files from it and re-compile them back to album status).

I was fascinated at a mastering life I nearly could have had in the past, the use of double-box PMCs as main monitors (with smaller PMCs I think alongside, a current Technics 1200G I believe with AT VM540 pickup for general checking of acetates and test cuts and the general love and care this gent puts into his work There's a few other Youtube vids with him in it, preparing a 30IPS master brought into him of Sgt Pepper originally made for an Australian audiophile release in 1981, but here's the one which I think should be heard by many here who still don't understand the race against time in preserving the music we love so much and which really transcends all the gear-chat as without the music to play, the gear is useless.

It's also alarming that at the time of the vid being made, the parts for analogue tape machines are incredibly rare (unless some are being re-made now) and parts for his beloved cutting lathe almost have to be customised - and he's trying really hard to get his lathe better than it was when new and apparently succeeding.

I have spent some time chasing around different masterings of the Alan Parsons Project albums and despite the normal issues with LP's I tend to prefer the original LP releases. Probably because that is what I grew up listening to. Sometimes I think the latest and greatest new audiophile releases sound like they are trying too hard to improve on something that was already good.

 

[DSJR]

I have spent some time chasing around different masterings of the Alan Parsons Project albums and despite the normal issues with LP's I tend to prefer the original LP releases. Probably because that is what I grew up listening to. Sometimes I think the latest and greatest new audiophile releases sound like they are trying too hard to improve on something that was already good.

I think I still have most of the original vinyl releases, mainly because 'Tales' wasn't available in original mixed form on CD until fairly recently and also, there was a nasty distorted 'drop-out?' or 'glitch' on the very beginning electronic 'swirls' of I Robot on the first digital release. I think Ammonia Avenue and Eye In The Sky I have or had on both formats (the vinyl was a DMM cut, so nothing below 60Hz) and I think from Vulture Culture onwards I bought CD only. the harder toned and 'toppier' album,s from 'Eye' onwards, didn't go well with my Isobarik speakers at the time I recall (too much peaking at 1 -2 kHz), but of course they're quite playable now

The albums stand up well all these years on I feel and it's great that in addition to carefully done re-cuts, the digital releases were respected too for prosperity, especially as the Umatic master (?) of Vulture Culture needed so much work to get it to play, according to the video. I could have lent them my first-press CD had they asked