The absolute warmest recording I've ever heard

[steelyfan]

No BS. This is in my opinion a perfect recording.
I have it on vinyl, have played it to friends who have then gone out
to buy a record player to start collecting records. This albulm is a mystery solver and tutorial that answers ALOT of questions in our industry.

1>Fidelity- wow, I mean damn. It's not over produced, you can hear the tone of every instrument clearly.

2> Warm - yea yea, catch phase. BS! If you want to know the real meaning of the word in the music world, PLEASE listen to this.

3> engineering - so simple.....the right room, the right gear, the right guys, the performance. All up front going in. ALL front end if i had to guess, I'm sure some simple compression towards the mastering.

4>This albulm will convert ALL people who listen to it who can't hear the difference between vinyl vs. cd. Analog vs. digital (that's not the point of this thread though..Please do not make it.)

5> yes, it does sound like "an older style of recording", but lets talk about
that. All a matter of taste I guess, but man, you can turn it up loud and listen for "HOURS", and still have your hearing.

I can think of other stuff to add, but I'm trying not to get carried away.

Just wanted to share,

Steelyfan

If you can find it. Buy it.



GATEWAY
John Abercrombie - Jack Dejohnette - Dave Holland

[memphisindie]

I used to get to be in the room when stuff like this was done, even with Jack, and you are SOOOOO RIGHT!
I can't even begin to tell you some of the stuff I've heard, mixed, witnessed.

[unit7]

Originally Posted by memphisindie

I can't even begin to tell you some of the stuff I've heard, mixed, witnessed.

Why not?

And, who engineered it/mixed it? In which studio? And did Manfred Eicher produce this one?

[loopy]

Amy Grant's Age To Age with Jack Joseph Puig as engineer.
Clear, simple, fantastic sound although not in your face.....

Give a listen.
You'll love it.

Peace.

[memphisindie]

Originally Posted by unit7

Why not?

Too much of it.
A lot of times I mixed it in a live setting/show.

[unit7]

Originally Posted by memphisindie

Too much of it.
A lot of times I mixed it in a live setting/show.

Ouch, you're mean! I want stories!

[E.rOk.stA]

I love vinyl. I was just listening to Earth, Wind and Fire's "I am" yesterday and just sat there getting goosebumps over and over.

[Natural Mystic]

Earth's "The bees made honey in the lions skull" sounds pretty good, nice and warm.

[Teddy Ray]

Mine is Willie Nelson, Phases and Stages,

Nat King Cole- Nature Boy

and Muddy Waters- Folk Singer

oh and of course--- Gillian Welch--Time, The Revelator

Ray Lamontagne--Till The Sun Turns Black

Booker T and the MGs -- Soul Dressing

Wilco- A Ghost Is Born (Recorded at SEAR SOUND..no wonder!)



all Vinyl of course!

[E.rOk.stA]

Originally Posted by Teddy Ray

Mine is Willie Nelson, Phases and Stages,

Nat King Cole- Nature Boy

and Muddy Waters- Folk Singer

oh and of course--- Gillian Welch--Time, The Revelator

Ray Lamontagne--Till The Sun Turns Black

Booker T and the MGs -- Soul Dressing

Wilco- A Ghost Is Born (Recorded at SEAR SOUND..no wonder!)



all Vinyl of course!

Wow, I forgot about that one! I'm gonna have to dig that out and listen again.

[bonnybilly]

Originally Posted by Natural Mystic

Earth's "The bees made honey in the lions skull" sounds pretty good, nice and warm.

That's what I'm talking about.

[hipass]

Originally Posted by steelyfan

4>This albulm will convert ALL people who listen to it who can't hear the difference between vinyl vs. cd. Analog vs. digital (that's not the point of this thread though..Please do not make it.)

Ever sit in a vinyl mastering session?

[bcgood]

One of my personal favorites. Warm as hell, is that still warm or has the Kelvin shifted?

[polf]

surely this is warm?

[Open Sky]

I'll agree with you. LOVE that Gateway record. Jack DeJohnette's "New Directions" is similarly outstanding. And yes, on vinyl. ECM vinyl from the 70s is a treasure. And generally affordable!

But if I were gonna pick something from the pop world, my choice for warmest recording would have to have Fender Rhodes on it. I mean, really, has there ever been a warmer instrument made? And it should probably have some subtle acoustic guitar strumming, dead drums and nice vocal harmonies. And without a doubt be from the seventies. So, although I'm definitely not an Eagles fan, the song that seems to best hit all that stuff for me is "New Kid in Town." It's simultaneously so clean and so warm. And it's such a well-constructed arrangement to boot. If I could, I'd bathe in it.

[bcgood]

Originally Posted by Natural Mystic

Earth's "The bees made honey in the lions skull" sounds pretty good, nice and warm.

This album does sound nice. It was tracked to a Studer 16 track 2". Various tube and ribbon mics where used to capture everything. Pultecs and a Manley Vari-mu where used in mastering.

[alba63]

Originally Posted by unit7

Why not?
And, who engineered it/mixed it? In which studio? And did Manfred Eicher produce this one?

Good question. YOu can find a few details here on the ECM site.
ECM 1061
Stefan Eicher has done most of the more recent ECM stuff. Unfortunately they switched to digital recording quite early. The difference in their recordings is dramatic.

One of the first great recordings I got on ECM was "Dolmen music" by Meredith monk (analogue recording from 1982 or so). It is a phantastic record and the sound quality is breathtaking. I later bought "Arbos" (recorded in 1986 digitally), a composistion by the great Arvo Pärt, with a lot of great singers. I was shocked, everything sounded like enclosed into a small plastic box. What a waste of talent.

Of course newer digital recordings can sound more open, more detailed than the older ECM digital recordings, etc. but they will never sound warm. Digital cannot do this.

I may add that one of the best sounding recordings I have ever heard (fortunately I still have the vinyl) is Stan Getz/ Charie Byrd - Jazz Samba (Verve 810 061-1). It was recorded in Feb 1962 (!) in a Church, and it is a perfect union of transparency and openness and natural warmth. This record doesn't need no stinkin' "digital mastering". Since the first day I listened to it I was amazed how good such an old recording can sound.

Regards
bernie

[unit7]

Originally Posted by alba63

Good question. YOu can find a few details here on the ECM site.
ECM 1061
Stefan Eicher has done most of the more recent ECM stuff.

Yeah, I looked that up too, but couldn't see any notes about studio, engineers etc. Steelyfan, pls fill in....
Stefan Eicher? You mean Manfred, right?

[steelyfan]

Originally Posted by unit7

Yeah, I looked that up too, but couldn't see any notes about studio, engineers etc. Steelyfan, pls fill in....
Stefan Eicher? You mean Manfred, right?

O.k.
I've been out all weekend.
Just pulled out the record, o.k lets see, here it is:

Recorded in 1975 at Tonstudio Bauer, Ludwigsburg
Engineered : Martin Wieland
Produced by : Manfred Eicher

Now I'm curious to find more stuff from these two guys working together.
Particularly at the same studio this one was done at.
I wonder if they picked their own projects?

steely

[Sonic Lush]

don't forget to show some ECM love over in the Remote Possibilities forum.

extolling the virtues of Martin Weiland and JEK.

Any ECM slutz in this house?

[steelyfan]

Originally Posted by polf

surely this is warm?

LOL! Very funny.

[Shaman]

I don´t agree on the old ECM analog stuff sounds so much better than the digital recordings point.

Thinking for the earlier Pat Metheney analog ECM records.
They sound mushy and unfocussed.

All the Garbarek digital recordings sound great.

David Darling Cello stuff sounds fabulous.

[steelyfan]

Originally Posted by Sonic Lush

don't forget to show some ECM love over in the Remote Possibilities forum.

extolling the virtues of Martin Weiland and JEK.

Any ECM slutz in this house?

Cool. Thanks for the link, nice thread.

[steelyfan]

[ Thinking for the earlier Pat Metheney analog ECM records.
They sound mushy and unfocussed.




This one sounds amazing to me.



This one is cleaner sounding, but they both just ooze with fidelity either way.

[Geese]

Originally Posted by steelyfan

O.k.

Now I'm curious to find more stuff from these two guys working together.
Particularly at the same studio this one was done at.
I wonder if they picked their own projects?

steely

Collin Walcott's "Cloud Dance" was done by the same two with the same trio of DeJohnette, Holland, and Abercrombie. Pretty much same on the same session... same time and place. It's so hard to say which of these is best set. Both just phenomenal. They were there to do Walcott's date and ended up cutting Gateway as well.

[Shaman]

Pat Metheny OFFRAMP

IMHO the drums sound so mushy.
A bad example for analog recording.

I like the record for its music
but not for its sound.

Saying this I grew up with CDs
so maybe I just have a different perception than
someone who spend his youth with LPs.

[steelyfan]

Originally Posted by Geese

Collin Walcott's "Cloud Dance" was done by the same two with the same trio of DeJohnette, Holland, and Abercrombie. Pretty much same on the same session... same time and place. It's so hard to say which of these is best set. Both just phenomenal. They were there to do Walcott's date and ended up cutting Gateway as well.

Cool. Thanks for the info, I'm goona look for that one.
Man, I tell ya, John Really brings it on Gateway, some beautifully raw and inspiring guitar. The rythym section is oviouslly making it happen too.thumbsup
Strangely enough, I don't know who Collin Walcott is.

steelyfan

[steelyfan]

Originally Posted by Shaman

Pat Metheny OFFRAMP

IMHO the drums sound so mushy.
A bad example for analog recording.

I like the record for its music
but not for its sound.

Saying this I grew up with CDs
so maybe I just have a different perception than
someone who spend his youth with LPs.

Well, I don't know if it's the vinyl vs. cd thing, maybe just a matter of taste. Everyone's ears and tone preferences will always vary.
They might have digitally remastered the original when it moved to the cd format, which in my book usually ends up sounding like ass 95% of the time. I also really like The Smiths recordings and they can seem to lack in defininition to alot of people, they sound nice and sorta of flat to me, but in a good I like the way it sounds way. I think the recordings match the style of music well.

Steelyfan

[steelyfan]

Originally Posted by Open Sky

I'll agree with you. LOVE that Gateway record. Jack DeJohnette's "New Directions" is similarly outstanding. And yes, on vinyl. ECM vinyl from the 70s is a treasure. And generally affordable!

But if I were gonna pick something from the pop world, my choice for warmest recording would have to have Fender Rhodes on it. I mean, really, has there ever been a warmer instrument made? And it should probably have some subtle acoustic guitar strumming, dead drums and nice vocal harmonies. And without a doubt be from the seventies. So, although I'm definitely not an Eagles fan, the song that seems to best hit all that stuff for me is "New Kid in Town." It's simultaneously so clean and so warm. And it's such a well-constructed arrangement to boot. If I could, I'd bathe in it.

Lol! Yea, finding masterpiece records at the thrift store for .25 really makes me happy! I'm a drummer, and for whatever reason, that dead 70's drum recording style has always appealed to me. The tone is there, it just drops out faster. The 70's Joni Mitchell recordings in particular make me welp up, not to sound like only old stuff sounds good, but in general, I just
prefer that time in history when records where being pressed. I'm not that old either, I was still young when cd's hit the streets , but I grew up on casette's and vinyl.

steely

[steelyfan]

Originally Posted by hipass

Ever sit in a vinyl mastering session?

No. tell me about it.