Steve Miller - Jungle Love

I discovered that the (expensive) DCC gold disc version of Greatest Hits 1974-78 has a mastering error on it. The left and right channels are out of synch by about 2 samples. This is enough to screw up the soundstage, and is enough to kill the high end when you sum the left and right tracks to mono.

The ubiquitous Capitol version of Greatest Hits 1974-78 has no such error. The high end remains fully intact when you sum to mono.

If you need to look for yourself, zoom in on the waveform for the attack of the very first drum hit, at 0:14.712 on the DCC, and at 0:13.987 on the Capitol.

Avoid the DCC for "Jungle Love".

Dear Mr. Hoffman:

After nearly eleven years and 1,628 posts on your forum, I'm calling it quits. I'm disgusted with the censorship of posts that dare to question the quality of anything affiliated with your name.

On a forum dedicated to mastering, on which members routinely debate how two digitally-identical CDs can sound different and cables can require a break-in period, it's tragic that you and your gorts routinely delete posts that deal with actual mastering issues on the Audio Fidelity CDs that you've mastered.

I've discovered that AF's version of Stevie Wonder's "Innervisions" uses the same analog transfer as the '80s-era Motown version, with some additional EQ. I've discovered that AF's version of Gerry Rafferty's "City To City" uses the same analog transfer as the '80s-era UK EMI version, with a small EQ adjustment on one track and no EQ adjustment on everything else. I've discovered that "Jungle Love" on AF's version of Steve Miller's "Greatest Hits 1974-78" has a tape azimuth error that desynchronizes the left and right channels by about two samples - enough to screw up the soundstage and wipe out most of the high end when summed to mono. I've discovered that virtually all the tracks on your Razor & Tie collections use the same analog transfers as earlier, existing CDs.

Your forum would have provided a perfect outlet to discuss and address these issues in a respectful, highly technical setting. Instead, you've instructed the gorts to shut it all down.

So like Jamie Tate and Barry Diament before me, I'm leaving SH.tv. I'll be on the Pat Downey board, where we routinely discuss mastering errors without offending the mastering engineer who committed them. And I'll be on the air, hosting the radio show that I've hosted for nearly twenty-four years, and routinely committing and laughing at my own mistakes.

Please deactivate my account.

Ron Gerber, crapfromthepast

Edited by crapfromthepast

It just makes me appreciate the healthy environment we've cultivated around here that much more. I'm starting to think this forum is the exception, rather than the rule!

Ron, as I said on your radio show, this is the most polite forum on the internet. I also can't think of a more knowledgeable group of regulars.

I've read the Hoffman forums from time-to-time and don't know how anyone could possibly keep up, let alone wade through the chaff to get to the wheat. IMO, you've made a wise decision.

Thanks for all the support here. It's been 9 years and counting for me here, and I consider all of you my music family.

If only our real-world families were this polite and civil!