*Can be overburned with EAC on a 700MB/80-min. CD-R following capacity test.
Technical Notes:
The dub was recorded on Nakamichi MR-2’s by the person who provided the source cassettes. Unfortunately, the recording levels are less than optimal: the left channel averages at -5 dB, while the right channel averages at 0 dB. This imbalance could not be compensatorily corrected, as the Edirol’s input-level control is unitary across both channels for unbalanced analog inputs, precluding individuated left-channel and right-channel gain adjustments. Still, the amplitude differential is slight, and creates no phase problems. The underrecording yielded prominent tape hiss; this was greatly reduced by using an analog EQ with a sharp roll-off at 9kHz and no output at 16kHz. Careful comparative listening revealed no phase-shift or artifacts due to EQ.
The binaural source has real presence; both the Wall and the hall ring true. This recording features fuller vocals, deeper bass response, and less reverb than does the circulating stereo audience recording made by Pat Lee (which is excellent). This recording is free from the constant crowd chatter that mars that recording; those songs on that master that are missing their opening notes are intact here. (The occasional handclapping is mildly distracting; the lusty screams from the crowd are welcome.) Tonal range and timbral accuracy are quite good; Keith’s piano, Billy’s cymbals, and Jerry’s leads cut through nicely. Still, at times, the sound here verges on distortion.
Occasionally, there are instances when it sounds like the taper inadvertently depressed the pause button, causing momentary pitch-slippage. There are also intermittent crackles and static, several recording-equipment glitches and tape dropouts, and some hotspots. None of these anomalies lasts very long.
Two songs, “Playin’ in the Band†and “Sugar Magnolia,†are each missing three seconds of music due to possible tape-flip gaps. These gaps were removed (and the remaining ends were spliced); they have not been patched.
Two songs were pretermitted: “Playin’ in the Band†and “Johnny B. Goode.†(This was not due to tape run-out on the dubs; there is blank tape after these songs.) The final fourteen seconds of “Playin’†have been inartfully tacked on from Charlie Miller’s masterly transcription of Pat Lee’s masters, ShnID-98822. The encore cuts during the final note and was not patched.
No digital pitch-correction, noise-reduction, or sound-adjustment algorithms were used in this transcription.
Known Flaws (flawless tracks not listed):
Disc One
01 “Me and My Uncleâ€: 01:19 minor glitch; 01:39 volume drops, tone darkens
03 “Beat It On Down the Lineâ€: 00:37 minor glitch
04 “Dealâ€: 00:42 minor glitch; 02:58-02:59 vocal hotspot
05 “Mexicali Bluesâ€: Jerry flubs chord 00:51; 01:50 static
06 “It Must Have Been the Rosesâ€: 01:30, 01:43, 04:22 vocal hotspots
07 “The Race Is Onâ€: Jerry flubs chord 00:13
08 “Scarlet Begoniasâ€: 01:45, 03:29 minor glitches; 03:43 vocal hotspot
09 “El Pasoâ€: 01:30 minor glitch; 03:17-03:18 pause w/pitch-slippage; 03:44 static
10 “Row Jimmyâ€: Jerry flubs chord 06:34; 03:38 dropout;
05:30 vocal hotspot; 07:10 pause w/pitch-slippage;
07:39 minor glitch ; 08:05-08:06 pause w/music missing;
08:25-08:44 channel-chop at run-out
11 “Money Moneyâ€: 00:20 volume drops; 01:12, 01:28 minor glitches;
02:12, 03:07 hotspots; 03:13, 03:44 minor glitches
12 “Ship of Foolsâ€: Jerry flubs chord 00:45; 00:32, 02:15 vocal hotspots;
04:42, 05:40 minor glitches
13 “Weather Report Suiteâ€: 07:10 minor glitch; 12:11 dropout; 12:55 tone darkens
14 “China Dollâ€: 02:28 minor glitch
Disc Two
01 “Playin’ in the Bandâ€: 02:49 tone darkens
(possible pre-dubbing engagement of Dolby B or change in bias or EQ);
02:52 minor glitch; 10:09, 16:04 static;
16:55 minor glitch; 19:53-19:55 pitch-slippage;
21:01 possible tape-flip gap w/music missing;
28:34-28:37 dropouts;
30:54, 30:58 pauses w/pitch-slippage;
31:12, 31:16 pauses w/pitch-slippage;
34:26 equipment glitch;
37:26 pause w/pitch-slippage;
37:31-37:33 pause w/music missing;
42:38, 42:57 minor glitches;
46:11, 46:30 minor glitches;
46:47-47:01 patched w/ShnID-98822 (Lee/Miller)
02 “U.S. Bluesâ€: 00:54 minor glitch; 00:57 static; 05:24 minor glitch
04 “Stella Blueâ€: 01:12 minor glitch; 02:13 pause w/pitch-slippage
Disc Three
01 “Eyes of the Worldâ€: Jerry flubs chord 01:16; 07:47 minor glitch;
12:33-12:34 pitch-slippage; 13:52, 13:57 static
02 “Wharf Ratâ€: 03:35 minor glitch; 03:57 equipment glitch;
04:30 vocal hotspot; 05:15, 07:55-07:58 minor glitches;
09:40 pitch-slippage
03 “Sugar Magnoliaâ€: 01:53 possible tape-flip gap w/music missing;
02:25 minor glitch; 03:05-03:10 pitch-slippage;
03:32, 05:42, 07:44-07:45 minor glitches;
08:10 distortion (not from dubbing or transcription)
04 “Johnny B. Goodeâ€: 00:45-00:50 vocal hotspots; 01:00 static;
01:20-01:33 vocal hotspots; 02:31 minor glitch;
03:27, 03:32, 03:36 minor glitches;
03:50 final note cuts out
Post-Transcription Tools:
Rounded track timings courtesy of Exact Audio Copy CD Layout Editor V0.99.
Sector boundary errors were detected in "Playin’ in the Band,†and were repaired by post-padding with Trader's Little Helper v.2.6.0.168.
SBE-free .wav verification and .st5 .wav checksums courtesy of TLH.
Lossless FLAC encoding with tags and verification by FLAC frontend v.1.7.1.
FLAC .ffp and .md5 post-encoding checksums courtesy of TLH.
File-integrity check and problem-free verification courtesy of shntool 3.0.4.
Enjoy!