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The first time I reviewed this FM broadcast I knew it would offer a solid alternative sound quality to the other circulating sources.
This is why I chose to invest a significant amount of time mastering it.
'Bovine Broadcast' (LPP) (24bit/96kHz)
-Performance-
Pink Floyd
KQED TV Studios
San Francisco, California
April 30th 1970
-FM Broadcast Recorded On Unknown Date-
Lineage: 2nd Gen Cassette (Maxell XLII-S) > *Technics RS-B965-M > Focusrite Saffire Pro 14 > Audacity 1.3 > Wav (24bit/96kHz)----> Adjustments (32bit float/96kHz) > (24bit/96kHz) > CDWave (1.98) > FLAC (24bit/96kHz)
*The Technics RS-B965-M is a modified deck - for details see the Tapeheads.net forum
01 [16:30] Atom Heart Mother
02 [08:38] Cymbaline
03 [07:17] Grantchester Meadows
04 [03:29] Green Is The Color
05 [09:07] Careful With That Axe, Eugene
06 [11:42] Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun
07 [00:13] Here Comes Santa
|| [57:00] Total Time
For Free Trade Only - Not For Sale
Little Pieces Production (LPP)
Artwork By Little Pieces
***Mastering Notes***
This is a mono recording that was dubbed as two channel stereo as is often the case. Due to the previous transfers with less than perfect head alignment, the recording has a phase shift that varies from 3-10 samples. Generally, the left channel's output is a little higher and also has a bit more high end so in this case the right channel was removed which eliminated the phasing issues and any level differences between the channels as well as offer a more precise SQ and relatively lower noise.
Being an FM broadcast, it had its share of broadcast noises and static as well as typical analog ticks, pops, etc. I carefully manually spectral cleaned the recording and removed virtually all of these artifacts so that it is difficult to know that it is a broadcast.
Like most FM broadcasts, this recording has gone through automatic leveling and perhaps some limiting. One of the effects from this is that the quiet sections are often almost the same level as the loud sections. I lowered the gain modestly, mostly 2dB, on some of these quieter segments to partially offset the FM leveling effect, achieve a bit more natural level, and lower the relative background noise.
There were two very small segments I patched with the umatic source after adjusting levels and EQ. At 2:13m of AHM there was an obvious broadcast static blast lasting only 300ms/0.3s. A 700ms/0.7s umatic patch was used to eliminate it. Interesting to note on the 300ms static blast, when I located the same area in the umatic source and cut out the area for the patch, I noted the umatic source has a very low level artifact at the exact same location (2:43m) as if it was cleaned up already. Strange, given this seemed to be obvious broadcast static in the FM source. The second segment patched was a 700ms/0.7s dropout at 6:12m of AHM as if a pause button was slightly depressed for a moment. This was replaced with a 2.3s umatic patch.
Given this is a FM broadcast, it's not surprising that no recorded content was detected beyond 16kHz. But, unlike many FM broadcasts, there was no pilot signal at 19kHz which could indicate that a normal bias tape was included somewhere in the past. Since there was no content beyond 16kHz, I rolled off some hiss varying my approach according to the level and characteristics of the segment while being careful not to encroach on the harmonics.
Apparent throughout a lot of the recording, particularly during quieter segments, are low frequency hums at various levels. These were selectively reduced and are no longer prominent.
The motor sound that AHM begins with had a slight level oscillation which I moderated. I suspect this is due to their back track tape and/or player they used for this performance.
Moved 'Here Comes Santa' from between 'Cymbaline' and 'Grantchester Meadows' to the end preceded by 4s of silence. Also, there was a small segment that included shared content from both HCS and GM seemingly due to a crossfade. Given this content is redundant, I spectral cleaned and reduced the bird chirps at the end of HCS and the people artifacts at the beginning of GM.
The recording's speed was adjusted as it was running a little slow and varied some as well.
A few minor dropouts were repaired and the overall level occasionally changed slightly so the gain was adjusted to maintain a consistent level.
Finally, EQ was applied and varied throughout the recording.
I noticed a few artifacts some of which I initially assumed were broadcast related until I discovered they were also in the umatic source. Some of the artifacts are as follows.
-Subtle change in the nature of the background ambience/noise at 4:20m of Cymbaline and 21:21m of umatic source.
-Subtle change in the nature of the background ambience/noise at 16s of CWTAE and 37:05m of umatic source.
-Sort of jump or stutter at 3.38m of CWTAE and 40:27m of umatic source.
-Subtle change in the nature of the background ambience/noise at 9:38m of STC and 55:40m of umatic source.
I assume this means these artifacts occurred at the studio during the recording of the performance.
(June 2012)
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