Lemon Pipers - Green Tambourine

Ok

Thanks to The Hits Man, who sent me a nice dub of the 45
of Green Tambourine. I a/b'd them, and as i suspected
it's just another case of the mastering making the mixing
engineer look bad.
Now, before i even begin here, stereo vs. mono for 60's
music is subjective, i prefer stereo, many prefer mono.
That's just how it is, period.

But i also ask, if someone says a stereo mix falls short
or is missing something, i ask myself, "What's missing?"
To do that all one needs do is carefully compare them.
sometimes it's a mixing differences, sometimes an
overdub, but OFTEN it's nothing more than EQ and
compression.

Many stereo mixes that have the famous "bad rep" (like
Motown) are far more a case of mastering later than the
way the mix was really made. Sure in the case of Motown,
a few mistakes were made in a few stereo versions, but
most were actually great mixes, once you put the correct
EQ, and/or speed back in them, which is I'm sure how the
mixing engineers heard them ... but were lost over years
of running flat, un-EQ'd tapes, making copies, etc
etc.
I could go on and on ......but here's the result of my
comparison for Green Tambourine:

All the elements of the mono mix are present in the
stereo mix, and i was even mistaken about the echo on
"play, play, play...".. once you correct the PITCH of the
stereo mix, the echo sounds the same, and synchs
perfectly.
Btw, my source for the stereo was The Buddah Box, which
contains mostly stereo LP versions, to answer the above
Q. But it has the cleanest copies i've heard to date.

The stereo mix was running too fast (for those with a
pitch editor, it was a -28 % of a semi-tone shift to
match the 45, which is quite a lot!)
It was also EQ'd poorly with less BASS than the 45 has,
and far less compression, which is really the only thing
you want for the LP, rarely is it a good idea to use the
same compression on a stereo mix that was used on the
mono. They for playing in differing environments.
But, one can add enough to emulate the punch needed on a
particular song, in most cases.

But in this one, the lack of compression, and less bass,
causes the DRUMS to be almost inaudible on the stereo,
while they seem to thump loudly thru the whole 45. This
is the different "feel" David describes.

Once you correct the speed of the LP version, and EQ it
much more like the 45, and add a reasonable amount of
compression/limiting, you get the same basic mix, except
in stereo. The stereo mix has no added reverb vs. the
45.
There's my report. Hope it helps!

Hopefully, next time its released someone will pull the
mono mix off the Pye Story CD, OR if using the stereo,
simply masters it more like the 45 was.   

-MM

     

Edited by MMathews

MMathews wrote: But i also ask, if someone says a stereo mix falls short or is missing something, i ask myself, "What's missing?" To do that all one needs do is carefully compare them. sometimes it's a mixing differences, sometimes an overdub, but OFTEN it's nothing more than EQ and compression.

I would have to add the limitations of 3-track recording (which was pretty common in those days) giving it an artificial hard-left, hard-right or centered tracks that just sounds weak compared to the "fatter" mono mixdown.

I agree with all above.
Alas, a forensic report on the mastering or mix
differences isn't really going to sell one on it one way
or the other.
But, for me, any groove is only enhanced in stereo.
I can't help it, just how the head is wired.
But i do like my stereo to resemble its mono counterpart
in things like pitch and EQ. :-)

-MM