torstai 2. marraskuuta 2017 11.24.33 UTC+2 Jim Lesurf kirjoitti:
In article , Iain
wrote:

Tony D'Amato, whom I knew well, was trying to make the loudest and most
spectacular MOR recordings available at that time. He was an excellent
orchestral producer. He used to set up a music stand above the bridge of
the console facing the engineer, where he could see the stereo meter
pair, and give every cue with great clarity. So as an engineer you knew
exactly what was going on in the piece without having to even glance at
your own score.

His exaggerated "fortissimo" and "sforzsando" meant that the engineer
responding to them was in danger of driving the tape into distortion.
So Decca engineers used to align the stereo master recorder 4dB "hot" on
replay, and turn the record level down by a similar amount, So that the
peak levels would appear to be the same. Mr D'Amato soon got wise to
this :-)

Yes, the distortion on the results in some cases does support that, sadly.

Your obsession with distortion and "rifle shots" must surely detract from and limit your listening experience ? I remember Keith G's advice to you,
"Jim, listen to the music"

Last night I was listening to some old but very fine Otto Klemperer
recordings. (Brian could have great fun with his middle name, continuing his car joke theme) The Klemperer recordings were not technically good by modern standards, but still outstanding as performances.


Mr D'Amato was widely considered to be the finest light music record producer of his era in the UK. The recording projects which he
conceived and produced sold in huge numbers, and received very good
reviews worldwide.

Phase Four Records were ubiquitous at audio fairs, and there were long queues of people wanting to buy the records which equipment
manufacturers were using in their demonstrations.

Decca publicity department received frequent telephone calls asking about release dates for upcoming albums, and dealers were kept busy taking advanced orders for the next Phase Four recording, whatever it might be.


Iain