NEW Phish Archival Box Set - Gorge 98!

[WhatstheUse?]

we find out Garry is only doing one mix for the PA and LP and who knows what's going on with their operation.

Wait... wut? This is a known thing? Same mix they use live is just straight to LP? Wtf.

[Hicks]

we find out Garry is only doing one mix for the PA and LP and who knows what's going on with their operation.

Wait... wut? This is a known thing? Same mix they use live is just straight to LP? Wtf.

He said that's what he's been doing for the last year or so in a recent interview.

And yeah, pretty unbelievable.

[mattstick]

we find out Garry is only doing one mix for the PA and LP and who knows what's going on with their operation.

Wait... wut? This is a known thing? Same mix they use live is just straight to LP? Wtf.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CgUZeyxDA4g/?igshid=NDc0ODY0MjQ=

[mattstick]

I like that there's this idea out there that my home stereo is amazing or something, although if you're wondering I did buy a NAD 3240PE recently, a power amp from 1988 - at the ball busting price of $300. 

You don't need high end equipment to know these recent releases don't sound natural at all - this is not what high hats and cymbals sound like.

[Hicks]

I like that there's this idea out there that my home stereo is amazing or something, although if you're wondering I did buy a NAD 3240PE recently, a power amp from 1988 - at the ball busting price of $300. 

You don't need high end equipment to know these recent releases don't sound natural at all - this is not what high hats and cymbals sound like.

Cmon bro those Verus Grand Bookshelves are the most spectacular speakers available. 

[mattstick]

Enough about my super baller stereo!

[nab]

I honestly think the band members that actually listen to these things (someone does) think it sounds fine.

I concur with RJ. I've known a fair amount of musicians over the years and it is surprising how few of them are audiophiles. I remember a Stereophile article (or some other audiophile publication) that went out and asked a host of musicians what their home playback systems were and it was embarrassing - I think they may have gone so far as introducing some to HIFI home audio and they were blown away by the quality. I do know Bill Frisell is an Audeze headphone head (paid with free samples I am sure). Al Di Meola has a sick system. Miles Davis also had an amazing playback system in the day.

That said:

 

I just can't shake that "this is mastered for ear buds cause they don't care" isn't the whole story.     

I do believe this is the biggest factor. I continue to read articles from sound engineers processing modern music who state they are indeed mixing for earbuds and their limitations. You want to hear great processing, move over to jazz or classical music. Anything else, it's a crapshoot, although it would be impossible to know if that is due to the musicians' demands or a sound producer ignoring the masses playback systems.

As for Gary and this singular Phish mix, my biggest gripe of late is I'm getting "listening fatigue" at some shows (high mids - 3K FR range). Also, the lower/sub bass has definitely been toned down, possibly contributing to the mid/treble fatigue.

I don't think it's too high a demand to make cymbals sound something close to cymbals. Not really even close to a cork sniffing audiophile demand. Even if the members of Phish (or any other band for that matter) all have terrible systems at home, and no way to know how reproduction works in a home system, the mastering engineer should know better.

Which is why I wondered in the first place if "mastering for ear buds" wasn't the single cause.

[Gumbo72203]

Same here. I imagine the generation beneath us doesn't own a single CD....

I was doing an activity with my 6th grade client last week, and the circuit called for an mp3 player.  It had a diagram of an mp3 player with a wire connecting to the circuit. 

"What's an mp3 player?  Is that like a phone?" was his question.