1973-08-01 | Grateful Dead

2:54:10

REMASTER

Taper:

Monte Barry

Transferrer:

Monte Barry

SHNID:

gd1973-08-01.119371.aud.barry.flac

Source:

Source: -- brand new Nakamichi 550 portable stereo cassette recorder -- taped with Dolby NR and Chromium Tape bias -- Maxell UD C90 cassettes -- ElectroVoice RE-15 mic -- mic is hand-held on mic-stand shaft, w/arm raised up, FOB (perhaps off to R side??)

Lineage:

MR cassette > Nakamichi LX-3 > Lexicon Alpha > 24-bit / 48KHz > USB > Samplitude > 16-bit / 44.1KHz WAV > TLH > Flac-16 SBE fixed > CD Tag -- Taped, transferred, and remastered by Monte Barry -- track changes are seamless -- EQ is flat (unchanged)

Taper Notes:

View NotesAUD patches provided by shnid 9145:
-- taped by Jeffrey Siniawsky, Neil Merin, and Joel Smith
-- Uher mic > Uher 4000 reel-to-reel
-- transferred and remastered by Noah Weiner

Prep work done to AUD patch source shnid 9145:
-- L and R channel levels matched
-- highend EQ rolled back
-- patch levels matched to source levels
-- no pitch correction required for Stella Blue patch - both tape speeds matched perfectly

AUD Patch List:
-- Track 01 - Phil announcements inserted
-- Track 02 - "happy birthday" inserted at start of Promised Land
-- Track 10 - Stella Blue - 1st note is patched; reel flips at 4:28 and recording stops; patch crossfades in until ending

-- Eyes of The World reel-flip and patch:
-- source tape gets reel-flipped at the 15:46 point
-- source crossfades out at 15:46, source crossfades back in at 16:32

Sound System and Taper notes - by taper Monte Barry:
I taped both shows at Roosevelt Stadium. The Dead's PA system sounded crappy both nights (July 31 and Aug 1). It should have sounded perfect since it was outdoors. The Dead's PA system for June 9 and 10 at RFK Stadium sounded incredible by comparison. I taped both RFK shows with inferior taping gear, yet my RFK tapes sound way, way better.

It is probably correct to say that this Jerry birthday show was the first GD show ever taped with a Nakamichi 550 cassette recorder. This was the first portable stereo cassette recorder model to feature Dolby NR and Chromium Tape bias. I believe I had the first one available on the East Coast. My recording of this show should have been incredibly high fidelity sounding. Instead, it sounds a bit crappy due numerous sound system issues. The sound fidelity at Roosevelt Stadium fell way short of what I expected when I went to this show. Perhaps my mic's location was on the R side (guessing), but I was definitely FOB. Of course, I was heavily dosed when I went there both nights with my GD friends.

I taped FOB the night before on July 31. My mic was mounted on a 10-foot pole that night. A huge Hell's Angel security dude was dispatched by GD from backstage to go into the audience and confiscate my tapes during the last song. He was gigantic - approx 6' 6" / 250 pounds and ripped body, wearing Hell's Angels colors, long hair and beard. I was an itty-bitty 5' 7" / 130-pound hippie, and I was caught red-handed taping. He politely asked me for my tape. I ejected the cassette from my tape deck and I surrendered just this one tape to him. He said "thank you" to me. Then he departed and headed backstage. My friend Jimmy Watson followed him backstage. Jimmy was back 5 minutes later with my tape!

Both nights at Roosevel Stadium the Dead's PA system suffers from: feedback problems, tinny sounding, ringing-sounding, muddy-sounding, weak vocals, poor mixing, not the best sounding overall tone. These problems tended to come and go. The sound tends to get better as the show goes on. I apologize for not getting an incredible sounding tape recording! My taping gear was state-of-the-art! Some thing(s) had to have been wrong with their PA system!

What my recording perfectly captures are very clean and high fidelity audience sounds. The questionable-sounding prototype wall of sound mix is captured in high fidelity. Jer's guitar sounds fine. Phil is low in the mix. Keith is high in the mix. Drums sound dull, yet at times they are more crispy - for example, during Dark Star. My recording is pefect and smooth. Vocals start out low, and get better as show progresses. This recording is still worth having! The sound system and dynamic range for Dark Star are "totally locked in"! Some things I just can't explain.

-- peace from Monte Barry
-- release date is March 6, 2012