I was playing Chi, by Dave Liebman, on my Bayer T1 cans, when I became aware of a fastidious crackling on one channel, on most of the tracks. Switched to the HD800S, with the same result. I ripped the CD on my computer to the Astell and Kern, still the cracking persisted with a pair of IEM’s. So it is the CD or recording, fortunately. I do not hear this with other CD’s
The label is Raresounds, one of the myriad of small labels that seem to abound with Jazz and Rock.
The recording was made live, and I hear what sounds like a rasping crackling sound of a rotating bad vinyl, the volume is not constant. It really makes the disc unlistenable.
Any ideas, any experiences with bad recordings and mastering?
I had a listen to track 4 on Qobuz and I can hear what you identified on my speakers. I think it may be something to do with the percussionist whose kit seems to be spread across the soundstage. I don’t think it’s a recording fault and could well be more prominent in headphones. I was interested to hear this as I have never listened to Dave Liebman outside the context of Miles Davis’ bands.
I’ve heard more now - it’s more prominent as it goes into the percussion on track 5 - and I think it’s is a fault embedded in the recording. It sounds like electric crackling - maybe from the microphone picking up the percussionist, or just coming from one of the PA speakers. Of course it depends on how the recording was made. It would be especially annoying on headphones - otherwise it’s a good live recording and enjoyable musically.
Yes, it it is a enjoyable performance. Probably better when played through speakers, which tends to smooth over this sort of thing. But the Sennheiser HD800S, is pretty brutal when it finds a fault.
I probably think there is a faulty microphone, somewhere. It is surprising it was not picked up in the mastering phase.
Alternatively… maybe it was raining? There are a few odd sounds (and maybe deliberate ‘effects’) on the recording - it doesn’t sound like a (typical?) acoustic jazz recording to me, so I’m speculating a close mic’d arrangement with a PA system in a marquee… hence the question about where and how the recording was made…
I don’t think I’d describe it as a ‘bad recording’ - it’s just what it is - but I know what you mean about being unable to ‘unhear’ the sound. I’ll listen to the whole album later and see if I change my mind!
Song 4, Formless Form. I can hear it clearly in the right channel using HD 660S2 headphones. It doesn’t over power the song, when quiet, it’s noticeable.
Tidal 16/44 version. Sounds like crackling you might hear on vinyl records.
Looks like it was recorded in a shop. You can see cars passing by, through the window. Looks like the space was really cramped too.
All in all, it is probably a miracle that the recording quality was not worse, after looking at the video.
I have a Coltrane live that Impulse released a couple of years ago. It is OK with speakers, but the drums blot out the sax when I listen to it with headphones. A really horrible mess with headphones.
The ECM - Swiss radio live recordings are faultless.
Um. Given the ‘experimental’ nature of the set, and the ‘electronic processing’ in the credits, I’m still of the opinion that it’s likely supposed to be there… it sort of works as an ‘ethereal background’ for Formless Form, but grates a bit by the end of the set.
I’m going to chalk it up as a slightly misjudged experiment!
ECM seem pretty good across the board - I work on the basis that if they think it’s worth releasing, it’s worth listening to!
- which is the ‘new’ location with big glass windows…
