I don't think I've ever met another artist/tech who is more talented, articulate, dedicated, informed, creative, and just plain clever as maestro Miles Showell. The fact that we've all benefitted in one way or another from his expertise just proves the point that we must continue to nurture this sort of talent and brilliance wherever and whenever it appears. This is truly a 'dying art' that deserves to be illuminated and and cultured as much as possible!
This interview was a real eye opener. I learned a lot. I myself had long assumed that half-speed mastering was simply a matter of reducing the cutting speed. Didn't realize all the painstaking work that goes into cutting any album. A very informative and entertaining interview. Thank you, Andrew!
Andrew, you nailed the BEST interview with Miles Showell, one of my favourite Beatles related people in the world. He knows his powers and uses them in great form when doing Beatles (and solo Beatles) remastering. A top guy. Great, great video 👏👏👏👏👏👏
Yes, Andrew, a fantastic interview. Very well directed, finely edited. I liked the fact you did not include yourself there... We are there, with Miles Showell, alone, intimate. So perfect. (I'm biased, that is how I conduct my Conversation films). The question were specific enough, without becoming boring. We come out of this with tears of joy. Bravo. Thank you again.
In 2019 I was lucky enough to part of an invited audience at Abbey Road, to hear The Analogues perform Abbey Road in Studio 1. Preceded by a great introduction by Mark Lewisohn and concluded by crossing the corridor to Studio 2 to hear the band play 3 Beatles standards. Definitely a day to remember!
The Analogs are true to their name. They must have a fortune tied up in period equipment. I had no idea they actually did a show at EMI - Abbey Road . Greatest Beatles live covers ever …
This is the only channel on RUclips where I’m looking forward to every new upload each Sunday. Love them all, but this Sunday you’ve outdone yourself. Thanks very much for a very informative and really nice video. Can’t wait for next Sunday’s upload and it’s Abbey Road connection.
This is what content production is all about. While watching this I couldn’t help but think how precious it is that you captured this man’s thoughts and stories and insights. Is it because this is Abbey Road Studios that this video embodies such reverence? Excellent choice of subject to interview and thank you to Miles for his candour.
This channel is a gold mine of history. I cannot believe we are being treated to this from some of the smartest people in a medium that was very close to dying.
Was hanging onto every minute. Quality interview! No BS, just the straight dope from one of the best vinyl people out there. Seems like a really nice dude.
Wow , excellent, the biggest take from this is the fact a Technics sl 1200g/ae , along with the Audio-technica VM 540 ML are his go to listening tools in his cutting room, that speak absolutely volumes, that a 4k record deck and a £150 moving magnet cartridge are the choice of one of the very best engineers in England uses on a daily basis when listening to his finished records, what a massive recommendation for two superbly engineered pieces of kit , thank you so much for this video both you and miles showell brought so much info to the table i would otherwise not have known. 😊.
Absolute genius, Andrew. I think you've excelled yourself. If Miles and Doc Ebbetts want to collaborate on a whole new box set of Beatles albums, I'd be 99th in the queue to buy a copy. Assuming I could get there fast enough.
@@BlindGordie Ah, I know Alan's work as well! I will go check that out. I was thinking of Under the Influence's Terry O'Reilly, who is also one of Canada's biggest Beatles fans.
This old engineer/mastering op in Sydney can’t tell you how much I enjoyed that Andrew. I never got into half speed mastering but I can easily imagine how hard it is, listening to 1/2 speed tracks all day. Maybe that’s why! And it’s nice to hear that Miles uses the same terms that we did, “Expensive smoke”! Lol.
Most of the of the Abbey Road half-speed mastered vinyl I've bought have had some level of with distortion - the recent Let It Be, Get Back, and Revolver remixes in particular. Not a problem I ever have with original 60s and 70s records.
Digital is going to be the savior of these old disintegrating analog tapes. Getting good Digital transfers while they can still be run through a tape machine will allow these albums to be reissued on any format for a thousand years.
Yeah I can't see what all the hatred over records from digital sources is all about However I'm lucky enough a few analogue records and they are magnificent but also very quiet!
Yeah I can't see what all the hatred over records from digital sources is all about However I'm lucky enough a few analogue records and they are magnificent but also very quiet!
Plenty of vinyl records have been sourced from digital recordings since the 70's, and digital cutting equipment has been used since the days of PCM recordings being on tape. The people who make a big deal about whether an album came from a full analog process or not aren't people who care about audio quality, they care about demonizing the digital boogeyman for no tangible reason, regardless of the benefits of digital.
One thing he didn't mention was the 'cutting delay' - groove spacing (pitch) has to be adjusted ahead of changes in audio amplitude. Since the 1980s, a digital delay is typically used, meaning the audio that gets cut to the disc has been digitised, even if the source is analogue tape. This basically defeats the object of bothering to use vinyl!
It makes sense that they did it in the '80-s when digital was considered superior by everyone, but why do they still do it? He mentions computers calculating the optimal groove distance for an entire side at once, which means they would have to capture the envelope of the entire master first, then run it again when cutting.
If Miles can somehow see/hear this I'd appreciate it.... the work he did on Zhu - Dreamland is nothing short of magic. Absolutely astonishing. I cannot praise it enough. The bass and fidelity are set to 11, a true audiophile EDM record. Thanks, Miles!
Oh, this is gold Andrew. Fabulous stuff. Well done from an audiophile and huge Beatles fan. Miles is an absolute gem and very genorous and engaging with his time.
Excellent interview Andrew. I was lucky enough to be able to go inside Abbey Road studios last summer, and it's difficult to play cool while you're there. Not just because of the Beatles, but also because all the cool equipment they have.
I really enjoyed the video, and couldn't help wondering if that was the DMM lathe we cut our first ever Energise Records single on at Abbey Rd back in 1993. Our mastering engineer was Nick Webb, and he was surprised when .i rattled off a list of Motown albums that had his name in the dead wax. Its an astonishing place to visit. On a second cut, I was allowed to put the I.Q. bands in, by pressing the button on the desk..what a memory.
Had a day with Miles at AR, mastering Superdrone and it was incredible. So many amazing stories he told us. A genuine genius and a genuine lovely soul.
Your editing and production skills are truly next level and deserving of a platform like Nebula or even Netflix rather than “simple” ol’ RUclips. Many kudos!
You never fail to deliver information that's entertaining as well, Andrew! This certainly has to be a high point for you personally, as it's understood, your seeming entrenched devotion to all things Hi-Fi and in particular The Beatles! Congratulations on a wonderful interview with a master of his art and genuinely brilliant and affable gentleman. Us mere mortals are lucky to have such engineer/technicians to produce such high quality sonic product. This was such a joy, thank you Andrew and Miles!
Was surprised to hear that MIles liked the MFSL versions of Magical Mystery Tour and Abbey Road. Those two albums used Capitol masters/sub masters to create their albums. In the case of Magical Mystery Tour, MFSL got Capitol Records treatment of the masters.
Nice work. A lot going on here. What Miles mentioned about the amplifiers is very true, the extra power greatly improves transients. I also agree that when the limits are pushed and the equipment is "working" you get awesome sound - just bursting with energy. The expertise, skill and setup take years to perfect. I feel honored and privileged to witness this, thanks so much for sharing.
The problem for me in this new half cuts are not working because groove width, but I don't know much, I just noticed that from Technics research, the half cut method in order to be possible the groove widthness had to be expanded and a limit of 16min per side was introduced. Reading this I believe that Abbey Road is doing half speed mastering but keeping the groove dimensions to the limit, and that brings limitations, but this is what is explained by Technics research in 1976: "2. Low speed cutting and frequency response range In the cutting process, the cutting master tape playback speed was reduced from the conventional 38 cm/sec to one half, or 19 cm/sec, and the speed of the lacquer master disc was also reduced from 33* rpm to 163 rpm, and the cutting was made at these reduced speeds. This made possible increased volume levels and improved transient response, with the frequency response characteristics of the cutting process expanded tics of the cutting process expanded to 20 Hz-45 KHz. 3. Abundantly wide cutting pitch In order to make the most of the above factors, the groove pitch was chosen that there would be ample clearance between grooves. The actual recording time per side is therefore some 16 minutes, and no attempt was made to compress the groove spacing. This enabled higher peak levels, and a more-than-adequate groove amplitude, so that the low frequency response, in particular, is greatly improved." So while not aproaching step 3 at the current half cuts.. that means we are loosing indeed the low frequency response.... I stopped buying this new half cuts, because somehow the full process was losta long the way this past years... beacause they are a bit dry, specially compared to the Technics half-cut with wide groove has amazing bass. Would love to know if Miles Showell regards this factor on pitch groove or what are his thoughts on it.
@@pauldavies6037 Hi, Unfortunatly I don't have any of those, the only half cut mastering besides this current Abbey Road ones is the Technics Audio Inspection Vol.I in which includes a booklet explaining their research on the Half Cutting process, and in order for the Half-Cut process to have the corrent low end response, it was adamant that the grooves wheren't limited in width they realised for the half cut method to work properly a12" record could not have more than 16mins per side to have ample groove width. so that became my reference when I see half-cuts .. if it comes 20mins per side, I ignore it. I tried with the Abbey Road cuts... Brothers in Arms... No bass at all it is sad, compared to the OG Portuguese pressing, same with Ziggy Stardust half cut feels dry and anemic, this where my last and I sweared I will never buy another hal cut that is more than 16min per side. I hope it makes sense, but today some want to make the best really others just want to make business as usual... I guess the 180gr fad is passing away, and now there is in need of another fad. For sure now you mention those I will try to get some to check them out. But this simple rule of 16mins per side should be enough I believe.
What an amazing interview! It prompted me to come up with questions - possibly ill-informed ones - that I would have liked to ask (e.g. Could there be a better, albeit inconvenient, EQ curve than RIAA? Is anyone ever likely to design and manufacture a new lathe from scratch?). Anyway, Miles Showell actually addressed things I would never have thought of asking. Absolutely brilliant! And what a great occupation!
This was a great time! I am not a hardware type of girl but it’s always fun to watch someone being passionate about their work. Just as it is lovely for you to being able to live this amazing experience and being there~
Hey Andrew! Fantastic top quality interview as usual. Thanks to you for doing it and for Miles who shows how modest and respectful he is, and to those who developed this facet of engineering long before him. Cheers from Oz.
Absolutely a great episode...! It's often been said there's nothing like playing records...a total Zen experience... Reel to Reel tape can be included in that Z3n feeling compared to digital...a bit more work, but well worth the effort.
For some reason, I had the “He’s going to tell… He’s going to tell…” song from Monty Python and the Holy Grail in my head as I started watching this. Fabulous video. Again!
Andrew, that was absolutely wonderful. The time just flew past. You’ve done some amazing videos, but this was the jewel in your crown. And what a fascinating gentleman Miles is. Frankly I could listen to him all day. Thank you Miles and thank you Andrew, for one of the most enjoyable and memorable and interesting videos I’ve ever seen. You will have to go a long way to top that one!!! Mick.
"There's just something magical about playing a record...y'know just taking it out of the sleeve and putting it on...and then actually devoting 40 minutes to something...which is a lost art now. People don't do that so often..." I'm so glad he said this. I've been trying to find a way to let my young nephew understand the listening experience about going to a record store, digging through the bins, getting home with the new product...opening it..smelling the record, and then pulling it on the player, and listening to it all the way through. It just doesn't happen as much these days with the younger generation who moves on from thing to thing so quickly. I'm hopeful that as many more become interested in Vinyl, the music will also improve and the listening experience will go back to the days when something was listen to as a "whole" rather than just a song or two. Thanks Andrew for sharing Miles with us. So amazing and interesting to hear about all that he does. Dig, DmGrk
A great interview, Andrew! Your video has made me appreciate why Mr Showell is the Abbey Road master of half speed vinyl and what a complicated process cutting records is! Looking forward to your next video!
This is a true Beggar's Banquet for any Beatles fan. Too bad Harry Moss is no longer among us, but George Peckham is (aka Pecko Duck and Porky). 2:30 - I was like, "Beans early in the morning?" As in Brazil, we use to eat them at lunch and with rice, but anyway, that might seem odd for the english as well. Nevertheless, the more we learn these details, a better world vision we have. Big thanks for the video, it was a wonderful interview.
Another fabulous installment! I visited Abbey Road from Philadelphia last week so this one was PERFECT to watch today. Love ya Andrew! Haha! So cool that the taxi driver recognized you. Bloody legend, you are!
Awesome episode! This could be one of the best Sunday treats you have shared! Lots of topics were discussed and lots of my questions were answered. Great Job!!
The story at 12:30 is about The Alan Parsons Project album Vulture Culture. Miles did an incredible job on that album for the vinyl box set of TAPP that came out last year. It sounds amazing.
Miles Showell really IS one of the good guys! I’m sure he’s well paid by EMI, but when you hear him talk about what he does, you can tell he’s really doing it for the love of it! Years ago when I was on the radio, I played a LOT of things that HE physically made from the artist’s master recordings. Even at my first job on AM radio, you could tell when the guy who cut the master disc LOVED what he did! This video was quite interesting - especially the shot of Abbey Road’s “listening” turntable. It’s a Technics SL1200 MK2. We had TWO of those at my California FM’er, and they were the ONLY turntables we EVER used on the air. They sound magnificent!
Miles is one of the best engineers I think in the world that Abby Road and I think he did a fantastic job especially on the Beatles red and blue albums which is great and I just love the sound of vinyl it’s fantastic just as much as I love the sound of cassette tapes and CDs.
ah, great video. I love hearing masters of their craft talking about what they love doing, but as with Miles, without sounding trite or self indulgent. Just saying it as it is without fanfare or sensationalism. Wonderful. It capped it off for me when he said his 2 fave albums. I also love Abbey Road for the reasons he says, and also A Hard Day's Night for exactly the same reason. Great stuff. Looking forward to the next one even more now. Nice one Andrew
Wonderful insight to a job that’s fascinated me for ages. I have some half speed sets and they really are amazing, need to check who cut my Police box set now!
Very informative and enjoyable, Andrew. What a great opportunity for you. Nice to hear the various cutting methods explained in (semi-) layman's terms. Thank you
Excellent interview. Something to never forget. I'm not a fan of his work myself. I have a few HSM albums done by Miles, but compared to originals they sound disappointing to me.
Thank you for featuring my brother-in-law Stan Ricker. He was an avid loudspeaker collector. His main focus was coaxials. If you didn't know, Stan was a bass player and in his later years played here and there around Ridgecrest California where he lived and had his lathe, well one of them anyway.
Interesting to hear the topics covered, Andrew. Some on RUclips aren't exactly fans of Abbey Road Half Speed Remasters. Michael of 45 RPM Audiophile has been somewhat scathing of some Beatles' remasters when comparing them to original UK 1st pressings. Recently watched a video of someone comparing a Genesis album. The poster thought the Abbey Road Remaster sounded pretty poor and the worst of the 3 versions he had. Next was the 1st UK pressing and top was the recent Atlantic 2 x 45 RPM set. T.M. of Vertere Acoustics that he mentions was co-founder of Roksan in the mid 80s. Their first turntable being the Xerxes. I have a Radius in bits!
Hats off for a deep explanation of the Half Master album process. My first introduction to this format was when I bought the Beatles Half Master box set back in 1983 hot off the press. I still own the box set to this day along with UHQR version of SGT Pepper from 1983. Now I will need to purchase a up to date Half Master release to compare the advancement. Enjoy hearing English slang terms.
Just fantastic! What more could you want on the subject? Amazing how rare and niche the art of record mastering /pressing can be. Upgrading that lathe reminds me a bit of how they keep (old) F16s in the air. Old plane, new everything in it…
Miles Showell shows what happens when the human brain optimizes itself to the maximum. He's such an impressive person. And you're not half-bad, Andrew. 😉 Fantastic interview.
This is sò interesting. Thanks, you taught me a lot. I'm 69 and starting to collect vinyl again. First, there is Melanie. All her albums are being remastered, I have received a couple of her records so far. The cuttings sound good. Very quite vinyl. Then I just bought the clear vinyl Pink Floyd but haven't received it by mail yet. Next I will start a Beatles vinyl collection. Thank you for your guidance as I start this daunting task. I grew The Beatles and love their music. At 15 I discovered Melanie and became a huge fan. I must have over 100 records by this awesome woman. Thanks again for all the great info.😊
Yet another excellent video on this channel. Miles seems to be a bit of an audiophile but are his masterings any good? I must admit it was a little disappointing that he didn't mention the great Harry T Moss. You'd think that with all of the technological advances since the 1960s all that folks like Miles need to do would be to replicate Harry Moss's cuttings and let the improved technology do the rest. Perhaps vinyl record cutting is indeed a lost art?
Andrew, superlative interview! The technical info discussed was absolutely amazing and helpful. It served to help me understand what was heretofore a "black magic" subject for me! Cheers!
Thank you Andrew - fascinating interview, and looking forward to your follow-up! I used to have several half-speed "masters" and direct-to-discs, including some that Miles referred to - still have a few, but I sold most of them along with most of my huge LP collection when moving 2500 miles across the US and just starting to re-build my collection with CDs in 1984 (including several that I found at Charing Cross Record's excellent selection at the time when they were still hard to find in the US). Despite having lived and worked in England and British territory and with Brits quite a bit since the early '60s, your Miles interview was the first time I ever heard the British idiom "chalk and cheese" - I had to look it up! 😄 I got to walk in the front door at Abbey Road Studios during my first visit in 1977 [no security back then], naively hoping to have a peek inside or a tour, but only got to have a short chat with a receptionist. Had no camera with me, but I recall seeing framed gold records on the hallway walls. When I returned with a camera in 1984 (a year AFTER they DID have guided tours for the public), the gates at the sidewalk were locked. But I did get some good pictures from the sidewalk and road, including zebra crossing - amazing how fast the car traffic built up from zero and had to stop for us while quickly re-enacting The Beatles' photo shoot!
Great video, really enjoyed it. I won't pretend I understood all of it, but at leat half (no pun intended) . Looking forward to part two of the other half. Thanks Laddy.
I am getting to be a rather old guy and, apart from decidedly intermediate drum kit skills, I have zero musical skill/talent. ... but I must say that standing on those stairs up to the control room in studio 2 looks to be as close to musical heaven as one could ever be. I am extremely impressed! So much of the Beatles history right there underfoot. My point is that no matter where one is one the musical skill ladder every human can be in true appreciation for what history was made there. Great interview Andrew. 👍
I don't think I've ever met another artist/tech who is more talented, articulate, dedicated, informed, creative, and just plain clever as maestro Miles Showell. The fact that we've all benefitted in one way or another from his expertise just proves the point that we must continue to nurture this sort of talent and brilliance wherever and whenever it appears. This is truly a 'dying art' that deserves to be illuminated and and cultured as much as possible!
This interview was a real eye opener. I learned a lot. I myself had long assumed that half-speed mastering was simply a matter of reducing the cutting speed. Didn't realize all the painstaking work that goes into cutting any album. A very informative and entertaining interview. Thank you, Andrew!
Thanks Tom. Glad you enjoyed it!
Well, it cut the bass by half also. 😁😁
Andrew, you nailed the BEST interview with Miles Showell, one of my favourite Beatles related people in the world. He knows his powers and uses them in great form when doing Beatles (and solo Beatles) remastering. A top guy. Great, great video 👏👏👏👏👏👏
Thank you, Franco. Glad you enjoyed it!
Yes, Andrew, a fantastic interview. Very well directed, finely edited. I liked the fact you did not include yourself there... We are there, with Miles Showell, alone, intimate. So perfect. (I'm biased, that is how I conduct my Conversation films). The question were specific enough, without becoming boring. We come out of this with tears of joy. Bravo. Thank you again.
Thank you, Antonio. Much appreciated!
He is a godsend to Abbey Road Theyve always been on the forefront of recording advancements,and Miles is certainly a great asset to them,no doubt.
In 2019 I was lucky enough to part of an invited audience at Abbey Road, to hear The Analogues perform Abbey Road in Studio 1. Preceded by a great introduction by Mark Lewisohn and concluded by crossing the corridor to Studio 2 to hear the band play 3 Beatles standards. Definitely a day to remember!
The Analogs are true to their name. They must have a fortune tied up in period equipment. I had no idea they actually did a show at EMI - Abbey Road . Greatest Beatles live covers ever …
They performed the album three times on that particular day. There’s a DVD available of the show from The Analogues website.
This is the only channel on RUclips where I’m looking forward to every new upload each Sunday. Love them all, but this Sunday you’ve outdone yourself. Thanks very much for a very informative and really nice video. Can’t wait for next Sunday’s upload and it’s Abbey Road connection.
Many thanks! Much appreciated!
This is what content production is all about. While watching this I couldn’t help but think how precious it is that you captured this man’s thoughts and stories and insights. Is it because this is Abbey Road Studios that this video embodies such reverence?
Excellent choice of subject to interview and thank you to Miles for his candour.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.
This channel is a gold mine of history. I cannot believe we are being treated to this from some of the smartest people in a medium that was very close to dying.
Was hanging onto every minute. Quality interview! No BS, just the straight dope from one of the best vinyl people out there. Seems like a really nice dude.
Thanks Josh!
Wow , excellent, the biggest take from this is the fact a Technics sl 1200g/ae , along with the Audio-technica VM 540 ML are his go to listening tools in his cutting room, that speak absolutely volumes, that a 4k record deck and a £150 moving magnet cartridge are the choice of one of the very best engineers in England uses on a daily basis when listening to his finished records, what a massive recommendation for two superbly engineered pieces of kit , thank you so much for this video both you and miles showell brought so much info to the table i would otherwise not have known. 😊.
But like mini monitors not the highest of fi to hear it sound against the master tape
Absolute genius, Andrew. I think you've excelled yourself. If Miles and Doc Ebbetts want to collaborate on a whole new box set of Beatles albums, I'd be 99th in the queue to buy a copy. Assuming I could get there fast enough.
Pretty cool and I have shared this with a Canadian Radio personality I know, who has also been to Abbey Road Studios and is big into vinyl.
Are their initials "T.O'R."?
@@moxievision nope, A C, as in Alan Cross. In fact if you go on is website now, yesterday's video is in a recent post
@@BlindGordie Ah, I know Alan's work as well! I will go check that out. I was thinking of Under the Influence's Terry O'Reilly, who is also one of Canada's biggest Beatles fans.
@@moxievision I hadn't considered him as I haven't listened to the podcast. I'm glad you know Alan's work as he has been doing this for a long time.
This old engineer/mastering op in Sydney can’t tell you how much I enjoyed that Andrew. I never got into half speed mastering but I can easily imagine how hard it is, listening to 1/2 speed tracks all day. Maybe that’s why!
And it’s nice to hear that Miles uses the same terms that we did, “Expensive smoke”! Lol.
That "Artist" in that story is Alan Parsons and the album: Vulture Culture,
Most of the of the Abbey Road half-speed mastered vinyl I've bought have had some level of with distortion - the recent Let It Be, Get Back, and Revolver remixes in particular. Not a problem I ever have with original 60s and 70s records.
ruclips.net/video/kdiiq2hgP3M/видео.htmlsi=F1P7krAZeLSFJGe4
Digital is going to be the savior of these old disintegrating analog tapes. Getting good Digital transfers while they can still be run through a tape machine will allow these albums to be reissued on any format for a thousand years.
Yeah I can't see what all the hatred over records from digital sources is all about
However I'm lucky enough a few analogue records and they are magnificent but also very quiet!
Yeah I can't see what all the hatred over records from digital sources is all about
However I'm lucky enough a few analogue records and they are magnificent but also very quiet!
Plenty of vinyl records have been sourced from digital recordings since the 70's, and digital cutting equipment has been used since the days of PCM recordings being on tape. The people who make a big deal about whether an album came from a full analog process or not aren't people who care about audio quality, they care about demonizing the digital boogeyman for no tangible reason, regardless of the benefits of digital.
Yes. YES. A thousand times, *YES!*
@@Echo-Headsucks.
One thing he didn't mention was the 'cutting delay' - groove spacing (pitch) has to be adjusted ahead of changes in audio amplitude. Since the 1980s, a digital delay is typically used, meaning the audio that gets cut to the disc has been digitised, even if the source is analogue tape. This basically defeats the object of bothering to use vinyl!
It depends how much it degrades the sound in practice
It makes sense that they did it in the '80-s when digital was considered superior by everyone, but why do they still do it? He mentions computers calculating the optimal groove distance for an entire side at once, which means they would have to capture the envelope of the entire master first, then run it again when cutting.
If Miles can somehow see/hear this I'd appreciate it.... the work he did on Zhu - Dreamland is nothing short of magic. Absolutely astonishing. I cannot praise it enough. The bass and fidelity are set to 11, a true audiophile EDM record. Thanks, Miles!
Oh, this is gold Andrew. Fabulous stuff. Well done from an audiophile and huge Beatles fan. Miles is an absolute gem and very genorous and engaging with his time.
Excellent interview Andrew. I was lucky enough to be able to go inside Abbey Road studios last summer, and it's difficult to play cool while you're there. Not just because of the Beatles, but also because all the cool equipment they have.
Much better than any audio specialist interview I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot. Many thanks Andrew!
Thank you very much!
I really enjoyed the video, and couldn't help wondering if that was the DMM lathe we cut our first ever Energise Records single on at Abbey Rd back in 1993. Our mastering engineer was Nick Webb, and he was surprised when .i rattled off a list of Motown albums that had his name in the dead wax. Its an astonishing place to visit. On a second cut, I was allowed to put the I.Q. bands in, by pressing the button on the desk..what a memory.
Incredible detailed audio artistry from Miles. Amazing interviews, mate.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Had a day with Miles at AR, mastering Superdrone and it was incredible. So many amazing stories he told us. A genuine genius and a genuine lovely soul.
Your editing and production skills are truly next level and deserving of a platform like Nebula or even Netflix rather than “simple” ol’ RUclips. Many kudos!
Wow, thank you!
You never fail to deliver information that's entertaining as well, Andrew!
This certainly has to be a high point for you personally, as it's understood, your seeming entrenched devotion to all things Hi-Fi and in particular The Beatles!
Congratulations on a wonderful interview with a master of his art and genuinely brilliant and affable gentleman.
Us mere mortals are lucky to have such engineer/technicians to produce such high quality sonic product.
This was such a joy, thank you Andrew and Miles!
Thank you, Alan. glad you enjoyed it!
Was surprised to hear that MIles liked the MFSL versions of Magical Mystery Tour and Abbey Road. Those two albums used Capitol masters/sub masters to create their albums. In the case of Magical Mystery Tour, MFSL got Capitol Records treatment of the masters.
Love how down to earth Miles is. This is a great interview, Andrew. Kudos 👏👏
Thank you!
Absolutely fascinating interview. And yes, the half-speed vinyl he produces sounds brilliant (even for us folks who can't afford a Vertere turntable).
Glad you enjoyed it!
I want THIS guy handing all my disc cutting and audio engineering! Miles Showell is a GENIUS at this stuff!!
Nice work. A lot going on here. What Miles mentioned about the amplifiers is very true, the extra power greatly improves transients. I also agree that when the limits are pushed and the equipment is "working" you get awesome sound - just bursting with energy. The expertise, skill and setup take years to perfect. I feel honored and privileged to witness this, thanks so much for sharing.
Thank you for watching!
That’s probably your best video. Well done and Miles was so interesting and I felt I learned a lot from this.
Thank you, James. Glad you enjoyed it!
The problem for me in this new half cuts are not working because groove width, but I don't know much, I just noticed that from Technics research, the half cut method in order to be possible the groove widthness had to be expanded and a limit of 16min per side was introduced. Reading this I believe that Abbey Road is doing half speed mastering but keeping the groove dimensions to the limit, and that brings limitations, but this is what is explained by Technics research in 1976:
"2. Low speed cutting and frequency response range
In the cutting process, the cutting master tape playback speed was reduced from the conventional 38 cm/sec to one half, or 19 cm/sec, and the speed of the lacquer master disc was also reduced from 33* rpm to 163 rpm, and the cutting was made at these reduced speeds. This made possible increased volume levels and improved transient response, with the frequency response characteristics of the cutting process expanded tics of the cutting process expanded to 20 Hz-45 KHz.
3. Abundantly wide cutting pitch
In order to make the most of the above factors, the groove pitch was chosen that there would be ample clearance between grooves. The actual recording time per side is therefore some 16 minutes, and no attempt was made to compress the groove spacing. This enabled higher peak levels, and a more-than-adequate groove amplitude, so that the low frequency response, in particular, is greatly improved."
So while not aproaching step 3 at the current half cuts.. that means we are loosing indeed the low frequency response....
I stopped buying this new half cuts, because somehow the full process was losta long the way this past years... beacause they are a bit dry, specially compared to the Technics half-cut with wide groove has amazing bass. Would love to know if Miles Showell regards this factor on pitch groove or what are his thoughts on it.
CBS USA did a lot of half speed classical Lps in the 80's and EMI DMM classical have you any comments on these?
@@pauldavies6037 Hi, Unfortunatly I don't have any of those, the only half cut mastering besides this current Abbey Road ones is the Technics Audio Inspection Vol.I in which includes a booklet explaining their research on the Half Cutting process, and in order for the Half-Cut process to have the corrent low end response, it was adamant that the grooves wheren't limited in width they realised for the half cut method to work properly a12" record could not have more than 16mins per side to have ample groove width. so that became my reference when I see half-cuts .. if it comes 20mins per side, I ignore it. I tried with the Abbey Road cuts... Brothers in Arms... No bass at all it is sad, compared to the OG Portuguese pressing, same with Ziggy Stardust half cut feels dry and anemic, this where my last and I sweared I will never buy another hal cut that is more than 16min per side. I hope it makes sense, but today some want to make the best really others just want to make business as usual... I guess the 180gr fad is passing away, and now there is in need of another fad.
For sure now you mention those I will try to get some to check them out. But this simple rule of 16mins per side should be enough I believe.
What an amazing interview! It prompted me to come up with questions - possibly ill-informed ones - that I would have liked to ask (e.g. Could there be a better, albeit inconvenient, EQ curve than RIAA? Is anyone ever likely to design and manufacture a new lathe from scratch?). Anyway, Miles Showell actually addressed things I would never have thought of asking. Absolutely brilliant! And what a great occupation!
This was absolutely so enjoyable from an insider. Andrew, it must have been an absolute joy being there. Hats off to you. Wonderful edition this week!
Thank you! Really glad you enjoyed it!
This was a great time! I am not a hardware type of girl but it’s always fun to watch someone being passionate about their work.
Just as it is lovely for you to being able to live this amazing experience and being there~
Glad you enjoyed it!
AT540? not surprised, one of the best phono-cartridges! TOP INTERVIEW, Andrew, thanks a lot!
Absolutely wonderfully AMAZING! Your best video yet. I could watch that all day. Thank you for sharing your fantastic experience.
Many thanks, Kevin. Glad you enjoyed it!
FANTASTIC video, Andrew! Actually going into Abbey Road Studios, and introducing us to Mr. Showell must've been a dream come true for you. Thanks!
Thanks Joe. It was!
Hey Andrew! Fantastic top quality interview as usual. Thanks to you for doing it and for Miles who shows how modest and respectful he is, and to those who developed this facet of engineering long before him. Cheers from Oz.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely a great episode...!
It's often been said there's nothing like playing records...a total Zen experience...
Reel to Reel tape can be included in that Z3n feeling compared to digital...a bit more work, but well worth the effort.
Thank you!
For some reason, I had the “He’s going to tell… He’s going to tell…” song from Monty Python and the Holy Grail in my head as I started watching this.
Fabulous video. Again!
Wonderfully informative interview of a true gentleman by another true gentleman.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Andrew, that was absolutely wonderful. The time just flew past. You’ve done some amazing videos, but this was the jewel in your crown. And what a fascinating gentleman Miles is. Frankly I could listen to him all day. Thank you Miles and thank you Andrew, for one of the most enjoyable and memorable and interesting videos I’ve ever seen. You will have to go a long way to top that one!!! Mick.
Thank you very much, Mick! Glad you enjoyed watching it as much as I enjoyed making it!
Wow, best interview! Thanks Andrew, thanks Miles!
Thank you, Joerg!
"There's just something magical about playing a record...y'know just taking it out of the sleeve and putting it on...and then actually devoting 40 minutes to something...which is a lost art now. People don't do that so often..." I'm so glad he said this. I've been trying to find a way to let my young nephew understand the listening experience about going to a record store, digging through the bins, getting home with the new product...opening it..smelling the record, and then pulling it on the player, and listening to it all the way through. It just doesn't happen as much these days with the younger generation who moves on from thing to thing so quickly. I'm hopeful that as many more become interested in Vinyl, the music will also improve and the listening experience will go back to the days when something was listen to as a "whole" rather than just a song or two. Thanks Andrew for sharing Miles with us. So amazing and interesting to hear about all that he does. Dig, DmGrk
A great interview, Andrew! Your video has made me appreciate why Mr Showell is the Abbey Road master of half speed vinyl and what a complicated process cutting records is! Looking forward to your next video!
Cheers Nick!
Andrew...THIS is a documentary for the ages!
Absolutely fantastic!
Mahalo nui loa for this one, mate!
Aloha!
Thank you, Jim!
Thank you so much for rhis video. I loved it. Also, thank you, Miles, for the fantastic work that you do and sharing your knowledge with us.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Really enjoyed this - made me appreciate my ABBA half speed masters even more now - Cheers Miles
This is a true Beggar's Banquet for any Beatles fan. Too bad Harry Moss is no longer among us, but George Peckham is (aka Pecko Duck and Porky). 2:30 - I was like, "Beans early in the morning?" As in Brazil, we use to eat them at lunch and with rice, but anyway, that might seem odd for the english as well. Nevertheless, the more we learn these details, a better world vision we have. Big thanks for the video, it was a wonderful interview.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great interview with Miles! I am happy to have his half speed albums in my collection! They sounds great! Thanks Andrew!
Thabks Matt. Glad you enjoyed it!
Miles is a great guy! Thank you for the most interesting interview I've seen on RUclips in years.
Thank you and I agree!
Another great video, Andrew. Suggestion: I would like to see a deep dive video on Pete Best's curious "Best of the Beatles" LP.
This was really well done, Andrew. Makes me glad to know I was one of the first to discover this diamond in the rough RUclips channel. Keep it up!
Welcome along! Glad you enjoyed it!
Another fabulous installment! I visited Abbey Road from Philadelphia last week so this one was PERFECT to watch today. Love ya Andrew! Haha! So cool that the taxi driver recognized you. Bloody legend, you are!
Thanks! So glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely a fabulous interview!
My respect,Andrew
Thank you
interview absolument passionnante et instructive, c'est formidable merci !
Merci d'avoir regardé. Heureux que cela vous ait plu !
That was amazing. Great interview, and good job showing how much fun this was for you!
Thanks Davis. Glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent interview! And a touching hats off to Stan Ricker, whose name appears on many of my most-played discs.
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed that.
The half-speed masterings of Bob Marley’s output are sensational.
Thank you for this video. Very well done.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Awesome episode! This could be one of the best Sunday treats you have shared! Lots of topics were discussed and lots of my questions were answered. Great Job!!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
The story at 12:30 is about The Alan Parsons Project album Vulture Culture. Miles did an incredible job on that album for the vinyl box set of TAPP that came out last year. It sounds amazing.
A memorable day for you Andrew, another fascinating video for your viewers, excellent!!🎶👍
Glad you enjoyed it, Tom!
Miles Showell really IS one of the good guys! I’m sure he’s well paid by EMI, but when you hear him talk about what he does, you can tell he’s really doing it for the love of it! Years ago when I was on the radio, I played a LOT of things that HE physically made from the artist’s master recordings. Even at my first job on AM radio, you could tell when the guy who cut the master disc LOVED what he did! This video was quite interesting - especially the shot of Abbey Road’s “listening” turntable. It’s a Technics SL1200 MK2. We had TWO of those at my California FM’er, and they were the ONLY turntables we EVER used on the air. They sound magnificent!
Love the blur 21 box set in the background! My favorite piece of physical media I own
FANTASTIC !!! Thanks Andrew for bring to us this great interview !! Gracias Andrew por traernos este fantastico reportaje. Saludos desde Buenos Aires
¡Me alegra que lo hayas disfrutado, Gabriel!
Miles is one of the best engineers I think in the world that Abby Road and I think he did a fantastic job especially on the Beatles red and blue albums which is great and I just love the sound of vinyl it’s fantastic just as much as I love the sound of cassette tapes and CDs.
Pausing at 35:56 to type this - Holy crap, this guy's three favorite Beatles albums are the exact same as my three favorites!
What a lovely interview, it's a stuff of dreams to be close to those Neumann lathes and the people who do magic on those. More such videos please.
Many thanks!
Andrew!! This was phenomenal. I love Miles' work. I truly appreciate you sharing your experience.
Glad you enjoyed it, Darrin!
@@Parlogram I truly did and can't wait for your Part 2. Blessings from Ontario, Canada!!
ah, great video. I love hearing masters of their craft talking about what they love doing, but as with Miles, without sounding trite or self indulgent. Just saying it as it is without fanfare or sensationalism. Wonderful. It capped it off for me when he said his 2 fave albums. I also love Abbey Road for the reasons he says, and also A Hard Day's Night for exactly the same reason. Great stuff. Looking forward to the next one even more now. Nice one Andrew
Many thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Wonderful insight to a job that’s fascinated me for ages. I have some half speed sets and they really are amazing, need to check who cut my Police box set now!
This has to be the most interesting thing I’ve watched on RUclips for ages, thanks 🙏
Glad you enjoyed it!
interesting interview, Andrew. thank you for taking some pictures of the studio, too.
My pleasure. Glad you enjoyed it!
Very informative and enjoyable, Andrew. What a great opportunity for you. Nice to hear the various cutting methods explained in (semi-) layman's terms. Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it, Richard!
What insight! Super informative. Nice to get a peek behind the curtain. Thank you, Andrew, and your special guest, Miles, too!
Glad you enjoyed it, Anthony!
Lou Sern's Swiss Boy was very very popular in our country back in the day, interesting Miles Showell mastered that.
What do you mean, "was"? It's still pretty popular here, a radio/party staple!
This was such a fascinating and informative interview. I learned a lot and Miles seems such a super nice guy. Thank you so much!
Glad you enjoyed it, Simon!
"Even at half-speed it's pretty good!!!" That's so perfect.
Excellent interview. Something to never forget.
I'm not a fan of his work myself. I have a few HSM albums done by Miles, but compared to originals they sound disappointing to me.
Thank you for featuring my brother-in-law Stan Ricker. He was an avid loudspeaker collector. His main focus was coaxials. If you didn't know, Stan was a bass player and in his later years played here and there around Ridgecrest California where he lived and had his lathe, well one of them anyway.
You're very welcome and thank you for posting.
I love Miles work, the police boxset and beetles anniversary editions are amazing!
Interesting to hear the topics covered, Andrew.
Some on RUclips aren't exactly fans of Abbey Road Half Speed Remasters. Michael of 45 RPM Audiophile has been somewhat scathing of some Beatles' remasters when comparing them to original UK 1st pressings. Recently watched a video of someone comparing a Genesis album. The poster thought the Abbey Road Remaster sounded pretty poor and the worst of the 3 versions he had. Next was the 1st UK pressing and top was the recent Atlantic 2 x 45 RPM set.
T.M. of Vertere Acoustics that he mentions was co-founder of Roksan in the mid 80s. Their first turntable being the Xerxes. I have a Radius in bits!
Hats off for a deep explanation of the Half Master album process. My first introduction to this format was when I bought the Beatles Half Master box set back in 1983 hot off the press. I still own the box set to this day along with UHQR version of SGT Pepper from 1983. Now I will need to purchase a up to date Half Master release to compare the advancement. Enjoy hearing English slang terms.
Just fantastic! What more could you want on the subject? Amazing how rare and niche the art of record mastering /pressing can be. Upgrading that lathe reminds me a bit of how they keep (old) F16s in the air. Old plane, new everything in it…
Glad you enjoyed it!
Miles Showell shows what happens when the human brain optimizes itself to the maximum. He's such an impressive person. And you're not half-bad, Andrew. 😉 Fantastic interview.
Thank you so much 😊
Hi Andrew, what an amazing video! Miles is a great guy! What a treat seeing the studios, especially studio 2! Cheers 🍻
Thank for wathcing!
Kudos to Miles and Andrew for this fantastic video. Thanks!
This is sò interesting. Thanks, you taught me a lot. I'm 69 and starting to collect vinyl again. First, there is Melanie. All her albums are being remastered, I have received a couple of her records so far. The cuttings sound good. Very quite vinyl. Then I just bought the clear vinyl Pink Floyd but haven't received it by mail yet. Next I will start a Beatles vinyl collection. Thank you for your guidance as I start this daunting task. I grew The Beatles and love their music. At 15 I discovered Melanie and became a huge fan. I must have over 100 records by this awesome woman. Thanks again for all the great info.😊
Glad you enjoyed it! 😊
Yet another excellent video on this channel. Miles seems to be a bit of an audiophile but are his masterings any good?
I must admit it was a little disappointing that he didn't mention the great Harry T Moss.
You'd think that with all of the technological advances since the 1960s all that folks like Miles need to do would be to replicate Harry Moss's cuttings and let the improved technology do the rest.
Perhaps vinyl record cutting is indeed a lost art?
Harry pops up in next week's video.
A fascinating interview. Many thanks for posting it.
Thanks Andrew. Glad you enjoyed it!
Andrew, superlative interview! The technical info discussed was absolutely amazing and helpful. It served to help me understand what was heretofore a "black magic" subject for me! Cheers!
Cheers Richard!
Thank you Andrew - fascinating interview, and looking forward to your follow-up! I used to have several half-speed "masters" and direct-to-discs, including some that Miles referred to - still have a few, but I sold most of them along with most of my huge LP collection when moving 2500 miles across the US and just starting to re-build my collection with CDs in 1984 (including several that I found at Charing Cross Record's excellent selection at the time when they were still hard to find in the US). Despite having lived and worked in England and British territory and with Brits quite a bit since the early '60s, your Miles interview was the first time I ever heard the British idiom "chalk and cheese" - I had to look it up! 😄 I got to walk in the front door at Abbey Road Studios during my first visit in 1977 [no security back then], naively hoping to have a peek inside or a tour, but only got to have a short chat with a receptionist. Had no camera with me, but I recall seeing framed gold records on the hallway walls. When I returned with a camera in 1984 (a year AFTER they DID have guided tours for the public), the gates at the sidewalk were locked. But I did get some good pictures from the sidewalk and road, including zebra crossing - amazing how fast the car traffic built up from zero and had to stop for us while quickly re-enacting The Beatles' photo shoot!
Great video, really enjoyed it. I won't pretend I understood all of it, but at leat half (no pun intended) . Looking forward to part two of the other half. Thanks Laddy.
What an awesome guy. Would love to have a peek at the gear.
I am getting to be a rather old guy and, apart from decidedly intermediate drum kit skills, I have zero musical skill/talent.
... but I must say that standing on those stairs up to the control room in studio 2 looks to be as close to musical heaven as one could ever be. I am extremely impressed! So much of the Beatles history right there underfoot. My point is that no matter where one is one the musical skill ladder every human can be in true appreciation for what history was made there.
Great interview Andrew. 👍
Thanks Neal. Glad you enjoyed it! 👍
The awesomeness continues...Thanks for this episode!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great thing the half speed cutting. Fantastic video.
Glad you liked it!