Steve this interview was outstanding I always dug Chris Bellman masterings his Neil Young archives are sensational and The Who Tommy Classic records and KD Lang Ingenue is stunning . His knowledge is so inspiring.
It was REALLY great to hear Chris talk about sibilance because SO many records that I get sound absolutely incredible… except for the obnoxious, disruptive and highly distracting SHHH sound whenever the vocalist sings an “S” or even sometimes F’s and T’s. I’d say my setup is pretty good - it’s not like I’m running a Crosley or an AT-LP60 hooked up to a soundbar or something. I have a Rega Planar 3 with the Exact 2 cart, a Rega preamp and Sony tower speakers. Nothing crazy or elaborate, but certainly not cheap crap. And I’ve calibrated/aligned/fine-tuned my gear *countless* times, including fiddling around with my receiver settings. Yet I continue to spin sooo many records that are just all SHH SHH SHH, so it makes me feel like I’m crazy and must be doing something wrong with my system. But again, I’ve checked and re-checked and then checked again, dozens and dozens of times, and it has persisted even when I’ve upgraded or changed equipment. So it’s gotta be the records and how they were mastered/cut, right? But how on earth are all these labels letting these insanely sibilant records go out the door? It’s my eternal dilemma.
Chris Bellman is so talented - amazing! Thank you so much for so many amazing albums! EVH - very sad. Artists know how to create the music but when it comes to the real product they are “all at sea” and there are many examples of this. Television is a great example.
Excellent interview Steve and thank you Chris Bellman. I thought it was very cool that EVH’s comments about the bass, I love my CB Van Halen cuts and now I like them even more!
Awesome interview, Steve! Thanks. Q: (1) Why does Chris seem to specialize in digital pop/rock at BGM? (2) Why are so few rock records cut from tape? I guess the consumer doesn’t hear a difference? Some of my favorite recent CB cuts in my collection include Metallica ‘84-‘91, Manson, and Tool. I guess his Neil Young CARNEGIE 1971 was cut from tape. That’s an unbelievable mastering and pressing.
Fantastic interview and I think Steve one of your very finest love the work by CB he is obviously a very nice man who knows and loves what he does thank you Steve for this cheers Carl Australia 😊
Hi Steve. In Discogs you will find two Selling England Editions for the 75th Anniversary Edition by Analogue Productions. On the first one it says limited numbered and it has the second side cut by CB and the rest looks the original Classic which never was released (only the standard 2 side was released by Classic). On the second edition of the new 4 x LP it does not said Numbered and all sides are credited to CB.
Great show Steve👍🏻your interviewing skills and questions are ramping up (meant as a compliment). Would be super cool to see a mastering engineer rotating panel. Bernie, Chris, Kevin, George would be my request. Set back and let the knowledge and shooting the breeze about mastering and recording between them fly. Would be a dream panel.
Now I know why the new Tom Waits reissues sound so horrible. Hope you can make the Chris Bellman/Kevin Gray collab happen. That would be fun to see and hear.
I wish I could ask CB why they’re cutting these 3 sided records these days with a whatevs etching on Side D at 33rpm, when could dramatically stoke the stoke factor by cutting the record at 45rpm to all four sides. I get the FEAR INOCULUM choices… there happened to be 5 sides at 33rpm with an extra sixth side.
Great informative interview Steve. However, and this isn’t a criticism per se as you aren’t a music “journalist”, but to me the elephant in the room was never addressed. That is the Tom Port elephant. And yes I know that Mr. Bellman seems like a nice guy and a gentleman and you didn’t want to hit him with “gotcha” VC drama, but Port publicly called this man out and basically said he was no good. I would think it’s only fair to give Mr. Bellman a chance at rebutting or addressing that. He could’ve just said “no comment” and that would’ve been fine. Perhaps even an off-camera mention as well between you and him. Either way, I was hoping it would’ve somehow been addressed in a professional manner. That’s my only quibble. Again, great job overall.
@@stevewestman7774oh so it was hashed out? Interesting. I’ll have to do some digging as I hadn’t stopped thinking about it since Port was on your show. Thx for reply.
That was awesome, Steve. And yes…a Chris Bellman / Kevin Gray round table would be amazing. My two favorite mastering engineers. 👍
My pleasure. Thanks for watching. It was a lot of fun.
Steve this interview was outstanding I always dug Chris Bellman masterings his Neil Young archives are sensational and The Who Tommy Classic records and KD Lang Ingenue is stunning . His knowledge is so inspiring.
Yes. Chris is absolutely awesome. I just went and ordered Ingenue as I only had it on CD. Can't wait to get it. Thanks for watching.
It was REALLY great to hear Chris talk about sibilance because SO many records that I get sound absolutely incredible… except for the obnoxious, disruptive and highly distracting SHHH sound whenever the vocalist sings an “S” or even sometimes F’s and T’s. I’d say my setup is pretty good - it’s not like I’m running a Crosley or an AT-LP60 hooked up to a soundbar or something. I have a Rega Planar 3 with the Exact 2 cart, a Rega preamp and Sony tower speakers. Nothing crazy or elaborate, but certainly not cheap crap. And I’ve calibrated/aligned/fine-tuned my gear *countless* times, including fiddling around with my receiver settings.
Yet I continue to spin sooo many records that are just all SHH SHH SHH, so it makes me feel like I’m crazy and must be doing something wrong with my system. But again, I’ve checked and re-checked and then checked again, dozens and dozens of times, and it has persisted even when I’ve upgraded or changed equipment. So it’s gotta be the records and how they were mastered/cut, right? But how on earth are all these labels letting these insanely sibilant records go out the door? It’s my eternal dilemma.
Thanks for watching. I appreciate your input here. 🙏
Chris Bellman =Fantastic sounding vinyl. Thank you so much for doing this interview.
Much appreciated. 🙏
One hell of an interview, Steve! Chris is not only an awesome mastering engineer but person as well.
Much appreciated. Thank you. Chris is a true gentleman.
Great discussion, congratulations. It would be great if Kevin and Chris went through their top choices of each other’s work. Good work Steve 👏👏
Yes. I will def love to have Kevin and Chris both on together. 🙏. Thanks for watching.
Chris Bellman is so talented - amazing! Thank you so much for so many amazing albums!
EVH - very sad. Artists know how to create the music but when it comes to the real product they are “all at sea” and there are many examples of this. Television is a great example.
Great show Steve. Was great to hear Chris’ story and experience. Best audio show on YT sir!! 🎉 congratulations
Very much appreciated. Thanks for the kind words. Glad you enjoyed it.
Fantastic! Chris does excellent work and is great guy!
Yes he does. Thanks Joe.
Steve, the delight in your face when Chris mentions the Scully lathe is great. Holy Grail! Excellent interview.
I know right!!!
What a career from one of the best in the business!!!
👍
Excellent interview Steve and thank you Chris Bellman. I thought it was very cool that EVH’s comments about the bass, I love my CB Van Halen cuts and now I like them even more!
Thank you. Yes. Love that Eddie approved the sound for his cuts. It's authentic. Amazing story.
Excellent - a big thank you to both of you.
Much appreciated. Thank you.
Great interview - thanks
My pleasure. Glad you enjoyed it.
A great Friday afternoon show! Sitting here with a raspberry porter and a bowl.
Glad you enjoyed it. Happy Friday.
Awesome interview, Steve! Thanks. Q: (1) Why does Chris seem to specialize in digital pop/rock at BGM? (2) Why are so few rock records cut from tape? I guess the consumer doesn’t hear a difference? Some of my favorite recent CB cuts in my collection include Metallica ‘84-‘91, Manson, and Tool. I guess his Neil Young CARNEGIE 1971 was cut from tape. That’s an unbelievable mastering and pressing.
Regarding the first question, seems he’s almost always working with tape and then a transfer takes place and I guess he’s cutting from DSD64.
Great conversation 👍🏻
Much appreciated. 🙏
Fantastic interview and I think Steve one of your very finest love the work by CB he is obviously a very nice man who knows and loves what he does thank you Steve for this cheers Carl Australia 😊
Very much appreciated. Thank you so much. It's hard to tell how it's going when it's live. I really enjoyed chatting with Chirs. A lot
of fun.
Thank you for the reply Steve and Van Halen’s 1984 is one of my favourites that CB has done it’s amazing great job by Van Halen as well cheers Carl .
Hi Steve. In Discogs you will find two Selling England Editions for the 75th Anniversary Edition by Analogue Productions. On the first one it says limited numbered and it has the second side cut by CB and the rest looks the original Classic which never was released (only the standard 2 side was released by Classic). On the second edition of the new 4 x LP it does not said Numbered and all sides are credited to CB.
Much appreciated. Thank you
Great show Steve👍🏻your interviewing skills and questions are ramping up (meant as a compliment).
Would be super cool to see a mastering engineer rotating panel. Bernie, Chris, Kevin, George would be my request. Set back and let the knowledge and shooting the breeze about mastering and recording between them fly. Would be a dream panel.
Much appreciated John. Yes. That is something I work love to do. Let's see if I can set it up in the future 🙏
Steve, you're like the Rick Beato of cutting engineer interviews, lol. You're Killin it man! Keep up the good work. 🍻
Haha good one. Not quite. Maybe one day. 🙏
Now I know why the new Tom Waits reissues sound so horrible. Hope you can make the Chris Bellman/Kevin Gray collab happen. That would be fun to see and hear.
Yes. Me too. 🙏
Awesome!!!!!!!
Thank you.
I wish I could ask CB why they’re cutting these 3 sided records these days with a whatevs etching on Side D at 33rpm, when could dramatically stoke the stoke factor by cutting the record at 45rpm to all four sides. I get the FEAR INOCULUM choices… there happened to be 5 sides at 33rpm with an extra sixth side.
Can you do a RKS interview too?
I would love too. I have emailed Sterling a few times but they have never gotten back to me.
👍 👍
👍
Great informative interview Steve. However, and this isn’t a criticism per se as you aren’t a music “journalist”, but to me the elephant in the room was never addressed. That is the Tom Port elephant. And yes I know that Mr. Bellman seems like a nice guy and a gentleman and you didn’t want to hit him with “gotcha” VC drama, but Port publicly called this man out and basically said he was no good. I would think it’s only fair to give Mr. Bellman a chance at rebutting or addressing that. He could’ve just said “no comment” and that would’ve been fine. Perhaps even an off-camera mention as well between you and him. Either way, I was hoping it would’ve somehow been addressed in a professional manner. That’s my only quibble. Again, great job overall.
Much appreciated and thanks for watching. All of that is all good now and has been addressed in private and not something I would address on camera.
@@stevewestman7774oh so it was hashed out? Interesting. I’ll have to do some digging as I hadn’t stopped thinking about it since Port was on your show. Thx for reply.
I doubt he knows who TP is, and certainly wouldn't care.