Big Boss Man | 1971-02-18 | Grateful Dead

View NotesNotes:
-- This is a huge upgrade to all previously circulating sources
-- This is not from the same betty board reels that have circulated since 1986
-- Thanks to David Gans for lending me his Dats
-- Thanks to Joe B. Jones for his help with the pitch correction

SOURCE 2 OF 12

2:32:15

SBD

SHNID:

gd1971-02-18.157425.sbd.cantor.martin.smith.sirmick.flac1648

SOURCE 3 OF 12

gd1971-02-18.143183.sbd.Dolphinsmile.flac1648

Source:

Master Reels>Dat>Clone directly to me via snail mail>file cloned into Microtrack using Tascam Dat deck>Goldwave tracking and removal on one glitch (reel change)>TLH8

SOURCE 4 OF 12

gd1971-02-18.sbd.cantor-crouch-diebert-gmb.85478.sbeok.flac16

Source:

7" two track BBD reel w/ Dolby A @ 7 1/2 ips > PCM501ES (beta) > PCM501ES analog out > Dolby A decoder > Apogee filter > analog in PCMF1/PCM501ES analog out > Fostex D5 @ 48 kHz > WBOTB Master DAT (DAT-1).

Lineage:

Jace's DAT (48 KHz) playback on Sony PCM-R500, AES digital output > Benchmark DAC1, XLR analog output > Grace Lunatec V3, sample rate at 96 KHz, AES digiout) > AES digital input, professional mode/sync - LynxTwo soundcard in E6400 dual core processor-based PC > HD as 24 bit/96 KHz WAV > Ozone 3.0 > MBIT+ dithering to 16/44.1 KHz WAV > CDWAV 1.9 (tracking) > FLAC (level 8). Recording, editing and mastering with Wavelab 5.0. All cables were Mogami Gold 0.3m pro-audio XLR cables. All components in the transfer/mastering chain were powered from a Cyberpower 1285AVR noise-attenuated uninterruptible AC power supply.

Taper Notes:

View NotesOriginal WBOTB DATs procured & circulated in 1996 by Jace Crouch and Tim Deibert. Thanks to trailmix for providing the lineaged master DAT  for transfer.

*First public performance.
- d2t08:   Reel flip at 04:48 of "Saint Stephen" crossfaded.
- Approximately 1:39 were removed from the lengthy dead space/tuning preceding "Loser" allowing the entire first set to fit on a single 80 minute disc, while keeping in Bob's "Second oldest ritual" comment...          that's a fact....
- Intermittent faint audible artifacts/pops were attenuated using manual pencil redraw under high magnification.  These were retrospectively found on all other circulating recordings from this performance.  They were most abundant at the beginning of "Dark Star" and also at the start of "Wharf Rat".  There are a few spots still remaining in "Wharf Rat" that are just too embedded to get out - sounds like minor transient peak distortion.
- The notorious broad-peaked high pitched whine centered 8000-8100 KHz range was removed using a digital paragraphic equalizer (Waves Q6) with 2 narrow/notch bands (Q set maximal @ 100, -12 dB) set at just under and over 8000K for the first reel and just under and over 8100KHz for the last 3 reels.  Previously circulating sources either used a wider band filter or a noise reduction approach performed on low bit/sample rate files which yields suboptimal results.  All processing on this transcription was performed at 24/96 resulting in a much smoother transparent sound.

SOURCE 5 OF 12

Dan Stephens and Scott Thompson

SHNID:

gd71-02-18.sbd.stephens.6672.sbeok.shnf

Source:

Soundboard (no remastering)

Lineage:

7inch 2-track BBD reel w/dolby A @ 7.5 ips > PCM501ES@ 44.055 kHz > analog out > dolby A decoder > Apogee filter > analog in PCMF1 ; PCM501ES analog out > Fostex D5 @ 48 kHz > 3 DAT generations > Tascam DA-20mkII > SBLive! (48-44.1) > WAV > mkwACT > SHN

Taper Notes:

View Notes* first performance.

This is a direct copy of the WBOTB tape circulated in 1996. No digital processing has been performed other than resampling, leaving intact the "nasty mic feedback" during Bertha and the "annoying whine" which "hovers around 8000Hz" throughout the whole show. Other copies circulate with these problems removed, but I still enjoy the tape more when it has not been noise reducted. Not recommended for the non-puristic listener.

SOURCE 6 OF 12

gd71-02-18.sbd.orf.107.sbeok.shnf

Source:

Soundboard (remastered)

Lineage:

SBD > Dolby A Reel > Dolby A decode > DAT > Sound Forge NR > CD-R > SHN

Taper Notes:

View Notes* first performance.

The original reels of the Port Chester run of '71 were audibly tainted due to a cable problem. The result is a tone which hovers around 8000 Hz with an amplitude of about +20 dB above the noise floor. This translate to a very annoying pitch, especially during quiet sections, which is in the old-tv-tube or lousy-hard-disk or maybe even the-sound-you-hear-after-you-slam-your-head-against-a-concrete-wall class of 'whine'. Because this interference is 'monochromatic' it's easy to get rid of if you have the processing power and a quick FFT algorithm. I used the filter-shaping capabilities of the Sonic Foundry Noise Reduction Plugin to tailor a very narrow notch filter which attenuated the interference without affecting the rest of the signal. And it's all done in the digital domain. Huzzah!

As a side note, I actually ended up crafting many filters to process these shows. The frequency of the interference actually drifted anywhere from 7700 to 8100 Hz during a given show. This was probalby due to a slightly wandering reel speed. It made my work harder but when I tried a much wider filter I started to be able to hear the attenuation in the music. The filters generally go like this (see info file for diagram).

The end result is no more annoying whine! 

I also removed some of the nasty mic feedback in the 2/18/71 Bertha using this type of filter.

SOURCE 7 OF 12

2:39:19

Transferrer:

David Davis, Matt Smith, Scott Clugston, Charlie Miller

SHNID:

gd1971-02-18.148239.aud.composite.davis..smith.miller.clugston.flac2496

Lineage:

1st generation reels (Technics RS1506) > Tascam DA-3000 (DSF 1-bit/5.6 MHz) > dBpoweramp (.wav 24/96) > Adobe Audition 2019 > TLH flac2496

Taper Notes:

View NotesNotes:
- Thanks to David Davis for the 1st generation source reels
- Thanks to Matt Smith for the transfer
- Thanks to Charlie Miller for coordinating this effort
- Thanks to Charlie Miller for the shnid111793 soundboard source which supplies a 0:34 patch in "Dark Star"
- Pitch corrected

Mastered by Scott Clugston
November 2019

SOURCE 8 OF 12

2:39:19

Transferrer:

David Davis, Matt Smith, Scott Clugston, Charlie Miller

SHNID:

gd1971-02-18.148238.aud.composite.davis..smith.miller.clugston.flac1648

Lineage:

1st generation reels (Technics RS1506) > Tascam DA-3000 (DSF 1-bit/5.6 MHz) > dBpoweramp (.wav 24/96) > Adobe Audition 2019 > TLH flac2496

Taper Notes:

View NotesNotes:
- Thanks to David Davis for the 1st generation source reels
- Thanks to Matt Smith for the transfer
- Thanks to Charlie Miller for coordinating this effort
- Thanks to Charlie Miller for the shnid111793 soundboard source which supplies a 0:34 patch in "Dark Star"
- Pitch corrected

Mastered by Scott Clugston
November 2019

SOURCE 9 OF 12

gd1971-02-18.132136.aud.wgtb.flac16

Source:

aud tape> fm>reel to reel

Lineage:

Cassette > DAT

Taper Notes:

View Notesaud2 or 3
this was b'cast on wgtb-fm in washington dc a couple days after the show. listen to the end of the show and you will hear who recorded it. i got this from don g in the late 70's. his was on a rr and he made me a copy onto cassette. at the end of the recording they state it was edited. so maybe a generation was lost. aud tape>fm>rr>c>d or aud tape>aud>fm>rr>c>d. there is a nasty cut during the 2nd verse of dark star, but the quality gets better/brighter. bad heads? bad tape? part 1 was a generation more? who knows? maybe don g knows. it sounds like a narrow stereo balcony recording.

SOURCE 10 OF 12

50:09

SHNID:

gd1971-02-18.132101.flac16

Taper Notes:

View NotesNotes:
got this on a cassette labeled gd 2/17-18/71.  2/17 turned out to be 2/18. 2/18 turned out to be 2/19. it is supposidly 4th gen. got it from ann s from newark, de. this is a partial audience recording. i think this was made by the guy who worked there and had his mics in the balcony. there are at least 3 audience sources of this show.

SOURCE 11 OF 12

gd1971-02-18.123881.aud.cooper.berger.flac16

Taper Notes:

View Notesnotes:	* first time played 	

thanks to Jim Cooper for giving me the
opportunity to work on this historic
show. This one needs no introduction
so turn it up and you are there.

SOURCE 12 OF 12

gd1971-02-18.aud.cooper.123539.flac16

Source:

AUD. Recorded on cassette tape by Jim Cooper > Hitachi Trq-222, 2 unidentified mikes. Transferred > Sony tc we475 > dbx 2231 EQ > sony rcd w500c > CDR > WAV > FLAC

Taper Notes:

View NotesFirst NY appearance of Bertha & Pump Man (later GSET)
My favorite Bertha ever

An incredible night with NRPS & Grateful Dead
Jerry is fired up on pedal steel
Last appearance by Mickey Hart with the Dead for a few years

// = cuts in Louisiana Lady, Dark Star, and Big Boss Man