Live Audiophile Roundtable:Westman/Fremer talk Mastering engineers + Pros & Cons of Rega turntables!

[@joepiro4948]

Steve this is one of the best interview that you have done. Michael is such a knowledgeable guy in the business his stories are amazing, and his memory is amazing. Michael is really of the best guy in the business and he deserves a lot more credit

[@stevewestman7774]

Thank you so much. It was a lot of fun as always.

[@R3TR0R4V3]

Thanks for interviewing Michael. A lot of people bust his balls, but he's always entertaining and full of great stories, plus he's a wealth of knowledge. Cheers

[@chaky1978]

Excellent Steve ! Providing a forum to M. Fremmer is so interesting and helpful, he’s a vinyl torch carrier for so long , I have learned so much from him , complicated audio challenges and pragmatic suggestions, some of my favorites to illustrate his range ..power/electricity is where your audio system begins…while mounting a cartridge, “don’t force anything, can’t insert the plug wires into cartridge posts, use a toothpick to widen the plugs , don’t force them in “ ….your show is leaping forward, thank you 🙏🏽

[@jodygoeler586]

Absolutely wonderful interview. MF is one of my favorites and continues to play a significant role in informing vinyl enthusiasts. Thank you!!!

[@stevewestman7774]

Much appreciated. Thanks for watching.

[@austinhunt4260]

100% my favorite Fremer interview, Steve. I wasn’t even annoyed by him once. He was kind of endearing in this one.

[@stevewestman7774]

Glad you enjoyed it. It was very informative and a lot of fun. Thanks for watching.

[@trackingangle929]

I've made progress!

[@austinhunt4260]

I love that you actually admit reading the comments, Michael. Makes you even more endearing. Cool interview.

[@jeffreysobczynski7113]

To all Fremer critics (especially Mazzy): Regarding Marquee Moon - why is Fremer’s thesis so hard for people to understand? It is a cogent, well crafted argument. You don’t have to agree with him, but don’t mis-state his thesis. I agree 100% with Michael and believe that Tom Verlaine’s “intent” was to emphasize the guitar. Marquee Moon is one of the greatest, groundbreaking records of the 1970s that should sound as Tom Verlaine engineered it. Period. Yes I enjoy the Rhino - but that is not Fremer’s point. It deserved to be as close as possible to the original.

[@scottbennett3119]

It is really great to learn all the history and details about these recordings as well as the phono equipment from you and Michael Fremer. Thanks

[@stevewestman7774]

Thanks for watching.

[@false_binary]

I echo others sentiment - this is the single most useful video (for me 😁) you have produced imho! This made me completely rethink my P3 (barely used w/tt-psu super cheap) or at least investing any further in it. Michael did an excellent job explaining the distortion challenge that is inherent in the greater Planar platform.

[@davepounds8924]

Good interview with Fremer but listening to him talk about all the graphs and maintenance and cost of setting up a turntable the right way like he said at one point GIVE ME A CD PLAYER!!!

[@CJNooberson]

Hahah - totes

[@peterkadelbach7010]

I love my old records but I think that I got far more fun from listening to them on my cheap teenage turntable. Admittedly I probably wouldn’t stand for that now being an audio engineer. I just want to enjoy them though and often the CD or hifi streamer is the best option…. Especially if you want to dance!

[@richardelliott8352]

@@peterkadelbach7010 I've had a dance party you would tell stories about, with just a single record player home stereo.

[@austinhunt4260]

Fremer should’ve been a regular cast member on CURB. I can hear him and Larry arguing in some Hollywood lunch spot.

[@DanielHog13]

Love it. Have met Michael 3-4 times over last 15+ yrs and "in real life" he's a gentleman, great guy, and funny! I bought his DVDs whenever they came out 15+ yrs ago and have viewed 7-9 times ea, roughly every few years. The stories from each of us, over our lives, are truly what often entertains & interests all at the end of the day. Whether we learn through YT, in person, through books, it's so important that we never stop listening to everyone's stories.

[@marcellavankraaij]

great interview. I like Michael talking about his experience regarding exclusive analog gear. You both had very interesting discussion about vinyl releases. Well done!

[@stevewestman7774]

Thank you so much. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@hi-fidelityrecords]

Great interview Steve 🙌🏼

[@stevewestman7774]

Thanks Josh.

[@chuckspins1793]

Great show, nice set of topics for a discussion with Fremer. Cheers.

[@stevewestman7774]

Much appreciated. Was a lot fun.

[@jtsrecordroom3963]

I paid 6.00 recently for an original pressing of Marquee Moon ..VG++, but then again, I find good deals picking records in my region. Sounds terrific 👍

[@bigsweetc6]

Nice score. I’ll give ya $12.00 for it!

[@jtsrecordroom3963]

@bigsweetc6 Haha 🤣 I like it ! Adventure was the same price in a bundle of 30 records averaging 6 each. A garage dig that I have been on for over a year.. Bill's Garage ( KZbin ). 👍

[@Doctore_Robert]

Looked this up after CJ's rant yesterday. I think you take a very serious, measured approach! I will try to log on during some of your live streams going forward!

[@CJNooberson]

Not my best moment. I regret that. Sorry to you and Steve

[@Doctore_Robert]

Dude nothing to apologize for. I truly enjoy your analytic approach and precise explanations! Not easy!

[@stevewestman7774]

I think I'm missing something?

[@Doctore_Robert]

Nothing substantial! More about Michael than you. On Rachel’s Ghost yesterday about 2 1/2 hours in. Hope our paths cross soon! I would enjoy checking out your live chat! When is your next one scheduled? And what time zone are you in?

[@stevewestman7774]

@@Doctore_Robertsounds good. I run them Wednesday and Fridays. Chat soon. I'm on the coast.

[@Eightplex]

I’m surprised that the new Atlantic 75 Welcome To My Nightmare is not getting more discussion. In short, the Alice Cooper record is off the charts good. By far it is the best sounding release of the series so far. I always liked the record but was not prepared for what they were able to do with it. You don’t need to be a Cooper fan to enjoy the record as Cooper used the best studio musicians in the business.

[@analoguecity3454]

I enjoyed this video a lot, very educational! I only caught 20 minutes of the live feed because I had to go to work! 😊

[@stevewestman7774]

Much appreciated. I hope you can go back and watch it all. Was a lot of fun and very informative.

[@frankvanhelvert6231]

truly excellent review steve!! thanks for that!!

[@stevewestman7774]

Thank you. It was a lot of fun.

[@mccarthyd6603]

Nice job Steve! So if I purchase a $10,000 Rega Turntable Michael is recommending I send the cartridge off to a 3rd party so they test and evaluate for $400 how it is going to sound 😂😂 Had a Rega 3 a couple of years ago and found out after I purchased it that all the upgrades I needed to make it sound better(sub platter etc) also their philosophy with spacers, no anti-skate, grounding and no ability to add your own cables...no thanks! Traded it in for a MOFI and could not be happier... Keep up the great work on your channel!

[@scottwheeler2679]

Not what JR does. He measures the true alignment of the stylus and makes a high precision shim that corrects the misalignment of the stylus. It would be foolish not to use his service for such a dumb design but hat does not allow for vital alignment adjustments

[@marktubeie07]

I'm happy to see more repressing of _'not what you'd expect'_ as I think we need a better range of great albums remastered apart from just 'Jazz' reissues...

[@James_Electric]

Great interview, Steve! I personally love my Rega Planar 8 / Apheta 3 combo! No issue with Rega products for me.

[@stevewestman7774]

I love my P6\Ania pro MC combo. Thanks for watching.

[@James_Electric]

@@stevewestman7774 Equally great combo you have there!

[@jtsrecordroom3963]

I like Dionne Warwick's take on the great Bacharach/ David composition as well.. ✌️

[@northcarolinavinylpicker]

Great show Steve. Enjoyed you and Michael. I learn a lot. My question would be would a tube amp sound better than my old marantz receiver? And what cartridge should I get for my marantz turntable ? Trying to upgrade and thx art

[@stevewestman7774]

Much appreciated. It was a lot of fun. Please email me. [e-mail]

[@ChrisMag100]

FWIW, I’ve run a Soundsmith Zephyr Mk3 on a Rega RP6. No issues with hum. 2mm spacer under the arm was used to account for cartridge height. I do agree with MF’s point about Rega alignment. I’ve found that aligning to Baerwald on my P9/Apheta is overall better than Stevenson.

[@stevewestman7774]

Good to know. Thank you.

[@trackingangle929]

Peter Ledermann puts a Fsraday Cage” around the coils to avoid hum….

[@doodahdavesrecords4319]

Agree great interview Steve thank you to you and Michael get Ludwig please!

[@stevewestman7774]

Much appreciated. I would love to have Bob Ludwig on. We emailed back and forth for a year but he politely declined and now that he is retired I doubt he wants to come in. I guess never say never. 🙏

[@austinhunt4260]

M45 has been into vinyl for about 3 minutes - a minute longer than me.

[@BowieorBolan]

Very interesting discussion, thanks Steve. Must say personally I have never experienced any humming or distortion issues with either of my Rega turntables. I used to have a P3 with a Rega Brio amp & upgraded in 2022 to a P8 (in which I have a high output MC cart) and the Rega Elicit amp. I do not have a separate phono stage as have always found the ones in the amps sufficient for my needs. I do wonder whether the problems could be as a result of compatibility issues? Would certainly be interesting to get Roy Gandy’s perspective on all this.

[@stevewestman7774]

I would love to have Rega come on and will see if I can make it happen. Thanks for watching.

[@malcolmstevenson6402]

The pictures that you were showing Michael was the Rega Nia with Aphellion mk 2 cartridge and not the P10. I use a P10 with apheta 3 and I love the detail and sound it provides. I recently heard the Nia playing through Rega's Aura and I thought it sounded outstanding.

[@marcbegine]

Rega Naia

[@apollomemories7399]

Well, this Naia for £12,499 (add more for $US) - that's with the Aphelion 2 cart, it jolly well should sound outstanding! I also own a P10 and thinking, wow, what a price leap to the next level.

[@Onteo1]

Both the Television LPs languished for years in the .99 cent bins shortly after their release. I shoulda bought them all, who knew. Saw them open for Peter Gabriel, and it didn’t go well for them.

[@fts81]

Great one, Steve!

[@stevewestman7774]

Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you.

[@scottwheeler2679]

I think George Piros was the first celebrated cutting engineer. Going back to the Mercury Living Presence LPs that were cut on the fly from three track masters mixed in real time while cutting.

[@bigsweetc6]

I’m a little too reminded of college Astronomy class and when we had to calculate planetary rotations and the like 🤯 😱

[@RockNRod.]

I have some left-over shims for a door I recently installed. Does anyone know if I could use those to dial in my tracking angle? Ha Ha Ha - - another great interview Steve!! I always look forward to your show.

[@stevewestman7774]

Much appreciated. Thanks for watching.

[@BourbonStreetConsulting]

Steve, you missed your opportunity, "We're Canadian we only fight when playing Hockey." lol. Great chat on this one.

[@stevewestman7774]

lol. Yes. Good one. 👍

[@marcbegine]

I use the Pro-Ject XTension 9 EVO (Turntable) with the Ortofon MC Quintet Black S, fully balanced to the DS3B phonostage (XLR) and balanced (XLR) to the Preamp, I also use the RS2 linear phono power stage- your opinion please?

[@stevewestman7774]

Very nice. Seems like a very solid set up. What is your speaker set up?

[@marcbegine]

Focal Aria 948 and 926 in a quadraphonic setup - with Yamaha Aventage RX-A8A in Multichannel “Stereo” (without usage of DSP), all cables Van den Hul, custom made!

[@l.m.372]

I wonder what Michaels Ttps are for SPU Setup - SPU A specifically. Not much things to adjust here, but a little "wiggle room" via the way it is mounted...

[@scottwheeler2679]

I agree with Fremer when he says “like what you like.” I don’t agree that he can determine artists’ intentions without getting it directly from the artists.

[@trackingangle929]

circumstantial evidence is admissible in court, despite the cliche saying otherwise. Here the circumstantial evidence is very strong...

[@scottwheeler2679]

Court? You mean where OJ got acquitted?

[@scottwheeler2679]

Courts get things wrong far too often. And you really can’t speak on behalf of any courts here.

[@geraldchristensen2826]

Melanie Safka has passed as well.... Is it possible she and Tom Verlaine are singing a duet of, "What Have They Done To My Song, Ma?"

[@stevewestman7774]

Good one. Lol.

[@davidpetersen7091]

Great discussion! Mr.Pete------> aging hippie

[@stevewestman7774]

Thanks for watching.

[@anthonyburke223]

Thank you for this . So much knowledge Speaking of ... I have a ? Pls . I'm in Vancouver for RSD in a few months So lucky ... we don't get all that many records in Australia So ... where are the best RSD record shops to visit in or near (can get an Uber) near downtown Vancouver Thanks Steve

[@stevewestman7774]

Very much appreciated. Here are some links to a few of the stores in downtown Vancouver. RSD is not as big as it is in the States here. www.beatstreet.ca neptoon.com audiopile.ca redcat.ca

[@anthonyburke223]

Thanks Steve , that’s so good of you ….are they the best shops to get used records too .im looking for first pressings of a few artists ….also .. Big thanks

[@peterkadelbach7010]

You’d think if you were paying $10k for a cart that it would be checked for horizontal alignment etc. before shipping.

[@scottwheeler2679]

They are. Unfortunately the tolerances that are allowed still make for substantial audible distortion.

[@apollomemories7399]

I've been following Michael Fremer since he came onto KZbin and he's a top man. Most of the other guys should just stay home.

[@stevewestman7774]

I hope can still come out. 😢

[@apollomemories7399]

@@stevewestman7774 Well.... there's always the exception! While I'm here, I really have to implore you to find a NR-Mint UK pressing on Elektra of Television's Marquee Moon album. And even better still, the 12" 45 RPM UK pressing of the single of Marquee Moon with one side in stereo, the other in mono, both the 10-minute version. Unbelievably great sounding.

[@stevewestman7774]

Ok. Much appreciated.

[@dbronx347]

I don't think Fremer has something against Kevin Gray. I think Fremer has something against Kevin being in charge of this particular Television release. Fremer seem to have an issue with Kevin's unfamiliarity with the record. He's saying that there's should be "someone" more familiar with the record in charge. Since Verlaine is no longer with us, and Richard Lloyd is out as well because "he wasn't in charge of it", I wonder who Fremer thinks should have been in charge of cutting this latest release?

[@matthewfrazee3352]

Then Michael must think the Jimmy Page remastered catalog is the correct version since it was done by Jimmy himself.

[@mhagain]

I understand the concerns about VTA/SRA, but nobody ever considers different record thickness or warps. The reality is that these angles are going to be changing on a record-by-record basis, and on a warped record, even a slightly warped record, as an individual record plays. It's an inexact science to begin with.

[@ajay55556]

What is the name of JR shimming person? Can you please his contact details so we can send him cartridge. Thank you. Great interview and I learned a lot

[@stevewestman7774]

Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed the show. Here is the link to send in your cartridge. www.wallyanalog.com

[@mymixture965]

I disagree with Blue Note, I like the OG´s much more, I think the Tone Poets are ok, but the OG kills. But that's me....I love to listen to Fremer, he has so much knowledge, I always learn something new.

[@kenmicallefjazzvinylaudiop6455]

Agreed

[@mymixture965]

@@kenmicallefjazzvinylaudiop6455 Ken! I know you are on my side🙂

[@Mezzanine5]

So great that good Michael turned up. The bad Michael with the persecution complex and. the massive tree on his shoulder isn't great value. Less evil robot Michael and more of this please.

[@trackingangle929]

Where's the bad Michael with the persecution complex?

[@trackingangle929]

Maybe this is why I sometimes feel persecuted? "2) Sometimes watching Fremer is like watching an intro to philosophy student present a bad argument with all the glee and conviction that should only accompany a great argument." I'm all in for legit criticism but how about citing an example of this?

[@B.B.Amsterdam]

Whitney the album by Whitney Houston was recorded analog. The code on the CD is AAD.🤷

[@CJNooberson]

Why can't I reply to Fremer?

[@stevewestman7774]

Try contacting him through: trackingangle.com

[@CJNooberson]

I apologize if any of my behavior was disrespectful to you or your stream. Thank you for what you do.

[@richardelliott8352]

Respectfully, trying to say that hearing and listening are two different processes is anti scientific nonsense. I get it that he is sensitive about his hearing acuity because of his age, but as long as you can hear a piccolo , you're functional with me. this "I can hear two different ways" whenever I want to, is a proven impossibility , no matter how he convincingly it is dressed up with words. Hearing is a process of the mind, that's it. One can't split up the process of hearing or control it like you can stop breathing. the mind hears what it chooses, real or not, and will make up reports of sounds if it feels like it. It has no self awareness, so any errors are indistinguishable from reality in hearing perception. I question that the distortion curve used by Rega is, as implied, sub-optimal for all but classical music. The way I see it is that every audiophile knows a record is proven to have the highest playback distortion in the inner grooves , as the spiral get closer to the label. A man of his experience knows this. which leads me to question why he spoke as he did. the Rega set up is as viable a choice as any other for all records, not just classical. it is simply a strategy for trying to keep distortion somewhat even across the record, incorporating the physical interface with the groove, not employing only a mathematical solution to tracking error. As the man says, you won't hear the difference . although some do listen that attentively. whatever the worth of the choice, Rega has been a top player in a very competitive market, where many come and go, for a long time. Bad decisions don't support success . graphing only the distortion of the various set ups does demonstrate the differences in the approaches , but to leave out the results of the interface with the record when drawing conclusions is puzzling. Perhaps he mis spoke, thinking only that it works very well on records with a lot of information , and classical records are a good example of that. Who knows, the man is probably near my age. But then the statement where he didn't realize for the longest time that arm bearings only moved as far as the arm travels, and didn't spin, was also an exceptional moment. perhaps that was a failed joke, since such a low comprehension of simple mechanics certainly wouldn't serve his professional needs well. I do appreciate his industry stories, few are his equal.at that. Leave it to a New Yorker to craft language well. I just don't trust a guy who recommends a vinyl record demagnetizer as a functioning product and not the rip off that it is. Just another in a continuous string of products that survive by taking advantage of the illusions possible when humans want to hear something. Human hearing is only subjective, depending on the mind for its existence, never objective, like a body part or anything else that can be precisely measured

[@scottwheeler2679]

I don’t think he was joking about the bearing. And yes, that demonstrates a very very basic lack of understanding physics. The rules of friction are very simple and straight forward.

[@michaelgreene5703]

no ground on Regas mine hums like a bumblebee, i ll never buy Rega again did everything possible to get rid of hum, finally got it reduced, not gone completely gone, and its worse with a separate phono preamp, better with an internal phono stage in a marantz receiver

[@celtic-audiophile]

Rufus record excellent, U.K. Diverse Vinyl.

[@poisonflour6723]

11 million CDs. 5.9 million vinyl LPs. Now let us say the quiet part out loud: in the UK, CDs still outsell vinyl 2:1.

[@Groover71]

The UK thought Robbie Williams was the best thing since sliced bread so forgive me if I don’t care that they prefer CDs.

[@trackingangle929]

That's not the point. The point is by 2024 vinyl was supposed to be "dead".

[@gouhou1533]

Why do my rock records, for the most part, don't sound all that great, but jazz titles all have a better sound than the rock records ?

[@scottwheeler2679]

Nothing wrong with liking Regas. But they are just plain wrong about the physics of vibrations. Rigidity conducts vibrations. Lighter weight means greater amplitude in the vibrations.think of it this way. What rings like a bell? A bell. What are bells made of? Ever see a bell made of soft silicone rubber? Rigidity is important in maintaining geometry, particularly the groove wall geometry. And this is the eternal conflict in vinyl playback design. The need for rigidity is at odds with the need to minimize added vibrational energy

[@JBLClassic]

Someone should've alerted Rega to this 50 years ago.

[@trackingangle929]

I think Rega makes a pretty good scientific case for what they do.

[@JBLClassic]

@@trackingangle929 agreed. I got mine over 10 years ago thinking it was temporary, and I still have it. No issues whatsoever.

[@scottwheeler2679]

That rigidity stops vibration? How do they make a scientific case for that? Google vibration control and point to any scientific document that says rigidity is the answer. Damping and isolation are how you control vibration. Neither of which add rigidity. Quite the opposite.

[@mhagain]

They don't make a case for rigidity controlling vibrations. Don't forget that Rega are engineers, not opinionated people on the Internet. They understand things like measurement and tolerance, and have man-centuries of engineering experience to back that up.

[@latheofheaven]

Beautiful Steve, but please, Please, *PLEASE STOP INTERRUPTING!!!* I know it must be a compulsion to blurt out what you are thinking at the moment. But... you DO NOT INTERRUPT people, especially people like Michael Fremer! I know I keep busting your courteous Canadian balls about this, but Bro, *DO YOU WANT TO BE THE BEST INTERVIEWER OUT THERE OR NOT?* Okay... Trust me... You're great, but please CONTROL the damn interrupting. Think about it this way... How do you think the audience feels when Michael in his rather quiet voice is right in the middle of trying to say something, and you just barrel right over him. Multiple times... Please think about that. Thank you Steve! Here's what you do... Take the time to go back and write down every time you interrupt or talk over Michael. Trust me, that will make a very strong impression on you on just EXACTLY how you are coming across. I think if you honestly do that, you will see what I am talking about. I promise I'm only trying to help, as annoying as I am 😁 Notice how many times when you burst out and repeat something like 3 times really loudly when Michael is quietly trying to say something, like at 1:37:20 where you say 'IT TOOK, IT TOOK, IT TOOK' really loudly over Michael. You did this many times. IF you go back through this interview carefully and you truly feel I am wrong, just post a comment here saying you did that and you're perfectly fine with what you did, and I promise I will never bring it up again...

[@sinclabs]

Rega sales just fell off a cliff....

[@stevewestman7774]

In really like my Rega gear.

[@sinclabs]

I have had Rega gear and I agree it's good. I will say when I sold my P3 "Union Jack" and my P6 and bought another brand my sound improved. Now the other gear was more expensive so I guess it should have sounded better. Go fully balanced, you won't regret it. BTW... another great interview. You spoil us! :-} @@stevewestman7774

[@johntorma1224]

Sorry but I'm still a fan of the Capitol US Beatles.

[@stevewestman7774]

I have the Capital Canadian pressings. Still want to see a AAA stereo box. 🙏

[@johntorma1224]

@@stevewestman7774 isn't the UK blue box AAA?

[@stevewestman7774]

@@johntorma1224 yes it is. But maybe a fresh remastering? 🙏🙏

[@garyspence8383]

Strange hobby.....collecting reissue after reissue after reissue & on & on & on 😂😂😂

[@stevewestman7774]

It's fun.