Velvet Underground - Loaded - The Poll

the hoffman boys claim that neither of the live performances on that set has ever been issued at the right speed. (brigid polk's batteries were running low, or some such.) it's unlikely they will be here, either.

Never tested it but but Max's has always sounded too fast to me.

Me too but always figured it was just Billy rushing the tempo.

here is one mranimal from hoffman, re. correct max's speed:

I have found a short moment of amp ground loop feedback on each set on the complete 2CD retail release. I have used these short moments to find the actual speed of the performance by adjusting the speed until these feedbacks registered exactly 60hz on a hum detection filter. Of course, it only confirms the speed during these brief moments, but I’m not noticing any speed drifting elsewhere in the recordings while playing along on guitar and both sets are very close in the needed correction so I think that indicates the recorder was running at constant speed (but not the correct speed). Also, I have discovered that the right channel of the 2CD has bass guitar playing from another recording at a very low level. It’s very clearly a bass guitar during the 2nd set. It is also heard in the 1st set but more as an indistinct bass sound that is not part of the VU recording. For this reason, I have dropped the right channel and use only the left for both sets now.

Speed corrections are given as sample rate tag setting. If you adjust the sample rate tag in say Audacity (on the track, not the project) to these numbers, then the recordings will play at proper speed. Make sure the time length of the track changes or else something wasn't done right. I’m also including the percentage adjustment needed if you are using a process which goes by percentage.

Set #1: 42600 hz (or -3.46%)

Set #2: 42665 hz (or -3.3%)

No release has these recordings at the correct speed. However, I’ve never heard the 2CD promo with the rehearsal tracks (I do have the rehearsal tracks, though), but would love to track it down someday and check it out to compare speed and mastering. The Loaded 45th anniversary incomplete version of Max’s (which has also been issued standalone) has the sound in true mono so the low level bass playing from another recording is baked in and can't be eliminated by dropping a channel. I’m glad they left the 2CD in “stereo”.

god bless those hoffman lunatics

tl;dr

j/k of course I read

god bless those hoffman lunatics

otm

his method of finding the correct pitch is ingeneous because it doesn't involve the instruments (which of course could be off from true pitch).

So, if I slow my LP down 'a bit', then...