2. misc-audio
  3. 167295-139155

Does Steely Dan sound bright to you?

This is going to sound like a somewhat random question but I’m wondering how many of you find Steely Dan’s recordings to sound a bit bright. I’m particularly thinking of Gaucho, and Aja but some other recent recordings, too, such as Fagen’s Nightfly.

My typical media include streaming (CD and HD quality) and CD’s. I have not played my old vinyl because I’m presently without a turntable.

At first I thought it was my system and it was driving me a little bit mental; eventually, I decided it wasn't my stuff, it was their stuff. Because most other recordings on the same system with no other changes don’t typically have the brightness of Steely Dan.

Whether or not you’re a fan (I am) Steely Dan has often been a go-to for testing out equipment, so I imagine there will be experiences people have had about this.

P.S. Any other recordings which, for you are unnaturally bright?


128x128hilde45
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,736 posts
 

Aja left a long deep


33.33333 rpm scar.

So did Dire Straits- Love over Gold so full of pyrotechnics, rain and thunder

Dark Side of the Moon was worse, an amputation maybe... cutting away at my love for Meddle, Animals and more...

All of these and more were Audiophile darlings worn thin in the Eighties...

We had at the peak eight showrooms of gear. Vinyl was king and the lifeblood of the store and our customer’s addiction.

Of course we tried to stock fresh copies but they ended life worn out like a rust belt Ford Pinto. Washed and prayed over with a VPI deemed “ witch doctor “

For it’s renowned ability to raise some of the dead

  • but not all.

So I tired of Peg, Deacon Blues and yes even Telegraph Road. Some thirty five years on they creep back slowly into my playlist, even LP ownership. And they make me smile....


emrofsemanon's avatar
emrofsemanon
292 posts
 
i read somewhere that roger nichols used very bright speakers [never found out which ones] to monitor his steely dan sessions, but that somehow he got the trebles right in the final product. i've never heard anything untoward in the treble department with any of his records, but i've always had mellow speakers. 
jafant
18,774 posts
 
hilde45

The Dan are master record-craftsman. Those albums were well produced. Play Aja LOUD!

Happy Listening!
jwillox
174 posts
 
Not that I remember. 
However, I picked up an original vinyl (and a CD) of Billy Cobham’s Spectrum. Sent them both back - they were ear piercing, and my old Kef Reference speakers are not bright per se. 

So no, Dan is above average intelligence, but not bright 😂
socalml528's avatar
socalml528
120 posts
 
Was able to pick up a copy of Katy Lied from Betterecords.com

Just a perfect sound and engineered recording; but I find the Dan to be a group that consistently focused on recording quality.  From the LP liner notes:

"This is a high fidelity recording. Steely Dan uses a specially constructed 24 channel tape recorder, a "State of the Art" 36 input computerized mixdown console, and some very expensive German microphones. Individual microphone equalization is frowned upon. The sound created by musicians and singers is reproduced as faithfully as possible......" 
More to discover