A Note From The Archivist

Catherine Vericolli on Org Music’s Westbound Records Reissue Series 

Audio archiving at its core is just a form of archeology. Most analog recordings that exist today in closets, attics, basements; on various shelves in houses or large controlled storage facilities, are at least 35 years old. They’ve been bought, sold, stolen, recut, copied, re-copied and moved across countries. What we’re left with (if we’re lucky) is a box with a corresponding tape inside. Whatever documentation is included is what we have. It’s not uncommon that we have none at all. This is where we start the demanding and often painstaking process of reproducing a recording as close to its purest and truest form that we can. The goal being to rediscover and arrive at its source. Filling in the necessary gaps is difficult, because there is technically only one combination of variables that is “correct” to the original capture. The exact EQ and playback speed on the exact original print tape deck. This is enough to annoy any level of purist. The point is, we will never get 100% there without that combination. We can’t. What we can do is assemble the best minds, gear and environment possible for us to get close. 

When Dave Gardner called and asked me to join him in Detroit to take a look at the Westbound Collection for a potential archiving, re-mastering and reissue campaign for ORG Records, it felt straight away that we might have a rare opportunity to do just that. With the collection approaching its 60th birthday and not knowing the number of tapes available or the storage conditions, we met in the baggage claim at DTW to discuss the possibilities. As paramount to professionalism as it is to approach all assets with the same amount of discernment and care, it’s hard not to feel the weight of such an offering. Too much excitement can be distracting. We were presented with a chance to preserve and reintroduce a vital piece of the history of American Music. We made a sort of pact early on that we would desperately try to direct this energy into the potential work instead of our exploding brains. 

Turns out, the fact that we were in this together ended up being our biggest asset. It’s very rare for an archivist and a re-mastering engineer to be in the same room with the source material on a project. To investigate, troubleshoot and make decisions as a team to best serve the releases. The approach is unorthodox, but the more we dug in, the more we realized that the magic of this undertaking wasn’t just in the tapes, or the incredible history that surrounded us in the studio - It was in the process. It was in the collaboration and the trust. 

The first hurdle as always with large collections was to find all of the things we needed. We combed through hundreds of assets packed in multiple small rooms. There were masters and safety copies, production copies and some that were unmarked or of unknown origin - all of which were in various forms of mild to moderate disrepair. Some requiring careful mold remediation and all requiring incubating before we could even approach the transfers. We were going to get a lot less sleep than we’d hoped. This however, was an opportunity more than a hindrance. It meant that we would have a more global understanding of the history of the collection. It was a forced form of organization. A gift really. Another gift was our incredible assistant Nick King. He rolled with the punches in a way that I can only assume a lifelong Michigander would - with grace and perseverance - without whom we would not have completed this task. 

With an incubation and cooling schedule set, mold and splice remediation complete, our focus shifted to the gear. Proper alignment is paramount to success in archiving, and not just our tape machines, but all of our converters, Noise Reduction units, line level outputs, etc. It’s a complex signal flow, especially when entrusted with making 1:1 tape copies for analog-to-lathe cuts. It’s a common misconception that original master tapes, even in their absolute best condition, can (or should) be used for analog mastering. In rare cases this might occur, but the truth is that these tapes are old, often fragile, irreplaceable and priceless. It’s not in the best interest of any party involved to engage them on a transport more than is needed to either digitize or copy. We also have no way of knowing how many times a tape has been handled or played before we approach the process, and the first pass is always the best chance for highest fidelity playback. Opinions have been known to run wild here, but I’m hard pressed to believe that destroying a master tape is worth any level of all analog purity to even the most discerning of listeners. Especially if the cut doesn’t sound as good as it could as a result. 

For the Westbound Collection, and in particular Funkadelic, 1:1 copies were not only necessary, they were our best chance at success from top to bottom for the proposed all analog releases. We chose an alignment and format that was a true 1:1 representation to the originals - 1/4” width with either 185 or 250nWb/m AES EQ, depending on the source tape. With digital captures being made independently and simultaneously, the signal flow was as such: 

Source Stereo Tape Deck (Ampex ATR 102 or Studer A80) to Stereo Noise Reduction (Dolby SR/A or A depending on the source), Y split to: 

1. An A/D Converter (Rupert Neve Designs MBC at 96k 24bit) to our DAW for digital remaster releases.

2. Stereo Print 1:1 Tape Copy Deck (Ampex ATR 104) for our analog only releases. 

The output of our Tape Copy Deck was fed into another A/D Converter (Rupert Neve Designs MBC at 96k 24bit) to a separate DAW for a print reference track, as well as an output D/A converter (Rupert Neve Designs Fidelice) to our main speakers for monitoring. This allowed us to compare all three prints during playback via headphones or main monitors if needed to maintain accuracy.

This flow automatically assigned Dave and I to “stations” as the process moved along. The freezing cold days following were packed with moments of “does this sound correct to you??” and “When was the last time we ate??” along with discussions about socks, coffee and audio sleuthing. We transferred several versions of complete records in the archive until we landed on what we were sure were the best representations of the originals, in total over 50 tapes. We printed passes with and without Noise Reduction, as some of the test tones provided were batch printed in the 70’s and misleading. Test Tones were also completely missing in some cases, and decisions about low end, high end or overall print levels were considered and implemented. A phono station was set up with copies of the original LPs for comparison where needed. Ultimately the “consumers source” can be the best reference when there are apprehensions.

There were many gaps filled and hours deliberating the best approach to this endeavor, most too technical to bore the laymen reader, so for the sake of mundaneness I will leave this out. I will say that the process of reissuing a record from an archival standpoint is a tricky one. Not just on the engineering front, but in a more global meaningful way. Hopefully, someone who is qualified and mindful is tasked with pleasing a lot of people without harming anything. This starts with the owner of the recorded material. The amount of trust given to anyone allowed to open a safe or a storage locker to a legacy is unmeasurable. Labels also have to be happy and then - the complex array of consumers. Some will hear this record for the first time. Some have heard it thousands of times. We have the ability to “improve” on any past recording these days, but should we? In what ways? Do these improvements serve the asset and the history? Have we rediscovered and arrived at the source? It’s tough. In the end we consider every option if we can, and leave no tape box untouched to get there. 

The reissue process is also rarely discussed at all beyond the rooms in which they happen. If so, it’s done in a vague way inviting immense speculation. Transparency is rare. I have my assumptions as to why this is, perhaps it’s as simple as modern releases are streamlined for quick consumption, but as things get less tactile and more expensive and the gap between creator and consumer becomes wider, I think we lose something important. My hope in this print is to narrow this gap, if even a small amount. 

The Westbound Collection is a marvelous one. Essential, timeless and full surprises. It would be impossible for an archivist and mastering engineer to “nail it” for lack of a better term. There’s never enough time or resources to have that much confidence. However, I am certain that both Dave and I rediscovered our love for this work during the experience. Whether or not we landed on something in its truest form is unknown and ultimately up to the listener, but it’s very possible that what we did land on was the truest form of ourselves- humbled, grateful and honored. Enjoy. 

 

Catherine Vericolli (2025)