September 4, 2011 Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO Sources Review

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Phish wrapped up an epic three night run outside Denver with a smoking show.  Along with the previous two nights, if you don't download this show, you are missing out on some of the best top to bottom shows of the year.  Like the previous night, we are blessed with a plethora of recordings to choose from.  Thirteen different sources have shown up for this night, making my job more difficult, but ensuring that the best recording is truly fantastic.  Thanks again go out to all the tapers who get out there and capture this great music and share it with the community.  Thanks a lot fellas!

Source 1 (BSC2 source)
Source: Busman bsc2 K31(hypers)>sd702>wav24/48
Location: OTS>15ft
Transfer: CF>goldwave(dither resample 16/441)>cd wave>flac level 8

16 bit source

Source 2 (MK22 source)
Source: schoeps mk22 (stc 22g)> kc5> m222> nt222> Lunatec V3 (ACM)> SD 744t
Location: FOB/DFC 6.5'
Transfer: 744>samplitude>cd wave> tlh

16 bit source



Source 3 (MK5 source)
Source: Schoeps mk5> KCY> VST62IU> EAA PSP-2> SD 744t (@24bit/96kHz)
Location: FOB, DFC, 6' Stand, cardioid/ORTF
Transfer: SD 744t> Samplitude SE 9.1.1(dither/resample)> CDWave> flac(16/44.1)

16 bit source
24 bit source


Source 4 (DPA 4022 source)
Source: DPA 4022 (nos)> Oade m248> SD 744t
Location: FOB/DFC 6.5'
Transfer: 744>samplitude>cd wave> tlh

16 bit source

Source 5 (SKM184 source)
Source: Neumann skm184>sd744>wav24/48
Location: OTS>15ft
Transfer: CF>goldwave(dither resample 16/441)>cd wave>flac level 8

16 bit source

Source 6 (VM44 source)
Source: Milab VM44-link > Lunatec V3 (24/44.1k) > Sony D50
Location: FOB/DFC 6.5'
Transfer: D50> Amadeus Pro > xACT

16 bit source

Source 7 (AK40 source)
Source:  Neumann AK 40 (NOS) > Lc3 > Km 100 > Aerco Mp2 > Sd 702 @ 24/48
Location: FOB/DFC 50' Back
Transfer: Cf Card > *Wavelab 6.0 (resample,Uv 22 HR) >
Cd Wave > TLH > 16.44 FLAC

16 bit source
24 bit source

Source 8 (DPA Matrix source)
Source: [DPA 4027(ORTF/FOB)->V2->Mytek 192 + DPA 4022(XY/FOB)->V3(analog)] -> Busman DR-680(24/96)->UV22HR(16/44.1)
Transfer: CDWave->FLAC

16 bit source

Source 9 (BSC1 source)
Source: Busman Audio BSC1/K21 (A/B @ 3 ft) > GAKable XLR > Busman HD-P2 (24/48)
Location: FOB/LOC 10ft up
Transfer: CF > WaveLab 6 (-24dB @ 85Hz, -12dB RMS Normalize, Fades,
Convert to 16bit, Resample to 44.1 with Apogee UV22HR Dither) >
CDWave (Tracking) > Traders Little Helper (FLAC6)

16 bit source

Source 10 (CCM4 source)
Source: Schoeps CCM4 (Ortf)>VMS5u>R44(OCM) 24/96
Location: FOB, DFC, 6'
Transfer: SDHC>Audacity 16/44 >Amadeus Pro>xACT

16 bit source

Source 11 (MK4v source)
Source: Schoeps MK4v(ortf)> Kcy > Sonosax SX-M2/LS2 >Mytek 192 adc aes/spdif>R44(OCM) 24/96
Location: FOB, DFC, 6'
Transfer: SDHC>Audacity 16/44 >Amadeus Pro>xACT

16 bit source

Source 12 (MK21 source)
Source: Schoeps mk21  > kcy > Sonosax SX-M2/LS2 > Mytek 192 > Tascam HD-P2 (24/96)
Location: ORTF wide/FOB
Transfer: CF > Sound Studio > xACT > .flac (16/44)

16 bit source
24 bit source

Source 13 (DPA 4021 source)
Source: DPA 4021 > Lunatec V2 > Sony D50 (24/96)
Location: ORTF/FOB
Transfer: Memory Stick > Sound Studio > xACT > .flac (16/44)

16 bit source
24 bit source


Phish - 9/4/11 "Bathtub Gin" from Phish on Vimeo.

The BSC2 source lacks good separation throughout the sonic spectrum and the low-end lacks the umph of the better sources.

The MK22 source loses some of the tonality at the lowest frequencies.

The MK5 source is superb.  The levels are excellent, there is good balance between the instruments, the bass has good tone as well as kicking the sub nicely.  This source gets my nod ever so slightly over the VM44 source because it sounds slightly brighter.

The DPA 4022 source is a bit more bass heavy than the VM44 source, but the highs aren't as nice.

The SKM184 source sounds a bit bass heavy and lacks high-end.

The VM44 source is excellent. There is a tremendous dynamic range.  The tone of the bass is great, even at the lowest frequencies.  In the end, the differences between this recording and the MK5 are slight.  This recording seems to lack a touch of the brightness of the MK5 recording, which is why it did not get the nod.

The AK40 source is really bass heavy and lacks the crisp highs of the MK5 or VM44 source.

The DPA Matrix source has lots of bass, and like so many matrix sources, loses a bit of the high-end.

The BSC1 source lacks good separation and sounds a bit bass heavy.

The CCM4 source sounds a bit distant compared to the VM44 source, but the sound is quite good, if a touch heavy on the bass.

The MK4v source is quite nice sounding, with good bass tone, however some of the tone is lost at the lowest frequencies.

The MK21 source is quite good.  The tone is nice down low, however it lacks the great highs of the VM44 or MK5 source.  I would say this is probably the 3rd best recording of the night.

The DPA 4021 source doesn't have the tone down low of the VM44 or MK5 source, and the highs aren't as nice either.

Happy listening!

December 28, 2011 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY Sources Review

To contact us Click HERE
I want to thank all of you who have waited patiently for the return of the Phish Listening Room.  Like many of you, I eagerly awaited these shows, and at least for this night, was not disappointed.  The Holiday Run, particularly at MSG, is one of fabled lore.  Unfortunately, this run did not live up to the hype.  However, there are some great nuggets from each night and if you only download one concert in its entirety from this run, this is the night to grab.  There are seven sources available for this show.  I want to thank the tapers who recorded this and all of the other nights of the run.  I know how much fun a holiday show is, and I know how challenging it is to get a good recording when people are jazzed out of their minds, screaming, and throwing things.  Given all that, there are some remarkably good recordings here! Thanks again guys!

Source 1 (hereafter SP C4 source)
Source: Studio Projects C4s (hypers) > Segue Dogstar XLRs > Fostex FR-2LE(24bit/44.1khz)
Location: Sec 2, Row 4, Seat 13, 8' high; PAS, 20cm @ 60*
Transfer: CF Card > .bwf > Audacity (gain/fades/dither) > CDWav > .wav > .flac

16 bit source
24 bit source

Source 2 (hereafter CCM4v source)
Source: Schoeps CCM4V'S(din)>Lunatec V2>Benchmark AD2K>
Sound Devices 722 (24/48)
Location: OTS/BOB/DFC/KFC/ZFC/AARP Section 2, Row 4, Seat 13, 8' High
Transfer: Sound Devices 722>Sound Forge 9.0>CD Wave>flac(16)

16 bit source

Source 3 (hereafter TLM170 source)
Source: Neumann TLM-170  -> Sound Devices 722 (@24/96)
Location:  hypercardoids, 5th row of tapers' section, about 7 seats left of center
Transfer: FLAC file processing in SoundForge 10.0C (some volume leveling; resample to 44.1 with iZotope 64-Bit SRC set higher than "Highest Quality" setting w/anti-alias filter; 24->16 bit dither using iZotope MBIT+ Dither with Ultra noise shaping, High dither settings; clap removal); Tracked in CDWav

16 bit source

Source 4 (hereafter MK41>PSP2 source)
Source: Schoeps MK41'S>PSP 2>Tascam DP2(24/44)
Location: OTS/BOB/DFC Section 2, Row 4, Seat 13, 8' High
Transfer: Sound Devices 722>Sound Forge 9.0>CD Wave>flac(16)

16 bit source

 Source 5 (hereafter MK41>KC5 source) ***Encore Is Patched from MK41>KCY source***
Source: Schoeps MK41>KC5>CMC6>Sonosax SX-M2>Apogee Mini-me(aes out,24bit/96khz)>COAX>Edirol R-44
Location: OTS DIN
Transfer: SDHC Card>USB>Macbook Pro>Wave
Editor(tracking, fades, resample (izotope) / dither (mbit+) to 16 bit/44.1k)>XAct(FLAC 8,ffp,fix sbe)

16 bit source
24 bit source


Source 6 (hereafter KM184 source)
Source: Neumann km184 > Sound Devices MP-2 > Edirol R-09HR (16/44)
Transfer: WAV > PC > CDWav > FLAC

16 bit source

Source 7 (hereafter MK41>KCY source) ***24 bit source only***
Source: Schoeps MK41 (DINa) > Schoeps KCY > Schoeps VMS-5u > Mytek 192 > Marantz PMD-661 @ 06 kHz 24 bits
Location: OTS: Slightly LoC, on stand approx. 10' -
Transfer: SDHC 16 GB Card > Card Reader Slot on Dell XPS m1730 > Sony Sound Forge 10.0

24 bit source


Phish - "Contact" > "Sample In A Jar" 12/28/11 from Phish on Vimeo.

The SPC4 source is probably the second best source available.  Like all the sources, the low-end isn't as well defined as it was on the best tapes from the summer.  Given that all the recordings suffered from this, I must presume that the room didn't have the best bass definition.  The low-end is quite punchy, it is just a tad less defined than the MK41>KC5 source.  Given that the encore of the KC5 source is patched from the KCY source, you might want to grab the encores from this source for the best possible source.

The CCM4v source gets the bronze medal from me for this evening.  The low-end has a nice kick, but is not quite as defined as the SPC4 or the MK41>KC5 source.  Notice about 18 seconds in on Carini, when Mike is playing the up and down lick.  The notes aren't as well defined as on the two superior sources.  Overall, though, nice levels and good recording.

The TLM170 source has kind of a hollow sound on the high-end and the bass isn't as well defined and only seems to really kick at the lowest frequencies.

The MK41>PSP2 source has relatively low levels, decent separation, but again lacks great definition down low and doesn't kick the sub very well at all.

The MK41>KC5 source is my pick for the best of the evening.  While it doesn't have the great definition of some of best sources from the summer tour, it has the best of this evening.  It was definitely close and I had to check between this one, the CCM4's and the SPC4's repeatedly.  Because this source uses a patch for the encores, I would suggest downloading the encores from the SPC4 source to get the best possible combination.

The KM184 source is almost devoid of bass response.  Definitely pass on this source.

The MK41>KCY source has relatively low bass response and sounds kind of thin.

Happy listening!

June 16, 2012 Bader Field, Atlantic City, NJ Sources Review

To contact us Click HERE
Night two at Atlantic City brought some heat right from the start.  There are very few bad shows that kick off with Mike's Song and this show is no exception.  The Lighteca in the second set is definitely not to be missed.  As with the night before, there are 5 sources available, though the sources are slightly different.  I want to thank all the tapers for recording this show and sharing it with the community.

Source 1 (hereafter MK21>KCY source)
Source: Schoeps Mk21> KCY>Schoeps Vms5u >R44(OCM)24/96
Location: FOB, DFC,NOS, 6' Stand
Transfer:SDHC>Audacity 16/44>Amadeus Pro>xACT

16 bit source

Source 2 (hereafter M934c source)
Source: Schoeps m934c> M221B> PS> Aeta PSP-3> SD 722 (@24bit/96kHz)
Location: FOB, DFC, DIN, 6' Stand, m934c/cardioid
Transfer: SD 722> Samplitude SE 9.1.1(dither/resample)> CDWave> flac(16/44.1)

16 bit source
24 bit source



Source 3 (hereafter MK21>KC5 source)
Source: Schoeps mk21> KC5> M222> NT222> Aeta PSP-3> SD 744t (@24bit/96kHz)
Location: FOB, DFC, DIN, 6' Stand, NOS
Transfer: SD 744t> Samplitude SE 9.1.1(dither/resample)> CDWave> flac(16/44.1)

16 bit source
24 bit source


Source 4 (hereafter MK4v source)
Source: Schoeps Mk4v> KCY>Schoeps Vst 62IUg>Sonosax SX-M2>Mytek 192 adc aes/spdif>R44(OCM)24/96
Location: FOB, DFC,Din, 6' Stand
Transfer:SDHC>Audacity 16/44>Amadeus Pro>xACT

16 bit source

Source 5 (hereafter AKG source)
Source: AKG392's(Right of SBD) -> Hydra Silver XLR's -> Edirol UA-5 (Oade warm mod) -> Microtrack II 24 bit @ 48 Khz
Location: Omnidirectional 39" separation, 75 HZ bass rolloff, Mics aimed at PA Stacks, approximately 12 ft high on stand.
Transfer: Microtrack II-> USB -> PC-> CD WAVE Editor -> Adobe Audition 3.0 16/44.1 conversion -> Flac Frontend

16 bit source
24 bit source




Phish - 6/16/12 "Light" from Phish on Vimeo.

The MK21>KCY source is a bit boomier than the other sources, all of which sound pretty darn good.  However, the separation and balance just isn't as good as the MK21>KC5 source.

The M934c source is very clear and quite well balanced, but it doesn't have the extra umph on the low-end that the MK21>KC5 source has.

The MK21>KC5 source is my pick for the night.  It is extremely clear and well balanced.  The separation is superior to the AKG source and the low-end has just a bit more kick than the M934c source.

The MK4v source sounds quite good but doesn't have the separation that the MK21>KC5 and M934c sources have.

The AKG source is quite good, but there is a bit of boominess at the lowest frequencies and the overall sonic separation isn't as good as the MK21>KC5 source.

Happy listening!

June 17, 2012 Bader Field Atlantic City, NJ Sources Review

To contact us Click HERE
The third night of an excellent run at Atlantic City didn't have quite the punch that the first two nights had, but it did offer a few choice nuggets that are worth a re-listen.  I would definitely recommend giving the 2001 a spin as well as the Reba that follows.  I want to thank the tapers again for their efforts in getting these shows into our hands.  I hate to apologize again to my readers, but life and tour got in the way of keeping these up as fast as I would like.  However, things look fairly open for the next several days, so I hope to get through nTelos this week and have the OH-PA-OH run up next week, with the Creeks to follow shortly there after.  Lots of good stuff to get to.  There are 7 sources for this evening.



Source 1 (hereafter M934c source)
Source: Schoeps m934c> M221B> PS> Aeta PSP-3> SD 722 (@24bit/96kHz)
Location: FOB, DFC, DIN, 6' Stand, m934c/cardioid
Transfer: SD 722> Samplitude SE 9.1.1(dither/resample)> CDWave> flac(16/44.1)

16 bit source
24 bit source


Source 2 (hereafter CCM4v source)
Source: Schoeps CCM4V'S(din)>Lunatec V2>Benchmark AD2K>
Sound Devices 722 (24/48)
Location: FOB/DFC 42' From Stage, 6' High
Transfer: Sound Devices 722>Sound Forge 9.0>CD Wave>flac(16)

16 bit source

Source 3 (hereafter MK22+MK8 source)
Source: Schoeps mk22 + mk8 [M-S]> Vark KCY> Darktrain 30' KCY Extension> Naiant Littlebox (onboard M-S conversion)> Sony m10 (@24bit/96kHz)
Location: FOB, DFC, ~6' Stand.
Transfer: Dithered to 16bit via Mbit II and resampled to 44.1kHz via iZotope

16 bit source
24 bit source

Source 4 (hereafter MK21 source)
Source: Schoeps mk21> KC5> M222> NT222> Aeta PSP-3> SD 744t (@24bit/96kHz)
Location: FOB, DFC, DIN, 6' Stand, NOS
Transfer: SD 744t> Samplitude SE 9.1.1(dither/resample)> CDWave> flac(16/44.1)

16 bit source
24 bit source

Source 5 (hereafter MK4v source)
Source: Schoeps Mk4v> KCY>Schoeps Vst 62IUg>Oade 248>Mytek 192 adc aes/spdif>R44(OCM)24/96
Location: FOB, DFC,Din, 6' Stand
Transfer:SDHC>Audacity 16/44>Amadeus Pro>xACT

16 bit source

Source 6 (hereafter MK41v source)
Source: Schoeps Mk41v(NOS)> KCY>Schoeps Vms5u>R44(OCM)24/96
Location: FOB, DFC 6' Stand
Transfer:SDHC>Audacity 16/44>Amadeus Pro>xACT

16 bit source

Source 7 (hereafter AKG source)
Source: AKG392's(Right of SBD behind TS rail) -> Hydra Silver XLR's -> Edirol UA-5 (Oade warm mod) -> Microtrack II 24 bit @ 48 Khz
Location:Omnidirectional 39" separation, 75 HZ bass rolloff, Mics aimed at PA Stacks, approximately 12 ft high on stand.
Transfer: Microtrack II-> USB -> PC-> CD WAVE Editor -> Adobe Audition 3.0 16/44.1 conversion -> Flac Frontend

16 bit source
24 bit source




Phish - 6/17/12 "Reba" from Phish on Vimeo.

The M934c source is my pick for the best of the night.  It is extremely clear sounding and the bass response is great.  The differences between this source and the MK21, and really the MK4v was right there too, are miniscule.  I slightly preferred the tone of the bass, it seemed a bit brighter, particularly on some of the really interesting stuff that Mike is doing at the beginning of 2001.  That said, if you already have the MK21 source, unless you are really obsessive, there is no reason to replace it.

The CCM4v source is pretty boomy and sounds a bit distant.

The MK22+MK8 source, like so many matrix mixes, has too much low-end without enough definition.

The MK21 source, as mentioned above, is excellent.  It is very clear with great separation.  The only differences between it and the M934c source are minor tonal differences.  If you already have this source, there is no need to switch.

The MK4v source is also quite good.  It doesn't have quite the separation of the MK21 or M934c source, but is still excellent.

The MK41v source is a bit boomier than the MK4v source or the MK21 or M934c source.

The AKG source is a bit thin on the low-end.  At points where Gordon is really dropping a bomb, the AKG's just kind of fade out.  Nowhere near the punch of the M934c or MK21 source.

Happy listening!

June 19, 2012 nTelos Pavilion, Portsmouth, VA Sources Review

To contact us Click HERE
Phish moved down the eastern shore a bit from Jersey down to Virginia.  nTelos was the smallest venue of tour and launched a meme that Phish played with all tour.  On top of tucking, Phish played a version of Split Open and Melt that is definitely worth a re-listen.  For a Tuesday night show, there were a ton of tapers on hand.  There are 9 sources available for this night!  I want to thank the tapers for all that they do and for sharing their recordings with the community.



Source 1 (hereafter M934c source)
Source: Schoeps m934c> M221B> PS> Aeta PSP-3> SD 722 (@24bit/96kHz)
Location: FOB, DFC, DIN, m934c/cardioid
Transfer: SD 722> Samplitude SE 9.1.1(dither/resample)> CDWave> flac(16/44.1)

16 bit source
24 bit source


Source 2 (hereafter Busman source)
Source: Busman k11 > BSC2 > Lunatec V2 > Tascam DR100-mkII (24/44.1)
Transfer: SDHC > Sound Forge 10 > CD Wave > .flac (level 8)
Location: FOB / DFC / Mics up 6 feet, ORTF

16 bit source

Source 3 (hereafter MK4v>KC5 source)
Source: Schoeps mk4v's(DIN)>kc5>m222>nt222>aeta psp-3>744t
Location: FOB/SLOC
Transfer: 744t>CD Wave>Wavelab 5>Flac

16 bit source

Source 4 (hereafter B&K source)
Source: B&K4022(xy) > Sonosax [55%] + B&K 4027(ortf) > Sonosax [45%] > 744T
Location: fob 1st row seats dfc
Transfer: 744T>soundforge 10.0>cd wave>flac

16 bit source

Source 5 (hereafter MK4v>VST source)
Source:Schoeps MK4v(Din)> Vst 62IUg>Aeta PSP-3>Mytek 192 adc aes/spdif>R44(OCM)24/96
Location: FOB, DFC 6' Stand
Transfer:SDHC>Audacity 16/44>Amadeus Pro>xACT

16 bit source

Source 6 (hereafter MK41v source)
Source:Schoeps MK41v(NOS)> Kcy > Sonosax SX-M2/LS2>R44(OCM)24/96
Location: FOB, DFC 6' Stand
Transfer:SDHC>Audacity 16/44>Amadeus Pro>xACT

16 bit source

Source 7 (hereafter MK21 source)
Source: Schoeps mk21> KC5> M222> NT222> Aeta PSP-3> SD 744t (@24bit/96kHz)
Location: FOB, DFC, NOS
Transfer: SD 744t> Samplitude SE 9.1.1(dither/resample)> CDWave> flac(16/44.1)

16 bit source
24 bit source

Source 8 (hereafter Nak source)
Source: franken nak 300>cp-1>r4 oade tmod 24/48
Location: fob loc 4 ft pas @9ft
Transfer: r4>pc audacity dither 16/44.1>cd wave splits>tlh flac 8

16 bit source

Source 9 (hereafter MK41 source)  ****24 bit only****
Source: Schoeps MK41 > KCY > Schoeps VMS5-U > Mytek 192 > Marantz PMD-661
Location: FOB (just) at left corner of FOH On Stand, approximately 8'
Transfer: SDHC Media Card -> Dell m1730 via media card reader > Sony Sound Forge 10 @ 96kHz, 24

24 bit source





Phish - 6/19/12 "Maze" from Phish on Vimeo.

Once again, the M934c source is my pick for best of the evening.  It is extremely clear from the lowest lows to the highest highs and has great presence and levels.  The low-end has plenty of umph to it and the tone is very natural.

The Busman source  doesn't have the low-end punch of the M934c or MK21 sources.  It is quite clear though.

The MK4c>KC5 source is a bit boomy and there is a fair amount of crowd noise.

The B&K source is very muddy sounding, particularly in the low-end.

The MK4v>vst source is nice and clean sounding, but just doesn't have the punch of the MK21 or M934c sources.

The MK41v source sounds a bit distant and doesn't have the definition of the better schoeps sources.

The MK21 source has excellent low-end and is very clean.  There is plenty of low-end without being boomy.  However, the tone is slightly different from the M934c and I don't prefer this source quite as much.  That said, if you already have the MK21 source, by all means keep it.  It is really good.

The Franken Nak source is quite good for a Nak source, however the low-end just can't compare to the MK21 and M934c sources.

The MK41 source is incredibly in your face and is really present.  However, there is a bit of crowd noise and the low-end isn't quite as punchy as the MK21 or M934c sources.

Happy listening!