Two from the Vault
Encyclopedia
Two from the Vault is a two-CD live album by the rock band the Grateful Dead
. It was recorded at the Shrine Auditorium
in Los Angeles, California
on August 23 and 24, 1968. The event was left unreleased for nearly 25 years, before being remastered and released on Grateful Dead Records
in 1992.
The record company also insisted on supplying engineers who turned out to be unfamiliar with the close miking technique
involved in recording rock music
. Consequently, each of the eight tracks contained significant leakage
from all of the other instruments in the band, resulting in severe phase cancellation problems.
Almost twenty-four years later, Don Pearson and producer Dan Healy solved this problem by employing a B&K
2032 Fast Fourier transform
(FFT) digital
spectrum analyzer
to measure the delay in time between the different microphones, using the track of bassist
Phil Lesh
as the time centerpiece. The delay times were fed into a TC1280 stereo
digital delay
, which, along with careful mixing
, resulted in a nearly perfect stereo image.
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
. It was recorded at the Shrine Auditorium
Shrine Auditorium
The Shrine Auditorium is a landmark large-event venue, in Los Angeles, California, USA. It is also the headquarters of the Al Malaikah Temple, a division of the Shriners.-History:...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on August 23 and 24, 1968. The event was left unreleased for nearly 25 years, before being remastered and released on Grateful Dead Records
Grateful Dead Records
In 1973, the Grateful Dead established their own record label, Grateful Dead Records. The band released several vinyl record LPs on this label in the mid-1970s, including Wake of the Flood in 1973, From the Mars Hotel in 1974, Blues for Allah in 1975, and a live double album, Steal Your Face, in...
in 1992.
Recording
The concert was recorded on a then-state-of-the-art, one-inch 8-track tape machine that was supplied by the band's record label, Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
The record company also insisted on supplying engineers who turned out to be unfamiliar with the close miking technique
Microphone practice
There exist a number of well-developed microphone techniques used for miking musical, film, or voice sources. Choice of technique depends on a number of factors, including:...
involved in recording rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
. Consequently, each of the eight tracks contained significant leakage
Crosstalk (electronics)
In electronics, crosstalk is any phenomenon by which a signal transmitted on one circuit or channel of a transmission system creates an undesired effect in another circuit or channel...
from all of the other instruments in the band, resulting in severe phase cancellation problems.
Almost twenty-four years later, Don Pearson and producer Dan Healy solved this problem by employing a B&K
Brüel & Kjær
Brüel & Kjær is a subsidiary of UK-based Spectris plc. Brüel & Kjær is a manufacturer and supplier of sound and vibration measurement apparatus. The company headquarters is based in Nærum, Denmark...
2032 Fast Fourier transform
Fast Fourier transform
A fast Fourier transform is an efficient algorithm to compute the discrete Fourier transform and its inverse. "The FFT has been called the most important numerical algorithm of our lifetime ." There are many distinct FFT algorithms involving a wide range of mathematics, from simple...
(FFT) digital
Digital
A digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
spectrum analyzer
Spectrum analyzer
A spectrum analyzer measures the magnitude of an input signal versus frequency within the full frequency range of the instrument. The primary use is to measure the power of the spectrum of known and unknown signals...
to measure the delay in time between the different microphones, using the track of bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Phil Lesh
Phil Lesh
Phillip Chapman Lesh is a musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he played bass guitar throughout their 30-year career....
as the time centerpiece. The delay times were fed into a TC1280 stereo
STEREO
STEREO is a solar observation mission. Two nearly identical spacecraft were launched into orbits that cause them to respectively pull farther ahead of and fall gradually behind the Earth...
digital delay
Delay (audio effect)
Delay is an audio effect which records an input signal to an audio storage medium, and then plays it back after a period of time. The delayed signal may either be played back multiple times, or played back into the recording again, to create the sound of a repeating, decaying echo.-Early delay...
, which, along with careful mixing
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
, resulted in a nearly perfect stereo image.
Disc one
- "Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl" (Sonny Boy WilliamsonSonny Boy Williamson ISonny Boy Williamson was an American blues harmonica player and singer, and the first to use the name Sonny Boy Williamson.-Biography and career:...
) – 15:59 - "Dark StarDark Star (song)"Dark Star" is a song released as a single by the Grateful Dead. It was written by lyricist Robert Hunter and composed by lead guitarist Jerry Garcia; however, compositional credit is sometimes extended to include Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart, the late Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, and Bob Weir...
" (Hunter, Garcia, Hart, Kreutzman, Lesh, McKernan, Weir) – 11:20 > - "St. StephenSt. Stephen (song)"St. Stephen" is a song by the Grateful Dead, written by Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh and Robert Hunter and originally released on the 1969 studio album Aoxomoxoa. The same year, a live version of the song was released on Live/Dead, their first concert album...
" (Hunter, Garcia, Lesh) – 4:40 > - "The ElevenThe Eleven"The Eleven" is a song by American rock band The Grateful Dead. It was written by long-time lyricist Robert Hunter and bassist Phil Lesh. The title of the song is a direct reference to its time signature, 11/8....
" (Hunter, Lesh) – 14:27 > - "Death Don't Have No Mercy" (Davis) – 8:23
Disc two
- "That's It for the Other One: Cryptical Envolvement/The Other One" (Garcia/Kreutzman, Weir) – 15:40 >
- "New Potato Caboose" (Petersen, Lesh) – 14:16 >
- "Turn On Your Love LightTurn On Your Love Light"Turn On Your Love Light" is an R&B-style blues song recorded by Bobby Bland in 1961. It was a both an important R&B and pop chart hit for Bland and has become one of his most identifiable songs...
" (Malone, Scott) – 17:13 - "(Walk Me Out in the) Morning Dew" (Dobson, Rose) – 7:13
Expanded edition disc three
- "Alligator" (McKernan, Lesh, Hunter) – 18:43
- "Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks)" (McKernan, Grateful Dead) – 11:30
- "Feedback" (Grateful Dead) – 4:01
Grateful Dead
- Jerry GarciaJerry GarciaJerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
– guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Phil LeshPhil LeshPhillip Chapman Lesh is a musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he played bass guitar throughout their 30-year career....
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals - Ron "Pigpen" McKernan – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, vocals - Bob WeirBob WeirBob Weir is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, most recognized as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead, together with other former members of the Grateful Dead...
– guitar, vocals - Bill KreutzmannBill KreutzmannBill Kreutzmann is an American drummer who played with the rock band the Grateful Dead for their entire thirty-year career...
– percussionDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Mickey HartMickey HartMickey Hart is an American percussionist and musicologist. He is best known as one of the two drummers of the rock band the Grateful Dead. He was a member of the Grateful Dead from September 1967 to February 1971, and from October 1974 to August 1995...
– percussion
Production
- Dan HealyDan Healy (soundman)Dan Healy is an audio engineer most famous for his work with the American rock band the Grateful Dead. He succeeded Owsley "Bear" Stanley as the group's chief sound man...
– producer - Jeffrey Norman – engineer
- Don Pearson – engineer
- Joe Gastwirt – mastering
- Dick LatvalaDick LatvalaDick Latvala was an American tape archivist for the Grateful Dead. He started the CD series Dick's Picks, an ongoing series that selects live music from Grateful Dead concerts. The first volume of Dick's Picks was released in 1993. The series was continued after Latvala's death, with later...
– tape archivist - Timothy Harris – cover art
Charts
Album - Billboard| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | The Billboard 200 | 119 |
External links
- Two from the Vault liner notes and technical information at frognet.net