2002.08.25 - Hamilton, Ontario, Canada @ Copps Coliseum
Source A: Mini Disc --- Core Sound Binaurals > Sharp MT90
Taper: Henry D.
Gen: 1st from Master
Notes: Very nice MD recording. Great levels which seem very dynamic in nature. Sound has a very nice crisp sound to it; almost like you are there, in a sense. Very nice recording & band performance. Wish all MD recordings were up to this caliber. It is usually a good sign when CSB's are the microphone used. Depending. Standard but polished & interesting performance with the same emphasis on variability in terms of setlists as was standard fare for this part of this leg of the ‘02 tour.
CD 1
Time: 59:48
CD 2
Time: 46:15
Source B : Unknown Recording Equipment
Source B-1: Master > VHS
Source B-2: Master > CSB>MT-90 audio > DVD
CD: VHS --> GoldWave --> WAV --> NERO --> CD (Mastered to CD by Galen)
Taper: Lividz
Gen: 1st from Master
Notes - 2006 / alternative audio: So I receive this DVD in from a trade. I watch the first frame *boom* it reminds me of a VHS I have with brickwalled audio from a seller who later got busted for doing such activity. I watch the DVD for a few, then grab my VHS; yep. Same source. The audio is sourced from the original source (VHS that is) for the first 2:50 seconds. Then, the audio switches. I remember an email conversation with the taper of this show who used the source info: CSB>MT-90. I remember him telling me he sent his audio to the filmer so he could mix it in with the his video since it sounded like ass. Put 2 & 2 together, came out with 3. Thus, this is the same video with alternate audio mixed in. That's all I want to add here.
Notes - 2002 / original audio version, VHS only: Unfortunately, I have only five things only to say; let me point out that I would rather put my VHS to DVD but this source is really not worth it - maybe I am skewed by the fact that the guy sells (or used to)...
1) I am not very impressed.
2) Not worth anyone's time or money, taper is a seller & the product is shite... sorry, it is.
3) Best left for collectors.
4) Audio: Brickwalled & not the best; but not terrible.
5) Video: In focus sometimes, relatively clear, grainy & at best decent.
6) There are reported versions of this show with the MD source info synced up.
VHS
Time: 1:54:34
CD 1
Time: 60:49
CD 2
Time: 51:50
Source C-1: DAT --- Core Sound Binaurals > Sony PCM-M1 (Oade Bros Mod II)
Taper: Smagmapig
Source C-2: DAT --- Core Sound Binaurals > Sony TCD-D8
Taper: Toaster
Matrix: C-1 + C-2 = This Source
Notes / Neognosis via cu.org forum / 2006: First, a few comments on the mix:
Really good job on the sync. I've done several mixes myself and it isn't always as simple as it sounds. Sometimes you get lucky and everything lines up perfectly from start to finish, and maybe that was the case with this show, but most times the two sources will gradually slide out of sync as the show progresses, so you end up having to sync the files one piece at a time. The longer the show the greater the chance things will slide out of sync, and this show clocks in just over two hours, so it was potentially a massive pain, but the mixer did a spectacular job. This appears to be a very basic left-right mix (one recording in the left channel, one in the right), which can be slightly annoying if you listen with headphones. The left channel is more dominant at the start, everything is fairly well balanced during Parabol/Parabola, and from Aenema to the end of the show the right channel is much more dominant. This could have resulted from any number of variables, and could easily be fixed by panning, but it really isn't an issue. It doesn't distract or diminish the recording in anyway. Just something I wanted to mention. And as I said, syncing over two hours of music can be a time-consuming and stressful activity, and in all probability I would have ignored the channel mix myself by the time I was done. Both recordings are great; stacked CSBs, very clear, low crowd noise, everything a novice listener would probably mistake for a soundboard recording. The performance is excellent all around. Maynard sounds good, healthy, a little strained at times, but by and large he's on target. You can hear him very clearly during Disposition/Reflection and his performance during those songs is especially impressive. Adam had a bad night, somewhat, as there's a few moments where he noticeably screws up, during Schism and during the intro to Lateralus, and he seems to get completely lost at one point during Triad, but it's difficult to tell since Triad has an improvisational element to it, so I'll cut him some slack on that one. Really good performance of H. this night; tempo just a hair faster than the album version, just the way I like it, and the crowd plays its part well enough. Parabol is interesting; the channel mix is perfect by this point and I'd recommend headphones for this one, but the performance is a bit hurried, not that it's too fast, there's just an impression that the guys can't wait to play Parabola and they want to get this faggy little intro out of the way. Conversely, the transition from Disposition to Reflection is very patient, Danny and Justin play around just a bit longer than usual before Reflection begins. Good performance. Great recordings. Fine job on the mix. Can't go wrong with this one.
Notes / Galen / 2002: Superb and interesting recording. Taped from the left & right front of stack then matrix-ed together, this recording creates a listening experience that is not only a pleasure to listen to but is also a rather fresh idea that only a few people have pulled off... a comparable show is the 07.11.02 Schoeps source. Basically, for those that may not know, when you stand in front of a stack, the taper tends to get the clearest sound with the least amount of crowd interference and reverberation. The sound has to travel less distance and there is a much greater probability of attaining the most accurate representation of the sound as possible. Anyway, back to the issue at hand, this recording may possibly be one of the best creations from this era of touring. The equipment was good, the taper's knew what the hell they were doing & this creation seems like someone spent some time on it. All in all, one for anyone's collection. This has only appeared in SHN/FLAC form via various Tool online hubs & Sharing The Groove.
CD 1
Time: 74:04
CD 2
Time: 43:17
Source D: DAT --- Core Sound Binaurals > Sony PCM-M1 (Oade Bros Mod II) @ 48 KHZ
Position: Floor / Front of Stack
Taper: Smagmapig
Gen: 1
Notes: To be clear, this is one of the mixes that was in the sync (Source C), same date, with the CSB>D8 mix. I've met the taper of this show a couple times; he is a very unassuming fella - very polite, nice & not anyone you would think would pull some of, if not the, sickest-sounding tapes from this tour. Honestly, maybe it was all luck or maybe it was all skill, voodoo I don't know, but whatever this taper did it just came out so well. Sometimes, very close to flawless. When you hear the guitar sort of grinding during The Grudge & you can hear what happens when nuances, details, the taping position, equipment & a little majik all come together. It's quite astounding, really. Fantastic recording. Why this never made it out on some level is beyond my comprehension as it is just drop-dead superb.
Sober
The Grudge
"Good evening. We'd like to take this time to apologize about our country. Sorry. Can we move here? Is that okay?"
Stinkfist
(Suspicious Minds & White Lines)
H.
Schism
Parabol
Parabola
"Thank you very much."
Ænema
Intermission
Disposition
Reflection
Triad
"Mike-san, John-san, of Tomahawk-san. Thank you, Mike. Thank you, John. Mike and John, very ambitious. Not only do they have Tomahawk, but they've also opened an auto parts store/chinese food take-out in London, Ontario. If you bring your ticket stub to Mike and John's chinese food/auto parts store they'll give you a discount on a muffler job and you might even pick up some extra dysentery with the Special #3. Thank you very much for coming and sharing this moment with us. Hopefully you'll leave here in some way inspired, hopefully healed on some level and, most importantly, very horny. We suggest you curl up in front of a fireplace, write some poetry and have sex... with yourself or someone else. Thank you for... coming... we'll see you soon."
Lateralus