In 2014 a transfer of the master recorded by Reed Hayward was shared at u2torrents. This recording was also used for the long-time circulating silver pressed bootleg "Riverboat President."
However, neither one of them ever dealt with the quite severe electric hum in the master tape. Not only is this hum quite simply removed with the grandiose iZotope RX 05 (kuddos to Sharebear who taught me how to do it
), but it is also a perfect indicator for the right pitch. This because the electrical hum is caused as an effect of the electric current: in the US the frequency of this hum is 60Hz - and, thank God, in Europe it is again sort of stable at 50Hz 
Anyway, the hum in the master is somewhere between 59.24 and 59.43 Hz (yes, in analogue recordings the pitch isn't stable throughout - I spare you the details). So adjusting this hum to 60Hz gives the correct speed (a "trick" I've learned on a Greateful Dead tapers & mastering forum
). The final test for the correct pitch is in the fair assumption that the band would have played "in key" (A=440Hz), and in this case Audition indeed confirms that A=440 (or close enough). Then of course, after the hum has served it's purpose, it can be removed to give a much clearer and spacious listning experience: the difference really between a tidy, and a messy room - or ship in this case!
After the pitch correction, I applied a mild "De-click" to remove some near-by clapping and "Spectral Repair" to deal with some of the most upfront screams and whistles. But there was of course way too much "roar" on a New Orleans riverboat that had U2 performing live to get rid of it all
It would have destroyed the atmosphere anyway (beware for that signature New Orleans style whistle 
). To finish it off, I matched the recording with a pleasant EQ plus some crossfades and edits to make it all go nice and seamlessly (there are still some drop-outs of the right channel which I didn't address, except for the first 20 seconds...)
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this New Orleans '82 gig is the only time U2 ever played an "official" show on a boat! They should do it again!
I uploaded my "pitch corrected & cleaned master" of the famous 1982-02-11 New Orleans LA gig at the S.S. President Riverboat in the show page / audio tab of said date.
Hope you'll enjoy
PS: This show was preceded by the first meeting of U2 with Anton Corbijn, who took this great picture
(I used some more in the enclosed art with the flac files).
- I wonder if this was Anton's first U2 gig...how splendid would that be!
