Congrats on getting this together and making it happen!
whassamatter- you didn't feel like sneaking the 550 in under a wheelchair? Not until you do it that way will it be a TRUE Millard recording!
Just kidding- Awesome that you were able to make it happen and get the permission of the band to do it.
^I was about to joke about this before I saw rock's post. Yet beyond the joking aspect, it illuminates what I consider to be rather large elephant in the room-
Stereo microphone configuration has as at least as much if not more influence on the sound of the recording than much of the signal chain.
How did Mike Millard configure the microphones? Do we know? Armpits?
Traditionally, tapers did not document the microphone configuration they used very well, if at all. It's odd that signal chains are often noted in detail (including the types of cables and interconnects), while microphone configuration is rarely mentioned.
A Ferrari straight off the showroom floor, tuned for the street and trips to the lingerie store, is not going to handle like or be able to compete with the exact same car tuned for the track. Same parts, same signal chain, but entirely different setups producing very different results.
The other, even bigger and more basic thing is recording position. However, I suspect that's expected to be different, and folks are generally aware of sonic differences with regards to recording position. By contrast, not many think of microphone setup in the same sense, if they are aware of the variabilities and the effects on the recordings at all.
Very much looking forward to hearing these recordings at some point. Please note the microphone setup used as well as the recording position in the notes if you can. Also, because of the admirable efforts made in duplicating this historic taping signal chain, I encourage you to note all setup differences between these recordings and the historic ones as clearly as possible, to the extent that you are aware of them. Otherwise folks will easily overlook both these elephants, consumed with details about the mice running around their feet.