|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
71.232.49.84
In Reply to: RE: Don Was 75th blue note for 30 bucks? posted by kuma on November 20, 2015 at 20:22:09
IMO, soundwise the MM reissues are the best. I'm talking about the 33s. I just wish they train their pressing operators.
Follow Ups:
IIRC,RTI does their pressing. So I am not sure how much influence they have when their supplier screw up. I had one defective LP out of dozens where they just sent a replacement pronto.
I only have one MM45s ( Kenny Drew 'Undercurrent') which I also prefer their 33rpm version. In fact I purchased their 33 vinyl based on a claim a dude from Audio Quest made on this board to see if he's on the level. 'our new 33s are better than their previous 45s'
He was right. At least on 'Undercurrent' I was able to compare side by side. I haven't bought any other MM45s as I found constant flipping ruin my listening experience.
Honestly speaking I don't really care who does the pressing. If MMs name is on the
LP, then generally they are responsible for the quality, otherwise responsible party is whoever the seller is. I got 9 defective titles out of 13 from ED, and 4 defectives out of 10 from AS. I didn't lose anything financially, but it wasn't a good experience.
and I thought I was the only ones with bad luck with vinyl.Have you noticed, tho the quality of new pressing has gone down hill a last couple of years?
So I assumed you returned most of MM pressing. What did you end up getting instead?
I suppose you can still get a few Classical Records reissues.Did you have a better luck with Don Was Blue Note?
Edits: 11/21/15
> > Have you noticed, tho the quality of new pressing has gone down hill a last couple of years? < <
Oh yeah, no question about that! Somebody has to take responsibility for this situation. I mean, really what country are we living in? These days I do my vinyl shopping mostly at the local Newbury Comics stores (it's a New England chain), because it's easy to return or exchange the defective records. Salespeople always complain about the overall high percentage of returns for these vinyls.
I personally haven't had much problem from RTI pressed MM33s but recently they sent out the announcement in the email.
Music Matters is also very happy to announce important improvements that our close partners at RTI have recently implemented, which will further improve the product we will be providing for your listening pleasure. RTI has recently sourced a vastly improved vinyl formulation, with more lubricants for more silent playing surfaces. The new vinyl will also have improved anti-static properties, further contributing to an even lower playback noise floor.
To take greatest advantage of the improved raw vinyl material, RTI has invested in a new state of the art boiler and temperature control system, which will insure that the vinyl is heated to the most exacting standards required for even flow of the formula while on the press.
As for the off centre hole is truly annoying. I see that a lot on all vinyl past and present. The thing is vinyl pressing isn't exactly exacting. This is part of the reasons CDs took over as it is less problematic. ( altho, the othter day I had my first off center hole CD ) :0
If they fix those problems, but still I will believe it when I see it :)
Just watch videos of how records are made and you can truly see it's more of an art than a science. Although, there's no doubt in my mind that with significant financial investment, they could automate many steps that are now done by hand. There are so many variables in pressing a record that it's difficult to be 100% consistent, though some plants do much better than others.
I was under the impression that JASRAC (as seen on many records from Japan) establish an industrial standard and quality control criteria for vinyl pressing. Couldn't the rest of the world achieve the same?
Big J
"... only a very few individuals understand as yet that personal salvation is a contradiction in terms."
it's kind of sad that US used to be able to make decent records. A certification to regulate a lack of QC just adds to the operational cost. I think the problem might be overworked aging equipment ( many plants are still using the same pressing from the past ), lack of good vinyl ( EPA issues ) and operator knowledge and their general carelessness.
IIRC, all records manufactured in Japan has JIS mark ( Japan Industry Standard ). Maybe they are manufactured to more exact standard but no guarantee of their superior sound when it comes to imported titles because usually the original master never leaves the country of origin so they end up using a copy. I found often Japanese imports of American jazz title sound flaccid compared to the US pressings. ( I see why Japanese collector pay high dollars for the US pressings )
Sounds about right.
However, for those of us that don't have top dollar, Japanese pressings are far from the worst available!
Big J
"... only a very few individuals understand as yet that personal salvation is a contradiction in terms."
There must be something else at work, however as my recent experience of Sony Glenn Gould reissue vs. Erato Alexadre Tharaud new pressing both done at the same MPO France yet the quality difference is far and apart.
So apparently the MPO is capable of producing one of the nicest sounding vinyl. At least some of the time. I am sill puzzled why such a huge gap between the excellence and mediocre. ( FWIW, my replacement Erato LP was noisy, too but at least his time it was flat and no damage )
I miss the nice quiet pressing from Neatherland back in the 70s.
OTOH, I remember how disappointed I was to find out the new Yes 'Relayer' ( US first pressing ) I bought had an off centre hole and in those days, I had to travel 2 hrs. to get to the record shop ( one way ).
> > So I assumed you returned most of MM pressing. What did you end up getting instead?
I suppose you can still get a few Classical Records reissues.
Did you have a better luck with Don Was Blue Note? < <
I was typing on the mobile, and somehow couldn't see the rest of your post.
So, ED refunded all of the money since they couldn't keep the promise of inspecting the replacements, and AS was able to send me normal records.
I assume by Don Was you meant the 75th anniversary edition. I didn't like it. Too sterile. There are also regular BN versions $20 a piece, which are horrible.
but Don Was 75 issues are the same as the regular BN at 20 bucks a piece. For the markeing purpose htey just call them '75th Anniversary' but no difference from the ones without the sticker. All digitally sourced and the ones I have heard were gray sounding vinyl.
This Bud Powell pressing with a *75* Sticker was just about the worst reissue I have encountered in terms of production.
I am gagging on Don Was' copy: Irony!
This year, Blue Note - along with our friends at Universal Music Enterprises - is launching a major 75th Anniversary Vinyl Initiative that is dedicated to the proposition that our catalog should be readily available at a low cost - featuring high quality pressings and authentic reproductions of Blue Note's iconic packaging. Beginning in March 2014, we'll start rolling out five remastered vinyl reissues every month. Although this program begins in celebration of Blue Note's 75th Anniversary, our catalog runs so deep that we will faithfully be reissuing five albums a month for many years to come!
" A high qualtiy pressings' well, perhaps to Crosley users.
The ones with the sticker actually were/are a couple of bucks more expensive. The plain ones are 19.99, and sometimes I've seen them locally on sale for $12.99. Bought Cecil Taylor's Unit Structure with defective left channel (completely unlistenable), also Tony Williams's "Spring" warped and extremely noisy. Returned them both, of course, didn't even listen to the whole thing. With the sticker I had Tyner's' "Real McCoy" I think, and it was so sterile I can't even describe. No bass, no highs, no nothing. A joke. Also there are European "limited editions", but I never heard them, and I really doubt they're good. I'll never again try anything that comes from Blue Note records.
I was curious about that title cuz, that's remastered by Alan Yoshida since so far the Don Was Blue Note I bought were done by Bernie Grundman.
I can't help to think if they used the same Yoshida's XRCD Blue Note remaster file from a few years back to cut a lacquer .
Well, Music Matters is my saviour for Blue note catalogue and I am grateful.
Now if someone like that redo the Bill Evans Riverside/Fantasy catalogue... ( AP's reissues, whilst smooth, they really lack dynamics and it is criminal what they charged for the toilet paper packaging! )
Did you try Analogue Production Blue Note?
Interesting. Are you sure Yoshida did Real McCoy? I have 17 Audio Wave XRCDs by Yoshida, but the Real McCoy is not among them, and I didn't even know he did that particular title on xrcd. I'm going to re-buy that LP to listen again, I want to make sure if I had the same version a couple of months ago. The latest Japanese SHM cd version is really good.
Actually I have the Concord/Fantasy Riverside Evans records, and they sound very nice. I didn't even expect them to be like this. You'll be surprised. Of course you gotta try hard to get a flat copy.
I never had any of AP Blue Notes or anything at 45 RPM, because I'm too lazy:)
but the Don Was 75 Real Mccoy you had was done by Yoshida according to the Discog data.
And I vaguely recall looking at the back of that LP at a local record shop where they stock many Don Was Blue Note titles. There was another titles with no engineer names but the remastering was credited to Capitol Studio, IIRC...
Anyways, I have been listening to the latest from MM33 series
Mobley's 'Workout' sounds incredible. I hear nothing but a total blackness when the needle gets placed on a record. This pressing might be better than 'Soul Station' and 'Roll Call'.
Post a Followup:
FAQ |
Post a Message! |
Forgot Password? |
|
||||||||||||||
|
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors: