Straight-up STELLAR recordings!

[Daddyjt 9,023]

This has been hinted at and requested in other threads, so here we go. Please post your experiences with outstanding recordings - the actual music is not the focus of this thread, we are looking for well produced, mastered and recorded media, period.

 

I’ll start with a disc that is as close to perfectly recorded as I’ve found. The actual content is not necessarily my favorite, but it is impeccably recorded:

 

 

[morris 389]

When I was at Lone Star Audio Fest, Joshua Miles of JWM Acoustics recommended this Album by Ray Brown. It's a dual 45RPM LP.

I bought it and can't argue with Josh's recommendation. Especially if you like jazz.

[Sk1Bum 10,599]

There are so many excellent recordings. You won't go wrong with anything mastered by Steve Hoffman of DCC & AFK. Alan Parsons, Thomas Dolby, Todd Rundgren, Quincy Jones and Mutt Lange were also phenomenal. Most anything with the MFSL label is very well done with a few exceptions.

 

Some of my favorites:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dadvw 2,852]

14 hours ago, Daddyjt said:

This has been hinted at and requested in other threads, so here we go. Please post your experiences with outstanding recordings - the actual music is not the focus of this thread, we are looking for well produced, mastered and recorded media, period.

 

I’ll start with a disc that is as close to perfectly recorded as I’ve found. The actual content is not necessarily my favorite, but it is impeccably recorded:

 

 

Without starting a word war here, what determines well produced, mastered, and recorded media? I asking to learn something here, not start a war of beliefs.......grin. Thank you!

[Sk1Bum 10,599]

22 minutes ago, Dadvw said:

Without starting a word war here, what determines well produced, mastered, and recorded media? I asking to learn something here, not start a war of beliefs.......grin. Thank you!

 

For me, it's one where I find no or few mistakes and a pleasing balance over the audio spectrum. It is very subjective. Mastering for a boombox or iTunes is vastly different than mastering for a home stereo, though that may be rectified with an EQ. I don't have an EQ, so that's conjecture on my part.

 

I hope that helps.

[BarryG 2,852]

I am quite fond of this recording!  I had the vinyl at Carverfest for the first time my vinyl copy was played!

 

the song ‘ keith don’t  go’. Is one of my reference tracks$

 

barryg

 

 

Edited November 25, 2018 by BarryG

[Daddyjt 9,023]

5 hours ago, Dadvw said:

Without starting a word war here, what determines well produced, mastered, and recorded media? I asking to learn something here, not start a war of beliefs.......grin. Thank you!

 

We all know what constitutes a poor recording - instruments not at equal volume relative to one another, no soundstage, no dynamic range, unacceptable noise levels, etc. 

 

with that in mind, for me at least, a stellar recording is one with as little noise as possible (given the era of the original), w i d e dynamic range, excellent soundstage (both depth and width), detail and of course accurate mixing.  Not to wax the transcendental, but when I hear it, I just know?

[PrISM 148]

Probably most recordings pre (What's the Story) Morning Glory?

[AndrewJohn 9,517]

7 hours ago, Daddyjt said:

 

We all know what constitutes a poor recording - instruments not at equal volume relative to one another, no soundstage, no dynamic range, unacceptable noise levels, etc. 

 

with that in mind, for me at least, a stellar recording is one with as little noise as possible (given the era of the original), w i d e dynamic range, excellent soundstage (both depth and width), detail and of course accurate mixing.  Not to wax the transcendental, but when I hear it, I just know?

 

Another way, that applies the "when I hear it, I just know" effect/observation is to compare recordings of which there are multiple versions. 

 

I can't think of any, and would probably have the list that only I can tell the difference..., but for example, there are German, UK and Japanese (and other)  mastering of the same music that to my ears sound vastly different than the original high-speed low-quality mass-produced US pressing.  When I compare the two one after the other, that's what can also give you a sense of, and tune your ear to what, one great recording is one over another. 

 

Going way off the deep-end, I have some dbx encoded LP's that blow the original away..., making them "great" in my view.

 

YMMV.

[Daddyjt 9,023]

4 minutes ago, AndrewJohn said:

 

Another way, that applies the "when I hear it, I just know" effect/observation is to compare recordings of which there are multiple versions. 

 

I can't think of any, and would probably have the list that only I can tell the difference..., but for example, there are German, UK and Japanese (and other)  mastering of the same music that to my ears sound vastly different than the original high-speed low-quality mass-produced US pressing.  When I compare the two one after the other, that's what can also give you a sense of, and tune your ear to what, one great recording is one over another. 

 

Going way off the deep-end, I have some dbx encoded LP's that blow the original away..., making them "great" in my view.

 

YMMV.

 

Great points Andrew, and share the ones where you think only you can hear the difference - those are the ones we want to hear about.!

[AndrewJohn 9,517]

20 minutes ago, Daddyjt said:

 

Great points Andrew, and share the ones where you think only you can hear the difference - those are the ones we want to hear about.!

 

It's old, and hard to find, but the dbx-encoded version of Cat Stevens' Tea for the Tillerman is one that stands out for me.  (must have a dbx vinyl decoder in your chain to pull it off).

 

[PhilDent 1,845]

I bought this Cat Stevens album, Tea for the Tillerman off of HDTracks in WAV 24/96.  I don't know how it stacks up against the vinyl dbx encoded version that AndrewJohn mentions above, but I was very impressed with its quality.  Below is what they say about the transfer.  You can decide for yourself if it has merit or if it is HDTracks marketing propaganda.  I know they have been caught in the past trying to pull off fast ones.

 

The groundbreaking, multi-platinum folk/rock masterpiece, Tea for the Tillerman remains one of singer/songwriter Cat Stevens’ finest works. The beautifully written and well-arranged album encompasses themes of spiritual fulfillment, delivering hit after hit. The album includes “Where Do the Children Play?,” “Sad Lisa,” “Father and Son” and the highly regarded single “Wild World.” Tea for the Tillerman established Stevens as a driving force in music history and this high resolution release offers the ideal way to experience this timeless classic.

We are so fortunate that Ted Jensen, who originally mastered Tea for the Tillerman, for compact disc, was available to do these hi res transfers. Ted was kind enough to share some information about the process:

“The tapes are in still excellent condition, the Dolby A encoded BASF tape used has held up very well compared with other formulations used in the mid 70’s and later. The tapes sound excellent. I’ve done no limiting or compression on these files at all. Playback was done on an Ampex ATR100, and the A/D converter was a prototype MSB unit that David Chesky was good enough to loan us.” - Ted Jensen, Sterling Sound

 

 

Reviews

The 192/24 download is ... the definitive version of this classic album. - The Absolute Sound, May/June 2012

[BarryG 2,852]

That is a fabulous album.  In my teens was a daily played album!  The new releases are very well mixed and sound great!  I also like the other two albums within the same period, Mona Bone Jakon, and Teaser and the Firecat!

 

im showing my age, the Majikat tour in 1976 was very good!  And a majority of songs from Tea for the Tillerman were played!

 

barry 

[dcl 3,254]

The "motto" of ECM, Edition Of Contemporary Music,  might be "the Most Beautiful Sound Next to Silence". Founded by Manfred Eicher, ECM is best known for jazz music, but the label has released a variety of recordings, and ECM often refuses to acknowledge boundaries between genres. The recordings have an ECM Sound: pristine, immediate, wind across a crystalline landscape, sound + silence. I like, in particular, Terje Rypdal ,  Return Of Per Ulv on If Mountains Could Sing. 

 

 

Edited November 28, 2018 by dcl
Insert pic

[GarciaFan 293]

This one is well engineered...  as near as my aged gear and ears can tell. 

+ 100 on "Brothers In Arms "

Edited November 27, 2018 by GarciaFan

[jeffs 3,153]

On 11/25/2018 at 6:15 PM, BarryG said:

the song ‘ keith don’t  go’. Is one of my reference tracks$

Thats a good song that I haven't listened to in many many years - thanks for bringing it up.

 

I'm currently setting up a low end system in my sons basement. Mostly for sports and gaming.  I always include Steely Dan's two against nature DVD as reference material. It's well produced in general.  The DTS track has a lot of surround content at higher than normal levels.  At times there is a high level of instrumental segregation - like the center chan might only have a drum. Not always to my liking but it's a good test of each speaker in a 5.1 setup, the stereo track is excellent as well. Higher listening levels never  make me fatigued. 

 

[AndrewJohn 9,517]

OK, I thought of another that for me, kicks butt and shows what Carver gear can do across the frequency spectrum.

 

Apocalyptica is a Finnish group started in 1993 doing covers of Metallica music by four classically trained cellists who could not make enough money in the symphony. 

 

This recording, one of its early disks, and that it is 4 cellos with a range across an one of the widest spectrums for a stringed instrument is powerful, soulful, and haunting. 

 

The band has since added a larger repertoire of music (both original and covers), vocals and percussion - but their early Metallica covers are a trip when  you play it loud through a TFM45, or M1.0tMKII and Carver Amazings. 

 

The bass frequencies jump off the drivers and hit with hard impact on your face.  The high frequency melodies give you the sense there are spirits or ghosts speaking to you right there in the room.

 

 

Edited November 29, 2018 by AndrewJohn

[Magnaryder 757]

I have found that my GRP recordings (CDs) are outstanding. 

 

ray

[4krow 5,926]

  Yes, so many greats out there. The one that hurt so good, was Patricia Barbers 45RPM recording of  'Verve'. DO NOT DIG the music too much, yet the realism will not likely be topped in my collection of late. It is so much more than just ambiance, yet, I can't explain the ethereal.

[Daddyjt 9,023]

Ok, so maybe not quite stellar, BUT… Considering how BAD most 80’s hair metal is recorded (if you’re even a passing fan of the genre, you know exactly what I mean), the “Rock Candy” remaster of Ratt’s Out Of the Cellar was a blast to listen to!  The worst thing about almost all hair-metal recordings is the drums - flat, no attack, and all the cymbals melt together in a sort of white noise hiss.  Not so with this remaster of Out Of the Cellar - tight snare and toms, punchy bass and the cymbals - just wow!  A bit of sibilance on the lead vocals, but all in all this album leaves me wondering why all hair metal can’t sound so good!  As for “Rock Candy” mixes, I’d never heard of them before - but I will certainly be seeking out more…

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HHIN9OW?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

 

 

 

[Kurt 2,306]

Sometimes a 're'-recording or remastering can be really good. 

 

Like many of us...I grew up in the '80's with a lot of that synthesizer laden music (which I still love...guilty pleasure).  One of my favorite bands was the The Fixx.  

 

This compilation recording was made in 2003.  They re-recorded several of the hit songs they had in the '80's.  It's a great quality recording.  And, the music is redone with less synthesizer emphasis... it sounds a lot more mature and nuanced.

 

I especially like the new versions of "Stand or Fall", and "Secret Separation".