You might also check to see if the record has been reviewed by Michael Fremer on Analogue Planet. He is very thorough about finding out what the source for the LP was.
While it is true that alot of contemporary vinyl records are sourced digitally, this is due to two factors more often than not. The first of course being that digital production and recording has been at a point for awhile now where everybody is more likely to be utilizing it; it would be silly for many to do otherwise, though there are plenty that record analog of course with both being valid in the right hands. The second is that, labels and artists are extremely protective of their original master tapes as they should be; due to them being extremely delicate and damageable. So much so that most labels refuse under any circumstance to ship those tapes over seas, thus requiring the use of a high resolution digital transfer file from those master tapes if it is being remastered in another country. Also important to note that while it is always preferable, "From original master tapes" likely means it was pressed using a digital master made from those tapes which is still excellent in the right hands. All this to say, being "mastered for vinyl" is always a preferable to it just being a weak file slapped onto wax which is a waste of the medium. Finally, I feel as though most of the worry regarding digital sourcing is likely coming from if it were a CD source; which sucks and again is a waste of everybody's time and a cheap cash in at that point. Nay, all I am saying is that WHEN done right with high quality files and engineers whom know what they are doing it can be made to sound just as excellent (albeit different) in the vinyl format. All that to say, digital is not strictly bad and is often misunderstood by general consumers. And "Analog" sourced, does not mean analog signal path and production, as very few cases are strictly analog through every step up until the pressing; The Frank Zappa reissue series comes to mind, and of course the good boys over at Mobile Fidelity as you mentioned. Hope this made sense, but as always you're mostly on the money or entirely so. This is a community, and I thought it lame if I didn't add my two sense. Glad to have you leading the charge in honest awareness for this format though Matt!
Yeah this is spot on.. I often think it would be great to have a sort of provenance for vinyl. Except instead of a list of owners, a list of sources and methods leading from original recording to the pressing plant.
@@colebrown8293 it is actually exhausting reading something so knuckle dragging 😫 It’s also hard to know how to respond to someone who can barely construct a comprehensible sentence - how to respond to a raving moron who speaks only in gibberish 🤔
DR database, never knew about it but love it now! Might be able to find a copy of M83 Hurry up we're dreaming that I can actually turn the volume up on! I keep dreaming
Great tips! I made the error in getting 'No Need to Argue' by the Cranberries off of Amazon and it sounded like shit. Wasn't happy at all with the pressing and since then, I've become way more careful.
I've used the DR database to get original CD pressings which sound better than the Loudness War remasters that are out now. Those original CD's are getting harder and harder to find. You can also tell if the record is going to be better/same/worse than the different CD releases...
On discogs, don't forget to check who did the mastering. People like Kevin Gray, Bernie Grundman & Chris Bellman, Bob ludwig... do usually the best mastering from analogue tapes.
I have a pretty interesting copy of News Of The World by Queen! It was originally my dads copie and he didn’t take care of his records and he said he played that record a lot! there is a very big visible scratch on it but it doesn’t do a thing and it sounds amazing
ive used all 3 methods before. One of the other methods I use, is just to avoid certain labels or re-press labels altogether. Like simply vinyl, wax time, 4 men with beards, plain records.
Pressing plant are also important.Gz vinyl pressing plant in czech republic is most of the time bad, MPO in french is average, Pallas in Germany is pretty good
Maybe you could answer this question maybe it can't but my question is though when Psycho Circus was released on 1998 on CD then kiss reissued it in 2014 but why was it released in 2014 then it disappeared I was able to find a copy of it at a record store in Chicago it's in great shape but my question is though why was it so hard to find on vinyl
Nice info, thanks. Will definitely check these sites out. It’s very frustrating buying new represses when you have no idea what source they are using. There are a bunch coming from the UK and Europe that, I guess, are in the public domain that have been reissued and sound terrible. They go by the name Dolchess, DOL, Vinylogy etc. Most say 140 gram HQ Virgin Vinyl. I purchased the first Howlin’ Wolf LP on their imprint. Felt totally ripped off. Thanks again for the info
I always found that 70's & 80's Japanese vinyl was the best sounding. The packaging was also more extensive then 🇺🇸 or 🇬🇧 pressings , particularly 🇺🇸 !
David Ellis weirdly, Asians or Chinese I know look up to British or American pressings and find Japanese ones colored to a Japanese taste. By the way, it is easier and much cheaper in China to get hold of Japanese pressings than in the US. Maybe that plays a part in the opinion.
I have heard arguments about Japanese pressings having tailored EQ for that market (historically you would expect enhanced high frequencies with bright, tiring results) but it's not something I have noticed on the (limited) number that I own. Of the handful of jazz and soul pressings I have from Japan, all of them are great - and a couple are just phenomenal, better than any other format/release I have heard. I am strongly against importing vinyl to digital files (it's just stupid) so I haven't done any frequency or spectral analysis. I would be interested in seeing it. I think legendary Japanese quality control and higher standards on the vinyl used are likely big factors in all of this and why they sound so good. why on earth would the Japanese market keep pressing something the public didn't want? Without seeing evidence of clearly altered EQ or similar I would be inclined to think it is just an example of collectors wanting what they can't have. Either that or its apocryphal horseshit. As a side note, I was largely ignorant about the whole kerfuffle around Japanese pressings until I bought a rare Pink Floyd for my in-laws. I was quite surprised when I realised I had several Japanese pressings and had already decided they were outrageously good. Rant over :)
You want an analog record if its digitally mastered there's no point that said digital music has basically eliminated stair stepping in higher quality formats these days.
I have a KR 9600 Kenwood. Receiver. U-12 Cerwin Vega HED speakers. Fluance RT83 I want my first vinyl two sound awesome. I like Blues. Joe BONAMASSA Beth Hart Need some help please.
Great idea for a video. As you've hinted, labels usually provide either little/no information as to the source materials and/or process used to create the record and there's a reason why they're not particularly forthcoming with the information! Music has been recorded and mixed digitally for over 30 years so virtually everything from the late 80s/90s onwards will come from digital source materials. Unfortunately, the vast majority of reissues of records from the 'analogue era' are also from digital source materials. If they are truly all analogue, the label (eg MOFI, Analogue Productions) will proclaim it loud and proud on the cover/hype sticker with something like 'All analogue from the original master tapes, mastered by xxxxx' and it will be priced accordingly. Admittedly, a record doesn't have to be all-analogue to sound good but equally, just because a hype sticker says "From the original master tapes" doesn't guarantee that the record will sound great for a whole host of reasons. With reference to the Dynamic Range Database: it is indeed a great resource but it needs to be pointed out that it (and the software used to generate the data contained in it) was designed for digital sources. It has been demonstrated that the DR Database is NOT a reliable metric of dynamic range on records. Do some reading around and you'll see what I'm talking about.
Too Many Records thanks! I’ve never purchased from them before. I’m interested in their The Sword Age of Winters and Method Man Tical. I honestly love the colored variants but I wanted to see if anyone has heard the quality before. I tried to search those albums variants on the Database and Discogs but couldn’t find them
@@SherlockChromesSFY VMP releases are definitely listed on Discogs, and often have quite active commenting too. Their mastering sources are a mixed bag but usually as good as they can access, and you can usually find the sources in their magazine or within the subreddit. The pressings I have heard are pretty good and I understand many are outstanding. There are a few regular mastering engineers that you will see pop up I think, and I think a few regular plants. There are also some little bonuses occasionally, like the original samples being licensed for Ready To Die.
Nothing needs to be wrong with digital sources (especially as tapes more and more go to shit), so long as engineer has made them properly... You will see this is the method used for half speed masters by Miles Showell at Abbey Road.. On the other hand, if the digital source is a CD, well you are in for a rough ride :/
