[vinyl anachronist]

On Aug 16, 12:07�pm, ScottW2 wrote:
On Aug 16, 12:05�pm, vinyl anachronist
wrote:





On Aug 16, 11:52 am, ScottW2 wrote:

On Aug 16, 11:25 am, vinyl anachronist
wrote:

On Aug 16, 11:12 am, ScottW2 wrote:

On Aug 16, 9:05 am, vinyl anachronist
wrote:

On Aug 16, 12:32 am, Bret L wrote:

I went over to a local audiophile's house to do some listening today.
He has a full tape lab setup with numerous open reel machines as well
as excellent turntables and we wound up listening to several
iterations, LP and tape, of a classic album by one of the really huge
pop singers of the 20th century. I'm not saying who because the family
have nothing better to do than **** with hobbyists with bootleg
material. he's got a connection with some people who have full access
to certain vaults, and as a result, got current and fresh "safety
copies" of the final mixdown tapes and also some individual tracks to
a couple of the classic albums you probably have if you're a serious
audiophile. These are one gen off the 50s and early 60s actual tapes
on current Quantegy stock on a correctly set up machine.

Out of the same vault, he's got similar tapes from a couple of 60s
and 70s rock bands that are equally monster. Again, I'm sworn to
secrecy as to what exactly. These are significant because one is also
available as a tape through "The Tape Project", in 1/4" rather than
1/2".

The listening reinforced the following conclusions I have made before
but not so explicitly:

1) NO vinyl compares to real tape, by which I mean, 1/2" or 1" on a
15 or 30 ips pro transport.

2.) The difference between 1/2" and 1/4" on the same machine with a
different headstack, is significant, yet the 1/4' still beats vinyl.

3.) Don't **** good money away on consumer tape machines. In fact,
don't even mess with prosumer machines. The Revox B77 is about as good
as they get and there is no comparison with it and an AG440. And you
can get an AG440 for under four figures if you look around.

4. If you are not a DIY mentality person, tape is not for you.. Stick
with SACD/DVD-A/CD. You have to be mechanically and electronically
somewhat capable to play in this sandbox.

5. The best available commercial recordings of some very famous
artists are not up to what's in the vaults. It's pathetic.

6. The high end ****s love to howl about "It's all about the
muuuuuuuuusic." What's interesting in listening to these tapes-not so
much the masters but the running tracks-is that it's the before and
after banter and the clams that really make the hair on the back of
your neck stand up. Or the sounds of stuff being moved, little
practice vamps, etc. Knowing that this stuff is most of a lifetime old
and the number of people who have heard it is in the two digits, if
that, is what really gets your notice.

Good post. I've spent some time listening to master tapes at RTI over
the last few years, and it's really an ear-opening experience. But I
was also surprised listening to playback right off the cutting lathe
with a fairly modest Shure pickup.

Why would someone damage a newly cut lacquer by playing it?

It was a demonstration.

So what were they trying to demonstrate beyond that a modest Shure
cart can sound "ear-opening" on a decent master/pressing.

They demonstrated the entire LP mastering process. It's funny...when
you're good to people and develop friendships, you get invited to a
lot of cool events. When you don't, you spend all your time reading
right-wing blogs until you hate the world and everything in it.

� Another leap off the cliff by the self-reliant mind.

Another meaningless statement from a man who needs his opinions spoon-
fed to him from strangers on the Internet.