Holy Heck! I picked up a bunch of old LPs today at my local used record
store (10 recordings @ total cost of $54.) One of the recordings is the
classic 1957 recording of Mikado on London. I was stunned at what I
heard from this recording. This is the best representation of vocal and
instrumental timbres that I've ever heard on LP or CD. If you can find
it, I highly recommend it.

In article
,
Jenn wrote:

Holy Heck! I picked up a bunch of old LPs today at my local used record
store (10 recordings @ total cost of $54.) One of the recordings is the
classic 1957 recording of Mikado on London. I was stunned at what I
heard from this recording. This is the best representation of vocal and
instrumental timbres that I've ever heard on LP or CD. If you can find
it, I highly recommend it.

Another reason to keep the turntable turning...

Possibly available on cd:

http://www.cris.com/~oakapple/gasdisc/mik1957.htm

Stephen

In article ,
MINe 109 wrote:

In article
,
Jenn wrote:

Holy Heck! I picked up a bunch of old LPs today at my local used record
store (10 recordings @ total cost of $54.) One of the recordings is the
classic 1957 recording of Mikado on London. I was stunned at what I
heard from this recording. This is the best representation of vocal and
instrumental timbres that I've ever heard on LP or CD. If you can find
it, I highly recommend it.

Another reason to keep the turntable turning...

Possibly available on cd:

http://www.cris.com/~oakapple/gasdisc/mik1957.htm

Stephen

No, no CD, sad to say. I wish that it were so that more people could
hear this performance. (By the way, Mark's (Oakapple) G&S site is the
best there is!)

Though I'm unfamiliar with this very disc, it's absolutely true that
many, many old albums recorded, mastered and pressed before recordists
had the tools to screw up the sound are among the best recordings, on
any medium, one can find for truth in recording. Additionally,
technical and behavioral standards were far higher for performers in
all genres back then.

When remastered for digital, few mastering houses have the moxie to
duplicate the work of these savants from another time-in practice
nearly always they cannot control the urge to tweak. Therefore, the
marits of digital in theory are irrelevant, because in practice what
they are given in dynamic range they take away with Pro Tools and other
dangerous weapons.

Albums recorded, mastered and pressed (mostly) between 1955 and 1972
and not destroyed by the generally **** poor setups almost all consumos
possessed are a truly irreplaceable resource.

In general, even the best remasterers with the latest highbit ADCs and
playback equipment mastering for SACD or DVD-A seem to never _quite_
duplicate the excellence of the best vintage LPs. Although even CDs
mastered under ideal conditions today are a damn sight better than the
total abortions that 85% of CD reissues were ten years ago, even.

Therefore, not having a turntable and good RIAA stage may suit many
people just fine, but if you love music recorded 25 or more years ago,
it's an imposition not to have a good one. OTOH if you are only
interested in modern recordings, a good universal player or CD
transport and good outboard DAC (which needn't be expensive) is enough.