Interest Check: 45 RPM Audiophile Vinyl Tour

[jsaliga]

Guys,

I would like to give those who might be interested a chance to spin a high quality 45 RPM 180g LP.  It will be a jazz title, most likely a Blue Note reissue from Analogue Productions or Music Matters.  These titles were cut by Kevin Gray and remastered by Steve Hoffman.

This would work on the honor system.  Let's say 6 people are interested.  I would send the record to the first member on the list.  That member listens to the record once (no more than twice please), enjoys it for what it is, and then mails the record to the next person on the list, and so on.  After the last member on the list has had their turn, they will send the record back to me and I will raffle it away.

I am doing this because it has been kindly pointed out to me that a lot of members here have not experienced these 45s and don't know where I am coming from when I talk about them.

So I want to give anyone here on AN who would like to take one of these 45s for a spin the opportunity to do so.  Hopefully there will not be so much interest that you guys wear out my record before it gets back to me.

--Jerome

[tmazz]

Hey Jerome that's a great offer. But since record wear is a concern here is an idea that might be a good way to have a large amount of people experience the 45 LP with a minimal of wear on it. Rather than making it a tour of individual users maybe it would be more productive toi have it tour the local clubs. Having it tour  some of the club G2Gs like the AudioSyndrome, the NY Audio Rave or Rich's RTP group would expose it to a large bunch of folks with a single play.

Just a thought.

[jsaliga]

That's a great idea.

I would, however, prefer to give people the chance to spin the record on their own system.  The list of people who are interested may be quite small.  Perhaps even zero.  I'm not too concerned about the affect of 10 to 20 plays.  If we are looking at  a lot more than that then I think what you are suggesting is a great alternative.

--Jerome

[etcarroll]

Jerome -

A great idea, and of course I'd like to take part.

And you're right, I'd like to hear them on my own system.

But I have to echo Tom's concern regarding 'wear and tear' of the albums in transit.

Gene

[jsaliga]

I hear ya Gene.  The record would be something that I would donate to the cause and simply write off.  Even if you guys wore it out would it would not find its way back into my LP library.  So far the only people who have responded are you and Tom, and both of you have experienced 45 RPM vinyl so you have some idea of what this is all about.

I was mainly interested in reaching people who have not seen fit to try a 45LP but are curious and would welcome the chance. 

Let's give it a little time and see if anyone is really interested.  I could be just spinning my wheels with this.

--Jerome

[richidoo]

I'm not much of an audiophile when it comes to vinyl, for me vinyl is just about the melody, beat and lyrics and the phat compressed liquid smooth sound. But I have a nice TT now and I am interested in seeing what it's capable of, so I'll try it if you go forward, thanks Jerome. If you can get it down here by 11/12 then I can play it for the dozen guys at my meet.

I personally think Blue Note recordings are relatively poor compared to most other jazz recordings of the period, but I'm curious how much improvement Hoffman's mastering and use of modern high end equipment makes compared to Rudy's original. And also wondering how quality pressing differs from the dirty 80s Jap reissues that I use. I wouldn't buy it for myself, but I welcome the chance to try it. Thanks,
Rich

[rollo]

  We own several 45 reissues and all I can say is WOW!! or is that WOWIE. Either way Rich gotta give these babies a go.
  Great idea Jerome.


charles
SMA
 

[jsaliga]

I personally think Blue Note recordings are relatively poor compared to most other jazz recordings of the period, but I'm curious how much improvement Hoffman's mastering and use of modern high end equipment makes compared to Rudy's original.

If you're expecting the reissues to be an improvement over the original Blue Notes in terms of sonics then you are likely to be disappointed.  

I'm a little surprised to see that that you think the Blue Notes have poor sound relative to releases on other labels of the period, since Rudy Van Gelder left his fingerprints all over a lot of jazz for a great many labels during a 12 year period beginning in the mid 1950s: including Prestige, Verve, Riverside, Savoy, Jazzland, Impulse!, and Blue Note.  About the only labels that Van Gelder did not record and master for in that period were Columbia and Atlantic.

On the other hand, I know that Van Gelder is not without his critics.  Charles Mingus didn't care for him at all and refused to use him in recording sessions, for example.  Some have complained that Van Gelder butchered the sound of certain instruments, such as piano.

I suppose the records and sound agree with me and I think they sound just fine.  I don't have a lot of original Blue Note deep groove pressings, but I have some.  I think that the 45RPM reissues do justice to the original recorded sound on the master tapes.  They are comparable to the original Blue Notes in the few cases where I have both.  Barring pressing defects courtesy of RTI, the reissues are noise free.

--Jerome

[Triode Pete]

I'm interested! Thanks!

[richidoo]

Fortunately the music more than made up for any SQ issues. Eventually you just get used to RVG sound if you listen to enough of it. In the later years that are the most popular titles with the audiophile listeners the SQ had improved. Thanks Jerome.

[BobM]

I think a real comparison of 45RPM vs 33RPM would be the real ticket here. I know that means 2 albums distributed for review and that may not be possible. I have no doubts that a 45RPM will sound glorious, but my real question is how much better than a decent 180-200g 33RPM of the same recording, and preferably the same mastering?

[StereoNut]

I think a real comparison of 45RPM vs 33RPM would be the real ticket here. I know that means 2 albums distributed for review and that may not be possible. I have no doubts that a 45RPM will sound glorious, but my real question is how much better than a decent 180-200g 33RPM of the same recording, and preferably the same mastering?

To Bob: +1

To Jerome: First off, I think that you initiating this Vinyl Tour is really great! Secondly, considering a few of my fellow Audio Syndrome members here locally have also asked to be included, please add me to the list.

Thanks!
SN

[jsaliga]

Bob, you make an interesting point.  

There is no way that I will let an original vintage Blue Note deep groove pressing out of my house.  As for the 200g-180g thing...that sort of comparison might be difficult to line up and I would not be willing to subsidize it.  The Classic Records 200g titles are pretty much irreplaceable since Analogue Productions bought them out and very few of them remain in existing stocks.  

Here's the problem...Classic Records reissued a lot of Blue Note titles on 200g vinyl and most of those are in mono.  The Analog Productions and Music Matters 45RPM Blue Note reissue series are, with a few exceptions, in stereo.  It would be an apples to oranges comparison at best.

If it matters to anyone, I don't buy these things because I think they have the best sound.  I buy them because there is NO lower cost alternative.  Original Blue Note deep groove pressings are stratospherically priced, and it is fairly commonplace to see near-mint records commanding prices of $300 or more.  I also own a lot of Classic Record BN mono pressings on 200g vinyl.  Much has been made of the superiority of the mono pressings over the stereo pressings.  Some of that is based on comments made by Rudy Van Gelder in a number of interviews about how he recorded and mastered for Alfred Lion.  I find the differences in SQ to be so small that it really doesn't matter to me personally whether or not I have a particular title in mono or stereo.  What matters more to me is that I have a record that plays cleanly with minimal noise, no pressing defects, and offers excellent sound.  It really is getting more and more difficult to find deep groove BN pressings that satisfy those requirements and at the same time don't cost a small fortune.

--Jerome

[BobM]

I hear you Jerome. I will also reiterate what everyone else is saying - you da man!  /

Maybe if you and Tom can work out which album is to be "on tour" Tom may have a 33RPM version of it in his vast archive. We could do the shootout that way to hear the difference. I would be happy to volunteer my place for that shootout if you want Tom.

Bob

[_Scotty_]

I picked up a near mint pressing of Wayne Shorter's "Speak No Evil" and it sounds very good. It is one of the best sounding records I have. I don't believe it is a re-issue but I wouldn't know how to tell one way or another. From and absolute standpoint it will give the few 45rpm pressings I have a run for the money.
Scotty