Something I've noticed lately is the sound quality of some new releases is not that great. I recently purchased Fleet Foxes Crack-up and Punch Brothers Phosphorescent Blues, and I was very impressed by the generally murky sound quality of both of these recordings compared to earlier albums by these groups. Both are on the Nonesuch label owned by Warner Music. The vocal portions of these recordings sound fine as do some instrument sections, but I have the impression these pressings were mastered from MP3 or masters of comparable quality.
I just purchased Phosphorescent Blues as a 2496 FLAC download as well, and am curious to compare. I have a Sony HAP-Z1ES which is pretty decent sounding, enough so I would recommend it over getting into vinyl for those with high end aspirations and a budget that does not extend to doing vinyl right.
I just purchased Phosphorescent Blues as a 2496 FLAC download as well, and am curious to compare. I have a Sony HAP-Z1ES which is pretty decent sounding, enough so I would recommend it over getting into vinyl for those with high end aspirations and a budget that does not extend to doing vinyl right.
For those who might be interested, here is some analysis of over 100 plays of an LP.
mechanical resonance in MMs
That's post #1217, in case the link doesn't work. Also see some of my plots on the previous page. The wear just isn't all that bad. In some cases, like noise, there is actually improvement.
mechanical resonance in MMs
That's post #1217, in case the link doesn't work. Also see some of my plots on the previous page. The wear just isn't all that bad. In some cases, like noise, there is actually improvement.
An older article that speculated on the vinyl revival: Why is vinyl making a comeback? ‘Nostalgia’ doesn’t quite cut it - LA Times
Some good videos from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/vinyl/#68426166ebdd
Some good videos from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/vinyl/#68426166ebdd
Vinyls are definitely a fad in this part of the world. Specially for Bollywood vinyls. If I am right no Indian music company has kept original masters of bollywood music (100 year old industry). These days Bollywood Audio CDs are converted to vinyls and sold. Without touching the topic of which is better digital or analogue or why is there such a fad; Vinyls are definitely a hassle. Biggest is we don't listen to all songs on a vinyl. CDs are convenient in that regard. I have recorded cleaned vinyls in digital format with brand new cartridge. Clicks and pops do pop up in recordings.
Only thing that has kept me attached to the media is modern Audio CDs of indian songs/classical music are not good. And I have found some great western artists of 50s 60s 70s while searching for old vinyls. Nice way to explore good music. Another thing is working mechanics of turntable-tonearm-cartridge is an interesting topic.
Regards
Only thing that has kept me attached to the media is modern Audio CDs of indian songs/classical music are not good. And I have found some great western artists of 50s 60s 70s while searching for old vinyls. Nice way to explore good music. Another thing is working mechanics of turntable-tonearm-cartridge is an interesting topic.
Regards
I have a lot of music on vinyl that I don't have in a digital format. Why wouldn't I want to play it?
And that's what almost all my vinyl is. I've bought a lot of $1 and four for $1 LPs. I've found some very enjoyable music there.
What is the source of the terrible sonic balance in many Indian CD's? I do have a few jugalbandi that are quite nice.
I really wonder why you ever post on threads on vinyl given your well published views, but then why look abroad for people talking about things you have no interest in? Bogglesome.
What said record store owner meant to say is that record collector 101 means that a mind sleeve will always command a higher price if multiple copies are available. More than 50% of the value is in sleeve condition. So mint sleeve and VG+ record beats VG+ sleeve with mint record. Means more bargains for those of us who just want the music.
What surface noise? The most surface noise I hear these days comes from audio plugins in Digital Audio Workstations (DAW).
180 gm vinyl and half speed mastering were developed for the various LP 4-channel formats. Typically the rear channels were encoded at 30~45 KHz. Phono cartridges of a minimal reasonable HiFi quality can typically read to 50 KHz without much trouble.
Record wear is mostly a result of mistracking, which causes violent, uncontrolled oscillations in the groove walls by the stylus. Broadly speaking you should use the recommended tracking force but biased toward the high side to avoid mistracking. Most people tend to set the tracking force at the lighter end of the recommended range, in the "common sense" belief that it wears records less. The opposite is true.
As for record quality, it's variable and always has been. The plant and label control the quality, sometimes the original master tapes are not available, and modern recording is all done on DAWs before mastering for vinyl.
The more popular the record, the more likely the stampers are worn, for example. Or they may use "too much" recycled vinyl, which never softens like virgin vinyl does. And so on. You need to seek out quality pressings; they don't appear as if by magic and there are plenty of financial incentives to cut costs and resulting quality.
I did enjoy buying LPs in Canada back in the day, because the plants were here and the volume was never that high, so the stampers were usually low-count units. In some countries you would get record companies trying to get 400,000 pressings from a stamper before retiring it.
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From reading your posts, you mostly enjoy tinkering, very little mention of music.
From reading your posts, you mostly enjoy tinkering, very little mention of music.
You must have missed something?
Not sure but I guess in jugalbandi both artists or instruments should get equal weightage. In solo performance for example like vocal; The tampura and tabla accompanying gets less weightage. If sonic balance by that is what you mean.
Also may be at time when Audio CDs came about it took little time to professionaly record/master cds. The recording method/equipments must have been varying in quality too. So problems at the source can not be ruled out.
As I only pursue vinyls of indian classical master's performances given in their prime, I have little knowledge of Digital recordings and lables. One thing I am sure is in earlier days the source was given to CD makers in England. Those 'Made in England' CDs (Mostly Indian Film Music) were known for quality. Classical titles however were very few.
By the way seeking good recorded Audio CDs should be worth the effort too.. As I am seeing Classical Audio CDs are also not easily available. Recently iconic Mumbai Music store was closed due to lack of sales.
Rhythm House
Regards
I was thinking more of the quality of many CD's of Indian film music I have heard. The vocals seem poorly mixed almost like there is some formula for the final sound that everyone expects.
I've been to Mumbai and Lonavala a very eye opening trip.
I downloaded the latest Punch Brothers album (The Phosphorescent Blues) on 2496 flac the other night after commenting about the sound quality, and am delighted to report that all of the deficits I hear in the vinyl version of that album are completely PRESENT (!!) in the 2496 high res digital version of the album.
I took it a step further and listened through a pair of OPPO-3 planar headphones driven by my HiFiMan HM-901, not tooting my horn here, but while not the top end of personal playback technology it is rather good. What I heard was one of the worst examples of high quality studio multi-track recording I have ever heard.
Subjective description follows: Clean, quiet, and completely free of extraneous pops or clicks, hiss, etc., but no sense of real music being performed in real space. It sounds all like direct feed from the instruments, and the vocals are dry as if recorded in an extremely dead room. There is no ambience at all in this recording. There is a bass instrument present that I cannot identify and it doesn't sound good either, it just adds some rather muddy sounding bottom end to underpin the rest of the performance. It's actually not that pleasant to listen to at times.
It has some good material, but sounds like no revolution and little evolution has occurred since their previous album.
I have another recording by Fleet Foxes on this label and a previous album by them as well, and while I cannot do a direct comparison based on the vinyl I would make the some observations about unnatural sound quality.
I had to be honest been worrying that my strain gauge set up was somehow turning a "great" recording into an unnatural and mechanical rendition of the original intent, but in fact it appears it presented it quite accurately and not much more kindly than the flac file.
I took it a step further and listened through a pair of OPPO-3 planar headphones driven by my HiFiMan HM-901, not tooting my horn here, but while not the top end of personal playback technology it is rather good. What I heard was one of the worst examples of high quality studio multi-track recording I have ever heard.
Subjective description follows: Clean, quiet, and completely free of extraneous pops or clicks, hiss, etc., but no sense of real music being performed in real space. It sounds all like direct feed from the instruments, and the vocals are dry as if recorded in an extremely dead room. There is no ambience at all in this recording. There is a bass instrument present that I cannot identify and it doesn't sound good either, it just adds some rather muddy sounding bottom end to underpin the rest of the performance. It's actually not that pleasant to listen to at times.
It has some good material, but sounds like no revolution and little evolution has occurred since their previous album.
I have another recording by Fleet Foxes on this label and a previous album by them as well, and while I cannot do a direct comparison based on the vinyl I would make the some observations about unnatural sound quality.
I had to be honest been worrying that my strain gauge set up was somehow turning a "great" recording into an unnatural and mechanical rendition of the original intent, but in fact it appears it presented it quite accurately and not much more kindly than the flac file.
If my stubby fingers hit the right buttons then a 4 x 7 elliptical exerts approx. 1,900 PSI.
EDIT: Wait, Let me check that again. I might have stubbed my fingers.
EDIT2: Changed my mind. I believe it's approx. 120 PSI
That is a very good observation. But honestly I don't know. My guess would be lack of skill, lack of proper equipments or budget of production houses.
Regards.
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