Analogue versus Digital Masters
When you are buying second hand records, remember to check the origin and catalogue number of the record. The most valuable records are the first pressings from the country of origin. Otherwise, German and Japanese albums tend to be better than those from other countries. Contemporaneous copies of UK bands from the record company’s Greek or Spanish subsidiaries are worth significantly less than the UK version. Big seller records from the 70s and 80s from the USA are likely junk pressed on thin “non virgin” (i.e. recycled so that the record contains old labels) vinyl. I know because I have the all time worst ever pressing of “Rumours” by Fleetwood Mac (NM in NM sleeve that sounds like your are hearing it from an AM radio station, with a broken turntable, in the snow). Remember, the first pressings came from the first acetates taken from the vinyl master tape (these, incidentally are copies of the master master tapes that have been re EQ’ed for vinyl). International versions come from second generation tapes. As more and more records are pressed the stampers become worn down, the grooves thinner and eventually, from 25th generations tape copies, worn out stampers and tired employees – they press up my copy of “Rumours.”
It is important to remember that this “beautiful” record derived from an all analogue production process sometime in the late 1970s. I probably bought it on a whim, mid 1980s, probably new – at a “special price”. I my local record shop, right now, I can buy a BRAND NEW digitally remastered copy of Rumours (the 200 anniversary edition or some such), on 180g virgin vinyl with way nicer artwork than my (NM) version. I know that if I buy the record, and play it, the sound will be astonishingly good from a silent flawless disc. But vinylphiles would shriek in horror at the thoughts of this record (aside from the total and utter uncoolness of AOR era ‘Mac) – analogue vinyl sourced from digital (likely 24bit 192khz) files (not stated incidentally on the cover, but we all know – don’t we – this isn’t an mobile fidelity release). Heresy!
Nearly all new records these days are mastered from digital files – mostly from high resolution files – we hope – but probably a fair few from CDs. I am really struggling with this. For example – Heavenly Sweetness, a French label, is reissuing Blue Note records that have been, for years, extremely hard to get. If you could obtain one of them – having sold your car, it was probably G+ because jazz fans actually play their records. If analogue productions or Music Matters released the record it would cost you $50. Heavenly Sweetness are going to the Capitol Vaults, taking out the original masters (presumably the vinyl masters), making high resolution digital copies (first generation), doing a little remastering, making lacquers and pressing the records in 180g virgin vinyl in perfect reproduction sleeves for 20 euro. They sound wonderful. Why the struggle? Does digital, in some way, contaminate the analogue sound chain? I have never noticed – most records that I have sound better than their CD (or hi res download) counterparts. In general, although I don’t understand why, “digital” chain records cost substantially less than all analogue albums. I have no doubt that $50 45RPM Blue Note reissues sound better than the $10 in my collection – although I am not sure that the difference is worth the price for a whole collection of them (a friend of mine has the whole collection of Music Matters Blue Note 45rpm reissues and has NEVER owned a record player – bastard!).
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