Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #64)

I have quite a few reocrdings by Kozena but not this one ...

 

Now playing SACD1 from the following twofer for a second listen ...

 

I remember seeing and listening to these, as well as those Firestone Christmas LPs as a kid, at my grandparent's house every year. Now that I think about it, it is probably my first memory of any kind of orchestral music. Found this LP a while ago at a thrift, along with Volume 2…thought I would post because when I opened it to clean it and listen to it tonight, a small envelope fell out. It had ordering information for the previous 3 albums (the series started in 1961), which you could get for $1 each. Don't forget to put the $.05 stamp on the front, or miss the deadline, December 15, 1964. I love discovering timeless artifacts such as this. Merry Christmas to all on the forum!

 

This was recently posted on youtube, so I wanted to share it here. A excellent performance and sadly, not released on CD.

 

Haven't heard this in a number of years. Still sounds great!

 

Merry Christmas, everybody!

The bedlam now has died down at Chez drh, and in a minute I'll be starting work on our breakfast (you don't think the small one in the family would brook delay for that when presents are in the offing, do you?). Musically, I stuck with tradition brought down through my family:



Robert Shaw's original Christmas album, still for my money the best compilation of the "standards" out there. The photo is actually of the 45 RPM edition, which is what we had when I was growing up; my copy is the 78 set from which the 45s were taken, played back by very modern way of copies to my computer.

 

Merry Christmas, drh!

Do you convert to 16 bit or 24 bit files when transferring your 78s?

 

Thanks, George! I'll confess that I'm still behind the times, even when I'm doing digital: CD redbook standard, 16 bit 44.1 KHz. My USB audio interface, a good one when I bought it but now rather long in the tooth, will go up to 48 KHz, but I don't see much point when the bid depth remains limited to 16--more a nuisance than an improvement, since I'd need to downconvert on those occasions when I want or need to make a CD. (As it is, I still have one extra step, since I store everything in Monkey's Audio .ape lossless.) I've actually been thinking about getting a new one that would go up to 24 bit and 90-whatever or better KHz, but as yet I've gotten neither my act nor the $$$ together. Probably should toll the ancient Yuletide carol, or the hardware forum as the case may be, to get some suggestions/recommendations, although the focus usually seems to be on DACs for downloads, and I need an ADC/DAC combination for recording and playback.

I hope the stout, bearded gentleman in the scarlet suit was good to you!

 

Merry Chirstmas! I will go for the 24 bit, as 32 bit can quickly fill up my 2 TB HD on my desktop ...

 

Now that the Christmas cooking is 2/3 done, playing Part I of Handel Messiah by AAM and Christopher Hogwood ...

 

It would be easy and cheap—get a handheld digital recorder. I now use 24/44.1 for all needledrops, there's not enough on the top of older records to worry, if it's new enough you can always find a CD. And recording/processing at 24 bits results in a better sounding dub than if recording and processing is in 16.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...e=&network=g&gclid=COvSksHG4cICFciEfgod3TwATA

 

Somewhere between Folk and Early Music, and a great Christmas Song:

 

I have the latest version of Audacity installed on my Windows 8.1 desktop and have the Parasound zPhono phono preamp with USB input to do the needledrops. I will stick with 24 bit since no LP's IMO merit higher bit rate, though open-reels are exceptions ...

 

Nope, like the geezer from "Nick Danger, Third Eye" sez, "Ya can't get there from here." But that's a technical answer. A Merry Christmas to you.

 

Playing this recording that was ripped at 192 KBPS through Windows Media Player v12 is about as hi-res as it can get within the Windows environment. The Logitech 2.1 satellites/sub hold their own quite well. I just need to decide what power amp to get for my study - tube, SS or hybrid, add an outboard DAC and I can start playing the music server through my stereo system ...

 

Merry Christmas.

My sole criterion in the early days of digital music, i.e. CD was to buy works that I did not already have in my LP collection. Obviously, that criterion became outdated in the last ten years. However, I do have a number of LP's I really enjoy but are OOP in the CD format and I just refuse to go for downloads. These are superb candidates for digitization, along with a nice collection of pre-recorded classical open-reels ...

 

Interesting idea--I actually have one already (Tascam, I think). I'll need to check whether line level audio can feed directly into it; I've used only the built-in microphones. Of course, if I start recording in 24 bit, I'll need to get new editing software; Cool Edit 96 won't handle more than 16. "It all makes work for the working man to do...."

 

Now:



Happy Holidays to everyone

 

Handel and Bach Violin Sonatas by Grumiaux from the following box - very soothing music for this joyous occasion ...

 

What's your model # for the Tascam? You can use Audacity as editing software BTW. While the Windows version of Audacity doesn't record in 24 bits, your Tascam most likely will and both Windows and Apple versions of Audacity will import 24 bit files. And Audacity is freeware.

 

Is the limitation only with the earlier versions of Windows such as XP and Vista? I have yet to connect or use my Parasound zPhono but it is supposed to use Audacity for needledrops.

 

I think Hogwood was really creative to have featured double sopranos in this recording and the subsequent DVD recorded in Westminster Abbey. I have never had any problems with the all boy choir ...

 

Sorry, don't know.

 

It's a model DR-07MKII. Jacks are mini USB, headphones/line out, and mic/ext in. I assume the last would be capable of taking the line input. I've tried Audacity and hated it; found it really cumbersome, and I never did manage to figure out how to cut and paste segments of recordings, something that's totally intuitive in Cool Edit. Probably a matter of learning curve, but still. I recently downloaded another free package, Wavosaur, but haven't had a chance to try it out yet...