Gotcha. There are some pretty noisy versions out there, that may be why. Beyond those it seems to have aged very well.
In my experience with the 30th (which I posted many times), I believe it's a difficult record to track with low to moderate end cartridges. I'll find out next week if I am wrong, I just bought a AT440mlb, so hopefully that helps.
I've got a 150MLX and I've read it's a great tracker so no surprises but it breezes through with no issues. Best of luck with the 440, guessing you'll be fine
It's crossed my mind in the last day which tells me I need to walk away from this album for a while, but to find an A2/B2 copy, without noise.....for one is a gamble and secondly most noiseless A2/B2 copies are over $600. There is a 1st pressing in mint condition with the promotional book, for sale on discogs love the price https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/4912326?ev=rb
The A3/B3 is the best version I have but 30th is very close. The new Grundman is also excellent if a different presentation. All 3 have their strengths. All the Grundman PF cuts improve on revealing detail but in the case of DSOTM and Animals especially, the early UK vinyl sound is more cohesive and analogue.
I really like the Grundman DSOTM, I haven't heard the Sax 2011. One of my friends has a Wally US cut which sounds really nice too, which I wouldn't mind looking for too.
The Sax 2011 isn't worthy of comparison to the 3 I mentioned IMO. That and 2011 The Wall are on my to sell list.
I like the term "early" or "earlier" rather than "original" which might be confused with a 1st pressing.
I bought a dsotm pro-use tonight....I'll have it in a week or so....a friend told me it won't be what I expect unless I have an equalizer in my system because it was mastered flat so that the radio stations could eq it to their needs.....does anyone second this opinion? Does anyone play it with no eq and think it's excellent untouched?
Going from memory, but this was my favorite of several https://www.discogs.com/Pink-Floyd-The-Dark-Side-Of-The-Moon/release/370444
I have the Japanese EMI pro use and it sounds great without any EQ. I also have the new BG vinyl from 2016 which also sounds great, they're different but the Pro Use doesn't sound like it would require any EQ. I like them both and it's a toss up which one I listen to. I've heard the 2011 vinyl a few times and that sounds much worse than these two, harsh and congested in comparison. Other than most of the digital reissues, I haven't heard the other vinyl pressings in recent history (UK, 30th, etc). -- Gordie
My 30th sounds fantastic with the AT440mlb cartridge, before that I had nothing but issues. I don't think there really is a "bad" pressing of Dark Side, they all sound different to each other. I would like to hear the Pro Use, and the 2011.
So...my first play of 2017 is the pro use dsotm that I received on Wednesday....I have the UK quad, the mfsl (not uhqr), a German press and several u.s. copies.... It is not even close...the pro use is like hearing this album all over again for the first time.....many say a UK 1st bests the pro use....I have never heard a UK 1st blue solid triangle but it must be pretty special if it's better than this....the separation of instruments is extremely noticeable....I'm hearing sounds that I never heard before on this album...even the bells before time are so crystal clear and precise.....the bass is neither too bloated not to thin.....whoever mastered this lp should have gotten a bonus check.....amazing that I can listen to this l.p. for the 734th time and find it refreshing and new.....
I wonder what the story is with the work Doug Sax did on his last cuts of these albums and why they sounded pretty dreadful. His work was usually as a norm pretty stellar. He also knew these albums bavkwards and forwards. I wonder what went so wrong?
In the past 2 years, I haven't seen complete first pressings go for under 450 GBP in the UK. And it just goes up from there. I just picked up a 1st UK pressing (A2/B2) here in the United States: VG+/VG for $170 (no posters or stickers, but with the original inner sleeve). It's terrific and beats my UK A3/B3 by just a bit. More airy and exciting presentation, with better separation between instruments. No glitch on "Money," which is a track that is demonstrably better here than on the A3/B3.
I recently found a copy of the following German release of Dark Side -- 1 C 062-05 249 D on back cover - label does not include those numbers, but says released by The Gramaphone Company Ltd. on Harvest. Label is black. Matrix runout side one: SMAS-1-11163-F32 #5. Side two - SMAS-2-11163-F22 #6. Both sides have Mastered by Capitol stamped in the runout groove, and include one of those symbols that looks like a martini glass. Any idea where this falls in terms of German releases?
That Martini glass etching is a crudely drawn rifle, indicating a Winchester Capitol pressing and/or mastering.
It's a mismatch, simply common US pressing in German jacket. I bet it wasn't sold like that in the store back then, but being about 40 years old, who knows how many hands it changed?
I was afraid that was the case. Weird thing is, the one in the German sleeve sounds significantly different. If it weren't for the crackles and pops, I'd prefer it to the other I have from the same era.
FWIW some of US DSOTM were mastered by Wally Traugott, a pretty good engineer, they are the better ones usually have a WALLY in the deadwax. I use to have another one, I guess an early pressing but not mastered by Wally. The sound was nothing special, got rid of it long time ago.
Is you A3/B3 with EMI rim text or Gramophone? Just picked up an A3/B3 Gramophone rim text for 30 GPB. The record is incredibly clean and looks virtually unplayed, EX+/NM condition. Cover has slight rub, but still really nice. No postcards or poster, but who gives a damn! Sounds amazing. I really don't see the point in investing in an A2/B2 from an audiophile pov; the cost is prohibitively expensive. As a collectors piece, sure. But for "just a bit better", no.
It’s the EMI Harvest label with black background and the triangle outlined in blue. I thought all the A3/B3 pressings looked like this. It does say “The Grammophone Company Limited” on the left side of both labels. What does the other version look like? And is it supposed to sound even better than this one? Which do you have? I got mine in the UK for 30GBP about a year ago. The first UK pressing is cost prohibitive. But it is practically my favorite record, so I splurged. And I’ll never part with it!
There is a second issue and also a third issue both with A3/B3 stampers. The rim label is slightly different on the third with EMI rim text and an extra Made in Gt. Britain. See Pink Floyd Archives. Kristian's sounds like a second. I have a third... I also have the first issue blue pyramid A2/B2. Have not compared them closely yet but my impression is the A2/B2 is the best I have ever heard with the A3/B3 a VERY close second. With clean A3/B3 copies available for under or a little over $100 USD it is an excellent option.
I need to check the archives. But I do see that mine has the Made in Gt Britain twice at the bottom. Is this a rim label then? What issue is that, 2nd or 3rd? I agree with you about the difference between the UK fist pressing and the A3/B3.
