Music Matters Definitive Blue Note 45 RPM and 33 & 1/3 RPM vinyl series (pt7)

Looks like MM did another hike recently I guess, I got Solid a few months ago when it was $65. Can't help you though on finding any cheaper unless you try discogs or ebay, seems like most sites that I've seen keep in line with the price on the Music Matters site, except for acousticsounds.com I've been lucky to find certain records for a cheaper price there (and in many cases gotten with an additional 15-20% off when they're running the coupon code, which currently they're running the 20% coupon and I picked up 4 new MMs earlier today from there using it).

 

Elusive Disc has it for $99.99. You can get a copy of it on EBay for the same. On the other hand, at $74.95 on Music Matters own site, it may be the best you can do, and you just bite the bullet. Is Music Matters still offering free shipping over $89? If so, is there something else you want? It seems as if the days of getting 20% off MM LPs at Elusive Disc and Acoustic Sounds are gone. For now, anyway.

 

OR....Go for an original!

Grant Green - Solid - w/ Joe Henderson - Original Blue Note unreleased tracks

 

hi guys - looking for your input here on Somethin Else'/Music Matters return policy

I took delivery of this last week but the sound on Autumn Leaves in particular is awful. sounds like what I can only describe as tinny, metallic distortion, especially on Miles' parts. to be honest, the whole record sounds pretty naff. the low level distortion is prominent throughout side one and side two isn't much better tbh

I dropped the guys at MM a detailed email about the and have received the following reply:

What you are hearing is on the master tape - the sound was what it was for the day. Because this is tape and not a CD file, but it is a known fact that there is distortion on Autumn Leaves. You may not hear it on albums that were reproduced from CD files, but definitely there on the master tape.

so, I got back to Lori explaining that the record is screwed...and haven't heard anything back in well over 24 hours!

have to say, I'm disappointed. cost me the best part of £70 to get it over here and the record is an absolute dud!

has anyone else had any issues with defective records from Music Matters?

sorry for stinkin' up this thread btw. I'm just at a complete loss as to what to do next

 

1) I'd take it to a friend's or an audio shop and play it. If the poor sound is beyond the distortion on "Autumn Leaves", then you may have a bum copy and you should ask for a replacement. If there is indeed a problem, you could do a needle drop file and send it to Lori. Perhaps they'll take heart. If "Autumn Leaves" is really the only bad cut, then there's nothing you can do. With some regular retailers, they might take back an album you're seriously unhappy with. Music Matters, though, is not one of them.

I have well documented here that on the 33 of Maiden Voyage, they had a problem with non-fill. At first, they didn't acknowledge it, and when I sent back 2 copies with non-fill, Ron apparently couldn't hear the non-fill at all on his system. It was quite apparent on mine. They stopped communicating with me about it. Just entirely dropped the ball. I only found out about Ron not hearing the non-fill through someone at RTI. Eventually, they did end up doing a repress of Maiden Voyage because of the complaints. My last replacement copy (all sent back at my expense) still has non-fill (though it was before the repress). At some point, MM may just stop responding as they did with me (I would have liked to have gotten a hold of one the repressed copies). It has happened to others as well (but many have experienced better customer service, too).

2) I assume that you have other Music Matters records with which to compare? If so, do they sound sort of funky throughout the record? Have you checked the stylus for gunk or fuzz?

Just make sure that you check all the other variables. If this copy is singularly bad, I hope you can make that case to Lori and/or Ron.

Good luck. I feel for you.

 

yeah, I've got a number of MM titles and they all sound stellar. funnily enough, I picked up Maiden Voyage at the same time and that sounds really nice!

what really gets me is that I made it abundantly clear that the distortion was not just on Autumn Leaves. as soon as the needle first hit the record I knew that something was awry. my concerns weren't properly addressed imo and the frankly bs reply I got has hacked me off.

I really hope they just don't ignore my correspondence. I'm going to be honest, about 80% of my interactions with MM have been pretty poor (billing me twice, taking 2 months to receive a subscription and so on, I won't bore you)

again, I'm not going to stink up this thread with any more ramblings, but these guys really seem like a pretty unprofessional shower with customer care coming very low down on their list of priorities

thanks for getting back to me man. I'll leave it another day or so..

 

I just got some titles today for 20% off at acousticsounds; although, it seems that in most cases, once a record has hit the price hike zone then they don't allow any coupon code discounts on it (but even then, the Afro-cuban I bought today was hiked to 59.98 yet, surprisingly, they hadn't disabled discounts on that particular title so I was able to get it at 20% off). But, still it is true that a lot of the titles are hiked and no longer discountable (I don't know about Elusive disc, I've yet to find a good price on anything there that I wasn't able to beat somewhere else).

 

I got the Kenny Drew MM 33rpm Undercurrent from Acoustic Sounds for less than $40.

In the current climate, a bargain!

 

Yeah, I don't get the point with Elusive on MM's. I thought they were in business to sell or do they have a ...I'll price mine higher but always have them in stock attitude. We'll keep pricing them just out of reach til there are none left anywhere else and then we'll really make a profit!

 

I think AudiophileUSA has some good deals on MM titles, they even have some early titles with the white hype sticker:
Vinyl Records by AudioPhile USA

 

I'd try AnalogJ's suggestion to try it on a different turntable. I thought I had a bum spot on the title track from Lee Morgan's Candy where there was fuzzy sounding static/distortion on a more prominent ride cymbal usage during the bass solo. I took it to my hifi shop and played it on a better turntable/stylus combo and the distortion was nearly imperceptible. I could still hear it very slightly in the background but my stylus was really emphasizing so that it was over top of everything else.

 

Just wait for the sales on the forum. Or better yet do a "want to buy".

 

Anyone know if this place will ship Media Mail if you ask them?

 

Doh. It's there—they just don't sort the shipping options from cheapest to most expensive.

 

does anyone have an email address for Ron at MM please? I'm not getting anywhere with Lori, unfortunately

 

I believe it's just ron at musicmatters dot com

(Which is to say, that's the address I emailed when Lori stopped responding. I didn't get a bounceback, but I didn't get any reply from there either.)

 

You and I differ in our preferences, though we agree on what we're hearing: the location of the drums is the biggest discernible difference between earlier and later MM records. On the later ones, they are on the same horizontal plane as the other instruments. On the earlier ones, they are behind the horns in the soundstage.

But I will add that I say earlier/later rather than 45/33 because this difference takes place before the switch in formats. The later in time 45s also have the drums in the same horizontal plane as the other instruments. I believe the change in mastering personnel was far more consequential than the change in formats.

 

Interesting--that could very well be, though I have to admit I'd never noticed the drums being in the same horizontal plane as the other instruments in the Gray-only 45s--at least, not to anywhere near the extent as on Maiden Voyage, where I felt like I was hearing a sonic signature unlike anything previous from MM. I have generally assumed it was due to a change in mastering philosophy (probably less to do with Steve leaving than with Ron deciding he wanted a different sound), and some of that change may have been creeping in before the change in formats. But it would also make sense to reduce the dynamic range of the 33s somewhat, since my understanding is that large dynamic shifts are more likely to produce non-fill in 33s (and MM definitely started getting complaints about non-fill after switching formats). It's also possible I may not have the same later 45 pressings as you. Among the ones I have that I think may have been later ones are Basra, Speak Like a Child, and The Real McCoy. Of course, these are also rather late in terms of recording dates, and thus might not have the same sound as earlier Blue Notes--but I don't recall them sounding unusually forward in the way the Maiden Voyage 33 did. If you think they do, I'll take another listen.

 

I'll have to listen to those again. You're right to note that there are many variables, including possible differences in RVG's approach to engineering. But I think listening for the position of the drums is a good test you can use to call the mastering engineer in the majority of cases in the MM series. One example I always use from the 45s is Jackie McLean's One Step Beyond. Tony Williams' cymbals are right up front with the horns on that one, just as they are on Maiden Voyage.

 

I have that one as well, and never noticed that. I'll take another listen.

 

thanks. I've mailed both of them. it's been 72 hours of radio silence now! did you get a satisfactory resolution in the end?

I paid for the record(s) through Paypal, so I guess I can open up a dispute if I don't hear anything. not really a road I wanna go down though...

just want a solid copy of Somethin' Else!

jeeeeesus!

 

I wouldn't sweat it until after Labor Day.
I have NEVER had MM fail to get back to me (eventually) or fail to do their best to get me a replacement (be it a record or a sleeve).

Sometimes folks go on vacation and stuff.

 

yeah, that's fair enough. it was the glib response I got that has probably got my back up a bit

FIN

 

Probably covered in this thread but where is/was the non-fill? Its embarassing to say that I have had my copy from the beginning but have never played it in full.

 

It apparently occurs generally after more dynamic spots on the record, more with 33s than on 45s. The vinyl doesn't fill in properly after that dynamic spot. It results in the sound sort of like a zipper being zipped quickly.