Sundazed & Quality Records

I haven't talked to Bob, but if the liner notes state that the stuff was "mastered" at Sundazed and "cut" elsewhere, then the lacquers clearly weren't cut directly from the original analog tapes.

Note that I make no value judgement about that.

 

Superfuzz is right. All Sundazed LPs I have (whether cut by Kevin Gray or not) have a hard cutoff at 22kHz, suggesting they are cut from 44k digital. Also, bear in mind that Nashville Record Productions can only cut lacquers through a digital delay anyway. My theory is all of these were transferred to digital and mastered by Bob Irwin from the original tapes and they've been using those transfers ever since. Like Superfuzz said, no way the labels would loan out their precious master tapes again for them to re-cut their records. They do sound great, though, which is the most important thing.

 

yeah

did he say so?

I'm just not a big fan of suggestions or assumptions when we are trying to be "accurate" about what actually happened. So unless there is more info than the location of Sundazed Studios and where the lacquers were cut then I don't think we have what I would call "accurate information" on the actual source from which the lacquers were actually cut. I can live with not knowing. IMO it is much better to accept that than to make assumptions and then pass it off as accurate information.

No doubt, how they sound is of most importance. But nothing wrong with knowing how the various issues were actually made.

 

yeah that's pretty good evidence. And I totally agree on the sound being the most important thing. But ya know, in audio a couple innocent presumptions and the next thing you have an urban myth floating around in the form of a "commonly known fact."

 

The label is in New York Irwin is in Tennessee. Start from there.

 

Hi Crispi, that's not true in my experience. I have many needledrops of Sundazed records, where there is not even a hint of rolloff at 22khz (or 24khz), which tells us they were cut at much higher resolution than 44.1 or 48khz digital. Not that I care, but again, for the sake of accurate information..

That is also not true. They have 4 lathes and can do an all analog cut. I recently read a post from Wes Garland saying they can do AAA.

 

Thanks for pointing all of those things out. The 22kHz cutoff was true for all records I had, but obviously I don't have all. Also sorry if I'm spreading erroneous information about NRP. It was on this forum that I read that they cannot cut AAA.

 

Well there's lots of misinformation floating around. I haven't seen their mastering studios personally, but if they say they can cut all analog, I'll assume they're being honest and not bald faced liars. It was on the analogplanet website where I read the post from Garland recently. I think it was in an article about the upcoming Beatles mono records.

 

My experience as well.

Indeed, the mono The Hurdy Gurdy Man LP, cut by KG, has to be one of the quietest, nicest sounding LPs in my collection.

 

All of the Dylan albums listed on the Sundazed website have in their description something like "this definitive pressing is presented on High-Definition Vinyl, from the absolute original analog mono masters " or "and all-analog mastering from the absolute original source tapes"

 

Of the Dylan re-issues on Sundazed, which were remastered by Kevin Gray - all of them?


Bob Dylan [mono]
Free Wheelin' [mono]
The Times They Are A Changing [mono]
Another Side of ... [mono]
Bringing It All Back Home [mono]
Hwy. 61 Revisted [mono]
Blonde on Blonde [mono]
Greatest Hits [mono]
John Wesley Harding [mono]

Nashville Skyline [stereo]
Self Portrait [stereo]

 

I've got Nashville Skyline, Hwy 61, and Bringing It All Back Home.. cut by Kevin Gray.

 

I have both the Sundazed and MOV Blonde On Blondes. This happened by accident. I hardly ever played the Sundazed 'cos I'd read somewhere that the MOV version was better. Anyhows, out of curiosity I've started playing the Sundazed version recently and it's great on my turntable anyway. It might be a touch less warm and a touch brighter but that's it. It's an excellent pressing and mix.

 

Huh, I'd not heard that MOV was better. IIRC aren't many or all MOV from digital sources? Though often well done. Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

From what I've read, MOV usually master from what they have available, which are typically digital sources.

Specifically regarding the MOV mono Bob Dylan reissues, the MOV and Sony Bob Dylan mono reissues were supposed to have been cut at the same time, on the same system, so the MOV mono Dylans should have similar sound to the Sony Mono Dylan box, which I believe are all analog.

There was another thread that discussed it: http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/dylan-mono-music-on-vinyl-same-as-box-set.265832/

 

The QRP pressings are way better than the previous pressing plant. I noticed a big difference immediately with the newer Sandazed pressings.

 

Correct me if I'm on the wrong track, but would the Sundazed done by Kevin Gray be more appropriately called "recut" not "remastered". I would assume, and happy to be wrong, that Kevin cuts a flat transfer of the digital files provided by Sundazed. I'd have throught the quality of his source playback and chain through to cutting, plus the better plating and pressing would account for the improvements in these new cuts...

Anuway back to your question re Dylan, I'm not sure if this is an exhaustive list but a good start can be found at Kevin's own website http://www.cohearent.com/recent-projects/. I'm not sure if "and many many more" refers to the whole list or to the Sundazed titles.

 

I recently got a copy of Dictionary of Soul with KG in the deadwax but it came in tight shrink wrap and had a paper sleeve. Such a crap shoot but at least I know they're out there

 

Does anyone have any reviews about the Sundazed John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton vinyl? I'd love to get a copy...

 

I believe you are correct. Fremer has also stated the same thing.

 

I have it and it sounds great. I haven't heard an original in 20 years, but this copy sounds great.

 

Are Sundazed still using QRP to press their LPs? I purchased the Alexander "Skip" Spence - Oar LP on Sunday. It came with the loose shrink wrap, so I figured it was the Kevin Gray cut and QRP pressing. It is the Kevin Gray cut, but the insert is not a Quality custom poly lined version but one that's similar to the inner sleeves used by RTI. (I don't like them.) Was wondering if Quality isn't using their custom inner sleeves on the Sundazed LPs anymore, or if the LP was manufactured somewhere else? The LP, BTW, is flat, quiet and a very nice pressing.

Does anyone here know the answer. Thanks.

 

Sundazed does press some LPs at RTI. It says so on their website. Don't know if Oar is one of them. Can you tell in the deadwax markings if it is RTI or not?

An example would be something like this.. small numbers away from the regular matrix numbers like 17066.1(3).... for side one and 17066.2(3)... for side two

That is the hallmark of an RTI pressing. Quality doesn't have any distinguishable marks as far as I can tell yet.

 

From my experience, those Sundazed records coming directly from them have been QRP and are represses from their older catalog. Those have all been excellent. I have within the last year received older back stock from Sound Stage Direct. Those were from the previous pressing plant and not as good in my opinion.

I am sure that they still use RTI when they are able to. RTI has been very busy over the last few years and may not be able to press every record that come out.