DCC Archive Abbey Road-UHQR test pressing CDR itch

I think the concern is more with the USPS. Unless Steve is moonlighting there.

 

True...although I'd suggest UPS. *NOT* FedEX...

 

I'm a little surprised reading on more than one thread that a number of first generation CDs (i.e. mid 1980s)are prefered. I thought common wisdom held the A to D conversion of those machines and subpar tapes really f'ed up the releases. I can buy that the Japanese Abbey Road is superior, but the RCA Bowies?

 

I understood it that the problem folks have with newer discs is not the A-D conversion but the extreme compression, maxed-out levels and processing used thesedays.

 

I remember reading post on one of the Beach Boys newsgroups from Mark Linett. He had motioned that A to D conversion has come along ways since the original BB twofers were mastered in 1990. He contributed the new and improved sound of the new reissued twofers to modern A/D conversion. I agree that the new twofers sound better, but is the improved sound from the D/A conversion, or the lack of no-noise, or both. Linett said he used the same tapes from 1990. If you listen to the original import “Aftermath” CD, that CD sounds beautiful and that used ancient A/D conversion technology. I’m not sure what I’m getting at, but there seems to be a lot of great sounding ‘80s CDs, with ancient A/D technology…

 

For the benefit of cvila:

The enthusiasm for 80s CDs (and old things in general) tends to get a bit out of control on this forum, exacerbated by a large contingent of people who like to slap each other on the back and follow other people's opinions religiously.

I, for one, have heard enough about Jon Astley, Peter Mew, the f-ed up Beatles reissues, NoNoise, Cedar, and maxed out levels to last a lifetime.

The simple fact is this: not all reissues are bad. Look at the stock (non-DCC) Doors catalog. The first CDs were bad, the second batch were much better, and the last batch are the best. The Pink Floyd reissues were a huge step up in sound quality, quality of liner notes, and cover art reproduction. Hendrix: some people think the Gastwirt versions are better than the EH releases, but either is better than the original CDs. Stevie Ray Vaughan: better sound, bonus tracks, better liners. Iron Maiden: the Raw Power CDs have been remastered, have the complete tour schedule for the release in the liner notes, QT videos, and a full discography. Miles Davis remasters: huge upgrades. RVG remasters: the ones I've heard are great. Many people like (or love) the Byrds and Simon & Garfunkel remasters. Does anyone still want their original issue CDs of "Time Out" or "Kind of Blue"? Didn't think so.

Take everything with a grain of salt, form your own opinions, and realize that the more you type != the more you know.

 

In regards to UHQR test pressings, the 3rd edition of Goldmine's Collectible Record Albums guide lists the entire Beatles catalog as having once been tested out for UHQR runs. They are each listed at $900 for a NM copy, $300 for a VG+ copy. Just so ya know. I've never seen or heard a "regular" UHQR, much less a test pressing. I've seen some DCC test pressings on Ebay, but they were too rich for my wallet.

 

UHQR's....ah, yes....I've got one of those...

"I Robot" by Alan Parsons Project.

Weird top-end, the bass is ulta-tight though. Bought it new for $35 back in 1980-something...must have played it all of five times. They only made 5000 copies of each. Excellent packaging...my edition # is 728.

I also have the regular MOFI vinyl release. Actually, my favorite version of this album is the MOFI Gold CD, an Ultradisc II no less (sorry, Dave).

Here's a list of the eight UHQR's actually issued:

Ultra High Quality Records (UHQR Series)
NOTE: 200 gram weight & limited to 5,000 numbered pressings each

UHQR 1-005
Supertramp
Crime of the Century

UHQR 1-017
Pink Floyd
The Dark Side of the Moon

UHQR 1-025
Earl Klugh
Finger Paintings

UHQR 1-035
Cat Stevens
Tea for the Tillerman

UHQR 1-084
Alan Parsons Project
I, Robot

UHQR 1-100
The Beatles
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

UHQR 1-507
Maazel, Cleveland Symphony Orchestra
Feste Romane

UHQR 1-510
Sir George Solti, London Philharmonic
Holst: The Planets

Additional UHQR Releases - Test Pressings Only:

UHQR 1-026
Styx
The Grand Illusion

UHQR 1-062
Genesis
Trick of the Tail

UHQR 1-068
Chuck Mangione
Feels So Good

UHQR 1-089
Rickie Lee Jones
Rickie Lee Jones

UHQR 1-090
The Modern Jazz Quartet
Live at the Lighthouse

UHQR 1-512
Von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orch
Tchaikovsky: Sixth Symphony

UHQR 2-516
Solti, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Tchaikovsky: Sixth Symphony

UHQR 1-517
Solti, London Symphony Orchestra
Romantic Russia

UHQR 1-522
Reiner, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathrusta

UHQR 3-530
Solti, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Bizet: Carmen

And, finally, the ultra-rare 140 Gram Releases - Test Pressings Only
A "mid-weight" line experimented with in 1982/83, but never mass-produced.

MFSL 1-017
Pink Floyd
Dark Side of the Moon

MFSL 1-023
The Beatles
Abbey Road

MFSL 1-104
The Beatles
Beatles For Sale

MFSL 1-144
Journey
Escape

A lot to wish for...huh?

Best to the Board,

Ben

 

Oh, I gotta love it. All you mofi bashers (SOME of you anyway) NOW want a copy of a MOFI product. WHY??? I thought you guys(once again, those that bash mofi) did not care for the eq'ing that mofi did? Well, The mofi pressing is fantastic. And I've only compared the regular mofi to the pro-use and purple capital. But I gotta laugh if any of you bashers are now drooling for a listen.

 

And, don't forget Sam...for only the price of postage and a blank CD = it's a bargain!

Of course, you never hear a discussion about copyrights and artists intellectual property being violated... (wink, wink - nudge, nudge)

Best,

Ben

(wink, wink, nudge-nudge)

 

"I thought you guys(once again, those that bash mofi) did not care for the eq'ing that mofi did? Well, The mofi pressing is fantastic. And I've only compared the regular mofi to the pro-use and purple capital. But I gotta laugh if any of you bashers are now drooling for a listen."

Yeah, but for a lot of us, there were things MFSL did amazingly, and some stuff that should be avoided, or carefully purchased for convenience only, if you collect.

It's for the heavy-handed collectors that weren't interested at all in MFSL product that might want everything MFSL ever did, becuase now it's a wild goose chase to get it all. It's kinda like when someone says "no" you want it more.

I don't have everything MFSL ever did, but there's a lot of late comers to vinyl, now taking it seriously. Just getting a mint copy of Gabreils' "So" on vinyl is now a big deal.

Lotta eager late-comers who wsh they could, when they never knew... IMHO.

 

That's an interesting way to put it. It's not exacly my favorite but I still like it a lot. I was an American Top 40 addict when it first came out and it was huge. There was so much hoopla with Paul being barefooted and the Paul is dead thing. Seems like they went to a harder rock sound on a few of the songs. Sgt. Peppers is just as "produced" as Abbey Road, don't you think?

 

I have three UHQR's. Tea for the Tillerman (great sound), I Robot (great sound) and Sgt. Pepper's. I have not compared I Robot to the regular mofi pressing. Some have said the UHQR wins hands-down. I have compared Tea to the regular pressing and the UHQR is somewhat tighter with bass. Now Sgt. pepper, I own both, and can clearly state that the UHQR is WORLDS better. Separation, depth, and (most apparent) width of soundstage. It may sound a little "hot" on some systems, but on mine (Grado sonata, modified Rega 300, vpi table and Audible Illusions preamp) it's just right.

 

I sold my UHQR of "I Robot on Ebay a few months ago. Sorry to say I really don't miss it. The bass was fantastic (check out the beginning intro to "Breakdown"), but the high end was enough to make a deaf man scream his ass off. Got the Mo-Fi CD and I'm not sellin' it for a king's ransom.great sound. The regular Mo-Fi 1/2 speed has the same irritating treble as the UHQR. Also I heard the story about Stan Ricker's boss demanding that he crank up that treble.

 

Ben & Gary,
Gary you are 100% right (sorry Ben) I Robot only came out on MFSL aluminum not gold.
Ben are you sure you're not thinking about "Tales Of Mystery & Imagination" as that one is only on vinyl and UltradiscII?

 

I don't get the high end extreme that you are talking about as far as I Robot UHQR is concerned. It could very well be (as many things are) system dependent. Everything from cartridge to preamp to amp to speaker. Just as another point of view, I've heard some say that the I robot was the "best" UHQR as far as sonics. I've had Tom Port say that the Sgt. Pepper is the best UHQR while others say the high end sizzles too much. Like I said, system dependent. If your system is too analytical (like a Theil loudspeaker) lookout!

 

Hey, Dave!

You (and Gary) are absolutely correct - "I Robot" is on a silver CD. It's one of my faves...brain fart.

Man - I get all these formats and alphabet soup all mixed up all the time...

I love the music, though...now if I could just find some more time to just kick back and listen to good vinyl...how about my question on "Can't Buy A Thrill" do you have an opinion on Speakers Corner issues...

Greetings to The Great White North from Mars!


Ben




[ November 11, 2001: Message edited by: Ben ]

 

Hey all, great discussion here and I would be curious how this all unfolds.

-Will the lp be shipped to Steve for copying?
-What will the sound of the CDR be like?
-Will it compare with the UHQR that it is copied from?
-Will the original japanese CD sound better?

Stay tuned for more as the cd turns...

But seriously, assuming both the Mobile Fidelity lp and the japanese CD were both recorded form the original master, wouldn't the only difference in the sound quality be from the equipment used to transfer the info. With that said, can one really expect the Mobile Fidelity copied CDR to sound any good unless a very high quality A/D and analog circuitry is used. I know that the material (type of vinyl) used to capture the music also plays a role but it seems that the most important factor would be the transfering process. In fact, the main reason many CDs don't sound that good (especially the ones in the early eighties has to do with the Sony equipment used which introduced a lot of jitter and was poor at transforming the data from the masters.

Anyone have any thoughts on this. I love to get a copy if one is produced just to compare. I have the regular MOFI lp version and it would be interesting to hear the comparison.