Did you notice that the front channels are reversed on the US quad LP (when you listen to it in stereo)?
I just realized my copy of the Columbia Half Speed is 4XXXXXX on one side and 3XXXXX on the other. The jacket is 4XXXX. Does anyone have 4XXXXXX on both sides of the Half Speed?
My copy is 43453-3J in the deadwax on side one, 43453-3AB on side two, 43453 on both labels, and 33453 on the jacket.
Nothing to compare as my only copy is a Canadian half-speed Mastersound cat# APH ( C ) - 5000, 1976/1980 CBS. Anyone know if this is the good or not so good half-speed pressing?
I have a US press with the blue shrink the vinyl is NM, I just did a head to head with a Japanese half speed that is probably VG I got from a friend for $10. The Jap half speed with plenty of ticks/pops, blows the US copy away no comparison.
For a Nimbus Supercut maybe and though I have a mint copy I wouldn't pay what they go for today. I have seen 1st Uk go north of £100 but they are common as muck. Paid well under £20 for an Ex copy without wrap about 3 yrs ago. 'Collectors' are obsessed by the wrap which most threw away and is hardly ever intact anyway. The new reissue comes with a nice resealable repro of the wrap if you want affordable authenticity.
My question is about the EMI India LP pressing on the stock Harvest label. Here are the matrix numbers. Matrix / Runout: SHVL 814ATI 38525 5 Matrix / Runout: SHVL 814BTI 38526 Doesn't look like they are U.K. stampers. Can anyone here verify that? Thanks.
I recently acquired the CBS Half Speed and really like it. I paid more for a fairly early UK pressing, but I found that to be noisy.
So I just received my WYWH Columbia Half-Speed. It says HC 43453 and HAL 33453. I'm confused as to which one I have. Do I have the good one or the bad one? It sounds okay, clean, possibly a little bright, but not terrible, but of course my expectations are so confused right now there's no way I can be listening objectively. The matrix read like so HAL 33453-2AF IT HBL 33453-3F IT
My pressing is a US Columbia with a barcode (so clearly 80s), are there any markings for a particular engineer I should be looking for? Did this release really degrade sound wise by the 80s or was Columbia's quality control good? My pressing sounds good but I haven't really heard anything else besides CDs
80s US "barcode" pressings are generally dull. The best one I've found is actually the 6th issue with matrixes G5G (side A) and 5AE (side B) with "Barry" etched. This cut is much clearer and more detailed than the other veiled and muddy US pressings from that era.
So just found out I have a Nimbus Supercut - picked it up in 1996 in a Pink Floyd bundle (with a complete run of the Amazing Pudding fanzine) at an auction for about £40. I already had a decent copy with some black shrink-wrap in tact that I loved to play so never played the Nimbus version. Just dug it out and its still in pretty top condition. I had no idea it was of any decent value - I just remembered it having a HI-FI Today sticker on it and forgot about it. Cheers for bumping this thread - made my evening! Took a picture too:
Wow! That's a helluva thing to find in your collection! If you spin it, and I hope you are, let us know how it compares to your reference copy. I've never heard anything but superlatives when it comes to the Nimbus Supercut.
I can only rate my three copies but they are (in best SQ order) 1st - UK A1/B3 2nd - 2011 reissue 3rd - German Blue Vinyl 1 c 064 they are all very close though - the 2011 has the least surface noise, and is surprisingly analogue sounding for a digitally-sourced LP - I'm currently spinning this one.
Well I listened to my three copies and in order of preference: 1st - Nimbus (just sounds very clear, quiet and has a bit more air about it!) 2nd A1/B7 (Nothing too bad about this at all and was my go-to version - still is as I don't want to play the Nimbus too much haha. Unfortunately had a lot of surface noise. ) 3rd A6/B14 (sounded pretty similar to the above, maybe a little muffled in comparison with less clarity, also had an annoying skip in Have A Cigar but it was clear this copy was not cared for by the previous owner anyway!!)
I bought a A6/B14 pressing yesterday, it looks absolutely mint, it also has HTM handwritten in the deadwax. JG
I just played the above copy I got today and I couldn't believe how quiet it was, I'm really pleased with this copy of the LP! JG
Found a US copy of this album with "Barry " Etched in the vinyl. Amazing sound. So clear and beautiful.
My Columbia Half Speed Master has the following deadwax info: SIDE ONE: HAL-43453-3J (stamped) T2 (etched) COLUMBIA, NY (stamped) all clustered starting at 12:00 and a lone faded "A" or "V" or "^" at 6:00. SIDE TWO: HBL-43453-3J (stamped) 1T (etched) clustered starting at 12:00 and a faded sideways "D" or more likely a set of brackets with the left (opening bracket) stamped as a sold line and the right (closing bracket) dotted at 6:00. HC 43453 appears on both labels on the left side over the word "STEREO." On the right side HAL 43453 appears under the words "SIDE 1" and HBL 43453 appears under the words "SIDE 2." My LP may not be the definitive version but it sounds excellent and I'm very happy with it.
That's the same one I have. Sounds amazing doesn't it? It's the correct one too, not the one where they screwed up the EQ
