let's talk about our pressing of ALVEAR (Led Zep, AC / DC, CCR, Young ... and others ...)

What are your Bowie UK RCA orange label albums?
Do you have the Hunky Dory 1972 A5/B3 reissue?
I hope one day to get a near mint copy of this pressing to get an idea. I'm sure it sounds fantastic.
Piero Mannuci cuts, at least those certified with his signature in the dies (the "Best buy" reissues released in 1981) are very random!
Hunky Dory is a wonderful cut, full of energy and sonic emphasis, a far cry from the "usual" cuts, at least the ones I've heard, a bit more "ethereal" in their presentation. The Mannuci cup has an amazing liveliness and luxury of details!
Heroes cut by Mannuci is also superb. I listened to it again yesterday.
Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane are nothing special!? I have the impression that Piero did not benefit from exceptional tapes, like the one made available to him for his wonderful Hunky Dory. He seems to have lost interest in his work!? At least that's my feeling. As I have already written on another thread, I always thought that the Hunky Dory/Ziggy Stardust/Aladdin Sane trilogy must be an engineering nightmare; for me the approach must be graceful and luminous, subtly punchy and full of refinement. That is to say a lot of glitter with a good dose of rock... but not too heavy! Glam rock what!? Unfortunately many pressings miss their target! Average clarity, texture too thick or/ and bass too present, soundstage a little congested...etc...In short, it doesn't sparkle much! In the case of Piero Mannuci, I was hoping for at least the same bold approach as with his Hunky Dory cut! Unfortunately, it is not the case !?

Christophe

 

Thanks Christophe! I’ll get the hunky Dory. Do you have Lou Reed’s transformer from the same series?
I have a 5E/5E Hunky Dory (from memory). Not a great copy. Overall VG I think - maybe a bit more. Nevertheless a very nice copy. I need to listen to it again to describe it in more details. I also got an earlier matrix (2/1 I think) and I really didn’t like this copy which I found lifeless compared to the 5/5.

 

For the two Portuguese pressings of David Bowie that I recently acquired and cut by Fernando Cortez, I was pleasantly surprised. A sober and balanced, refined and elegant approach that fits well with Bowie's music, at least his glamorous period...and particularly Hunky Dory. Difficult for the moment to make a synthesis on the work of this engineer (I only have 3 pressings cut by him), but we feel in him a rather audiophile approach; the balance in the interaction between the different instruments is a good example. Same for tonal balance, details, soundstage...etc...

Normally in dramaturgy, you have to describe a character in three or four strokes. A rule I try to apply now when a member demands a quick but precise answer.

Let's take the example of the Mannuci cut for Hunky Dory:

Energetic, highly detailed, bold.

Now the Cortez Cut:

Balanced, balanced and balanced!

In a few strokes I painted the portrait of these two magnificent cuts... it's up to you to see which one would suit you best according to your expectations and your audio environment (Hi-Fi equipment, acoustics of your listening room ...)!

I will continue to explore the Portuguese market cautiously, but I think there are probably some interesting local cuts!

I will keep you posted.


Yes I has the Transformer pressing cut by Piero Mannuci.

Sounds great!

In four lines:
Classicism, detailed, beautiful density with a hint of freshness.

I preferred this one to the first US cup. Nevertheless I haven't heard bad pressings of this marvelous album.

Christophe

 

Just for fun while waiting to open the festivities...

...in a few words :

Led Zeppelin ll mastering RL:

Dense and relentless drums, exaggerated dynamics, very warm texture, shimmering highs, guitars in attack mode!


Led Zeppelin ll mastering Alvear (cut A8/B8):

Raw, rich, organic, oversized breathing and spectacular three-dimensionality.



Christophe

 

Hi @al2813

I bought a near mint copy of the Joni Mitchell album you mentioned. I don't know this live album... an opportunity for me to mix pleasure (the purchase of a new record mastered by Marta Alvear) with that of discovery! ;-)

I will keep you posted...

Christophe

 

Hi guys,

Found a Portuguese copy of David Bowie's Heroes album cut by Fernando Cortez. Very rare. Curious to see how it will sound compared to my Piero Mannuci copy?!

Christophe

 

this is a tour de force of the one of the best song writers in history with a super jazz line up (pat metheny, Michael brecker, Jaco Pastorius amongst others). An incredible album. Pleasure is assured

 

Hi everybody!
@Christophe Lethimonnier would you please upload again the audio samples from the Abbey Road's danish and spanish pressings!!
Thanks!!

 

Okay @multirock. I'm doing this tonight when I get home from work. You will have the files around 8:30 p.m. I think?

Christophe

 

Hi @multirock

The Beatles Abbey road ( Danish pressing UK plates):

THE BEATLES Abbey road side A ( danish pressing UK plates).wav - Shared with pCloud

THE BEATLES Abbey road side B ( danish pressing UK plates).wav - Shared with pCloud

 

Thanks!!!
Do you have any chance to upload the 10C spanish pressing. I’m interested in compare both issues.

 

Ok

THE BEATLES Abbey road Cara B ( spanish pressing 10C).wav - Shared with pCloud

THE BEATLES Abbey road side A ( danish pressing UK plates).wav - Shared with pCloud

Christophe

 

Thanks

 

Sorry dear friend for my late reply. My life is very hectic right now!

Christophe

 

You're the men! The CEO of the Marta's Club!
Thanks, and have a nice and musical weekend!

 

The CEO of the club Marta!

 

Hi guys,

Not a big fan of Michael Jackson but I like "Thriller" and "Beat it" and Quincy Jones production.
I had the opportunity to pick up an unplayed Portuguese copy for €20.00!
Sounds great! Very strong cut, warm texture, very dynamic, powerful bass, detailed, balanced tone...etc...

MICHAEL JACKSON Thriller 1 (portuguese pressing).wav - Shared with pCloud


MICHAEL JACKSON Thriller 2 (portuguese pressing).wav - Shared with pCloud


This is typically the kind of pressing that many forum members should listen to before declaring that "exotic" pressings (outside the US territory) are mediocre or far inferior to the original pressings!? I'm almost certain that some American pressings sound like this "vulgar" Portuguese copy (I could have chosen a Spanish, Greek or Italian pressing)...but probably I should have paid a much higher price (not including the shipping costs). shipping and customs tax).

You now understand why for a few years, I have been oriented towards the Mediterranean region (Spain, Italy and Greece) and recently Portugal!

Christophe

 

Hi guys!

Received this week-end PINK FLOYD Dark side of the moon Portuguese pressing cut by Fernando Cortez.

Not cleaned yet but soon HD audio files online. We'll see how it sounds?!

 

... B-side

 

Nice!
I’ll be waiting for your review.
Meanwhile I’m enjoying a lot my spanish pressings of Pink Floyd’s Atom Heart Mother, Wish You Were Here, and The Wall.
The sound great!! So close to my UK pressings.
Regarding to this, 10C and 1J series has the same matrix and sounds the same. And you can still find NM copies for fair prices.

 

Hi @multirock ,

About this Pink Floyd pressing cut by Fernando Cortez, I hope to post a comment as soon as possible... along with the HD audio files.
This comment will certainly not be objective since I don't own UK pressings of the band! In fact I hardly own any Pink Floyd records (the most famous albums that my brothers gave me; Dark side, The wall, Wish you... French LP's).
Let me explain: I am interested in many disciplines: music, cinema, literature, history, philosophy, comics, painting, politics, etc., almost out of sick curiosity. Due to a lack of time and, incidentally, of money, I am forced, like everyone else, to make drastic choices. According to my tastes or my desires of the moment. So obviously my cultural pantheon looks like a Swiss cheese! So many holes to fill! Especially Pink Floyd!

Christophe

 

I finished cleaning side A... now side B!

I take this opportunity to clean my first Greek pressing of the Tommy! Since the time that I had to do it!

 

Just a comment on the French Pink Floyd pressing.
The green Columbia ones are great pressing, a lot of presence, detail, nice low and upper end.
Forget the later white and blue Columbia / Pathe label, they just sound lifeless.
For the Harvest period, up to Obscured By Clouds they are on pair with their U.K. counterpart. After that they are just good for the trash. When you see JCP or JC Pelé in the dead wax, just runaway.

 

For the moment I have only 4 pressings cut by Fernando Cortez (Cortes):


-David Bowie "Hunky Dory"

- David Bowie "Ziggy Stardust"

- The Rolling Stones "Sticky fingers"

- Serge Gainsbourg "Love on the beat" (for our friends who follow this thread, Serge Gainsbourg is an exceptional French composer of Russian origin)

All sound great with a special mention for the two Bowies.

For the moment I would say that what characterizes the work of this engineer is a constant search between balance and harmony. Nothing exceeds in his masterings! What I mean by that is that the interaction of all sonic criteria seem to cancel each other out! We don't feel in this engineer a desire to sculpt the sound but rather a desire to harmonize everything. At least that's my feeling.
To be more explicit there is not enough bass or too much bass, not enough treble or too much treble, not enough clarity or too much clarity...etc...

For now if I had to sum up his work in three or four words:
- Balance, harmony, balance, harmony!

Obviously a very audiophile approach, at least by my own standards.

In the case of David Bowie or Pink Floyd, this approach deserves a spotlight!

Christophe

 

You’re lucky to have so many Pink Floyd music to discover!