Linda's favorite digital versions of all Black Sabbath albums

Of Course!!!!

 

Nice to see you here!

Which Vol 4 vinyl re-issue is the one you got? Just curious.

 

I like the new vinyl from the original tapes cb master

 

Paranoid to be specific, can't stand digital audio

 

It is this one:

Black Sabbath - Vol 4

I also have a high quality rip from UK Vertigo (PBTHAL in 24/96), and I was surprised how close this re-release sounds. Very similar tonality. The original UK is stil a bit better, but that re-issue is very adequate in my opinion. Cover artwork is also nice, and reproduced original Vertigo label and a nice printed inner sleeve.

 

Thanks for the info. I don't know that reissue, is that an AAA release? I have many LP-rips from Pbhtal too, he keeps ripping the same LPs with more and more expensive equipment etc. Interestingly, though, it seems to me that some of his more recent rips actually sound worse than some of the earlier ones. A friend of mine holds the theory that super-expensive vinyl cartridges, when used to record old heavy rock records, tend to bring out more 'detail' than actually favorable for such music. He sent me his own rip of the Sabbath s/t original UK LP press, carried out with a medium-priced cartridge, and I did like it better than Pbthal's most recent rips (I haven't compared to Pbthal's earlier rips yet) of said album.

Anyway, at least for the s/t, MOR, Vol4 and SBS, I like the SACDs even better (though the s/t requires a hybrid as explained in my first post above) than any needle drop I have heard.

 

"cb"?

 

No, that reissue is certainly not AAA, I am confident.

The rips I have are several years old, I would say more than five years.

I can understand what you mean about more expensive cartridges and older records.

 

He may be referring to the Bellman remaster, I think...

 

Thanks. I guess the fact that you like it, and I know you like dark-sounding masterings, suggests that it isn't the extremely bright-sounding 2012 Pearce mastering used for the 2012 Vinyl Collection and later LP boxes either. I have no idea who mastered the LP you have.

So that might actually be a good thing in this case.

I don't know the first thing about turntables and cartridges, so I cannot really judge if my friend's theory makes sense, but it would explain what I hear.

Oh right, that makes sense. Thank you.

 

Yeah Chris bellman

 

And it says original tapes

 

I haven't heard pbthal rips in some time, I think using the AT33PTG/II, from my impression I think he favors cartridges that track extremely well to the really expensive cartridges he has used in the past like Ortofon A90. I might be misremembering if this is the exact cartridge, it might have been someone else that used an A90, but either way it was a cartridge in the ~$2000-3000 range used. Last I checked he is using a hybrid Audio Technica cartridge that is in the rough $300 range, another super tracker.

I wouldn't really correlate price of cartridge to detail (though the relationship is certainly there) I would say the bigger issue with expensive cartridges which almost certainly means moving coil is they need to be loaded properly to reduce the high frequency treble lift. The vast majority of audiophiles (even ones claiming to be vinyl experts) don't know how to do this properly and only rely on their ears which are probably losing high frequency hearing at their age. Way too many times have I heard slightly bright to too bright and the owners/other listeners couldn't hear it (the other extreme is ones with hearing damage and not simple presbycusis and any treble aggravates them so they only look for dark sounding equipment). To do it properly you need a test record and record the record digitally. Some cartridges also need more complex loading than just a simple resistor and might need a zobel network, but this starts to get complicated to the point where I'd personally just buy a different cartridge.

For my tastes I think neutral, high resolution MC cartridges are fine for rock records. They will certainly reveal more flaws on poor recordings/masterings but they will make your average/great records sound very good.

 

Did Chris Bellman do a Paranoid cutting? Which pressing?

 

Roland I had a few of those 2015 reissues but sold them off still sealed.
So I never listened to them.
I would be curious to know what you think of the others if you purchase them.
I had Paranoid and MOR the ones that come with the cds.

 

No
Kevin Grey
AFAIK

 

How close to the Porky or WWA with the Vertigo 420 stampers does it sound? Really close?

 

I don't know that pressing. The only reference on vinyl I have is that UK Vertigo rip in 24/96. These rips were all made around the same time, from close to mint UK first pressings of the first four albums. These all sound really good to me.

That is why I was suprised that the 2015 re-release wasn't "unlistenable" compared to the UK Vertigo, but sounded quite o.k., I thought.

 

For the first three albums, I have the US QRP 2-LP re-releases which I thought sounded quite o.k.

For Sabotage, I have an original US pressing on vinyl.

I don't have Sabbath Bloody Sabbath on vinyl yet and might eventually still buy a copy, probably a re-release. I would like a gatefold cover and the artwork for the 2015 re-release (similar to the one I have for Vol. 4) looks good to me.

Those 2015 re-releases are available with CD and without CD. I don't really need the CD, I suppose.

For TE and NSD I have the US Rhino re-releases which are o.k., these are not my favorite albums anyhow.

 

Maybe I should look into repurchasing a few of them then?
Might be worth checking out?

 

I have the 2016 WB for TE which sounds pretty good, also have the Original Vertigo and the Rhino 2011 with less reverb on it
I have those US 2 LP releases too for the first 3 albums
SBS I have the WWA first or early pressing and an 1982 Irish NEMS pressing which also sounds very good

 

Regarding Paranoid, it’s a shame that Sabbath didn’t employ their slack tuning technique until MOR. Just imagine how much heavier Paranoid would have sounded with that in place!

 

Listen to the live performances on Live At Last for a few of those tunes to compare against the studio versions

 

Apologies if this question has been asked/answered elsewhere, but for Volume 4, does anyone know if the US promotional test pressing (white label) has the same mastering as the later olive green label press? Thanks!

 

I am interested in an answer to this question as well - if there is one. We know that the Paranoid WB green label was manufactured at multiple pressing plants, so there might have been multiple WB olive green label pressings f0r Vol. 4 as well (just guessing, I am sure there's people here who know). If that's the case, the test press you mention might sound like one of them - but even then we still wouldn't know if it's the same one you're familiar with. Anyway, this is the test press you're referring to, correct?
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath Vol. 4

Maybe the people who helped us with Paranoid would be able to help with this one too?
Black Sabbath - Paranoid 1st US vinyl LP pressing - which one is it, how to identify it?