How's the SQ of rips using USB TT, which I assume is the same AT 120-LP that I have? I have never used it, but I recently bought the 21-LP set pictured below, and it's a heavy mother. I'm tempted to create a CD set, but unless it sounds as good as the LP I likely won't bother. Also, any ripping/burning advice?
LOL. I love that you found that post. Between writing that and today I have collected about 1,500 fragile dust-pies, including all of Goodman's Victors and Red Columbias, many of his pre-Victor discs, a complete Miller collection, many Armstrongs, about half of Fitzgerald/Webbs titles, nearly all of the Andrews Sisters discs and numerous big band/jazz album sets! All of my long-term vinyl friends were shocked but very helpful identifying collections so I could avoid on-line auction sites, which are insane. To your question, I use an AT-LP120XUSB routed through a Rek-o-kut Ultra Phono PreAmp with treble set to "78" and bass set to "flat" into an Apple iMac running Audacity. I experimented with an HDMI and USB-C adapter from the preamp since the 3.5mm jack on the iMac is a bit primitive and limited. I couldn't find a way to get more bandwidth through HDMI or USB-C than the 3.5mm jack so just have to assume I was doing it wrong. I then remix minimally only adding bass back in. I've stopped trying to manually edit out any pops or clicks since my copy of Audacity is not a pro software app so I was also removing other top end elements, meaning the app wasn't sensitive enough to allow me to only remove the pop without removing other elements at the same wavelength. I looked into software that could do this, but it is beyond my budget. I tend to only rip 78s for Goodman-era recordings since vinyl re-issues usually mangled the top end to remove noise. For vinyl I have ripped this way, I have been very pleased with the results. Edit: Another Japanese unicorn to chase! Glad you caught one. That looks like a great set.
Thanks for the info. Sepia has issued several CDs of the Miller broadcasts, but they (I only bought one 2-CD set) sound a bit harsh to me. I wasn't intensely looking for the Miller LP set, but the complete RCA 1938-42 collection is on Spotify, and it's been regular listening for me at the gym. So I was poking around on the internet and saw a copy for an excellent price, so I bought it. There is a CD version that is extremely rare - I've never seen a copy for sale - but maybe it's available on one of the Japanese auction sites. I'm not sure the collection was ever released outside of Japan. My LP set is mostly in Japanese. It was released - thought perhaps not comprehensively - on individual LPs from (I believe) the late 1950s to about 1974. A few days after I bought the LP set, I was poking around on Google and came across a copy of the Miller 1938-1942 RCA set - the companion box to the Goodman "black box" - for $30. I would not have bought it because it is all on Spotify, but the price was too good to pass up. Part of me thinks it was a mistake, so we'll see. The listing was clear, however. But one would have had a hard time finding it using an Amazon search, which has several product listings for the same item. Their search engine is awful, and I've found many deals searching for CDs on Amazon using a basic Google search. That occasionally works for eBay items, as well. EDIT - Speaking of the Rek-O-Cut, I find myself using different settings - 78 treble on/off and/or tweaks with the treble/base - as I listen to the Miller LPs. Maybe it's just my listening preferences, or perhaps the LPs have differences in their original masterings.
This is the great thing about the Rek-o-kut boxes... perhaps you're listening to vinyl re-presses that have cut the top end cut off or the bass too thick? Flip the switch. Perhaps you have a 78 that is in excellent condition? Flip the switch the other way. It's great. YOU get to chose based on your disc. In my setup with two AT-LP120s, I have one with 0.6mil stylus and the other with a 3.0. 78s on one turntable, 33s on the other. All I do is flip the TT1/TT2 switch and it's ready to go. Love it!
For those who don't know, this is a six-volume set of books encompassing everything ever produced by Decca Records. I think "looking at" is a bit of a modest statement! Good for you if you have all six volumes (I'm jealous, for reals). I've only been able to access two of these using an interlibrary loan. Edit: Could you imagine how many volumes it would have taken him to encompass all Victor/RCAVictor recordings or all Columbia recordings???
There is a 13 cd Japanese set that I believe contains everything on this set. It’s a mammoth box that is not as compact as the Goodman Japanese or Miller studio recordings cd sets. But, it’s nice to have and I believe extremely rare. The sound is excellent and much better than the Sepia set. Check out the extended Bill Finegan “Swing Low Sweet Chariot.” What a great arrangement.
It is rare. (The LP sets aren't exactly low-hanging fruit either.) Another SHF member said he finally obtained a copy after a 20-year search. I don't know how much he paid. Here's the Discogs photo:
I can't tell from the track lists on line. Are these mostly AFRS shows, air-checks, both, other stuff? I have the 3LP set and it is mostly air-checks.
Lots of Chesterfield Shows and many listed as being recorded at locations like hotels and ballrooms. Some just say "New York, NY" (typically, maybe entirely, Chesterfield Shows). Nothing says "AFRS" or otherwise gets into more detail (other than personnel). The extended discussions of each LP are in Japanese, unfortunately. EDIT - Many I've listened to so far are not live (i.e., no audience present), if that is what is meant by "air checks".
These are all air checks from the “civilian band” 1938-1942. It’s a mix of where they are from and which show. But, no AFRS (too bad, love the Army Air Corp band). Yeah, the cd box, which I lucked into, has tracks and liners all in Japanese and has a bonus 13th cd of Miller ghost band tracks. Here’s the track listing from Lord online. TJD-Online: Login
It's password-protected. Can you sign up for free? No "ghost band" in the LP set, but the 21st LP in the record set is "Glenn Miller in His Early Days" with no discographical information included. It appears to have been a separate Japanese LP - Download Glenn Miller in His Early Days 1920's 30's Japan by ttboxcar What appears to be a separate booklet (upper right) was not in my set: EDIT - Other sets don't seem to have it either. And I have simple black sleeves that say "RCA", not those pictured at the upper-left.
I haven’t looked at it closely, let alone listened to it, so I’m not 100% sure what is is on it. I’m guessing they used the LP tracks and filled it out with additional material.
I’m listening to Benny Goodman right now through my guitar amplifier (!) It’s kind of a hi-fi thing with a 6L6 tube power stage and a 15” speaker. I switched out the speaker for a JBL D130. For really old recordings, it cuts the treble and deepens the bass. Records come alive! Anything newer than about 1955 won’t work, too much treble energy in those.
I guess he was a complicated character. Goodman helped with racial integration in America. He deserves a lot of credit for his early views here. He was also famous for being extremely difficult to work with. And cheap. Back in the late 80s I photographed a female singer (sorry I forget her name) who worked with him. She told me this funny story: “we were all doing rehearsals at Benny’s home. It was freezing cold. None of us could stand it but were afraid to say anything. You did not criticize Benny. After a point we could not take it anymore and one of us yelled ‘Benny, it’s freezing in here, we can’t stand it!’ Benny stopped and said ‘you’re right’ and ran upstairs and reappeared with a huge thick sweater and continued the session without giving a thought to turning the heat up…” Just a funny moment!
Yeah, that’s an old story and has been attributed to other musicians who were rehearsing at his home. Check out Terry Gibbs book, “Good Vibes, A Life in Jazz.” It has some really funny stories. And also the American Maters outtakes form “A Kingdom of Swing.” There are fascinating insights about Goodman in those interviews. A real treasure trove. https://www.amazon.com/Good-Vibes-Life-Jazz-Studies/dp/0810845865 Benny Goodman - American Masters Digital Archive Search Results
Sorry, I guess you have to subcribe to the Lord discography, $9.99 a month to access it. It's been well worth it for me. On the bonus, the first five tracks are Miller with Ben Pollack, "Deed I Do," "You're the One for Me," "He's the Last Word," "Memphis Blues," and "Singapore Sorrows" "The next 2 are by Ben's Bad Boys "Yellow Dog Blues"and "Shirt Tail Stomp" (at least Benny Goodman is on the first 7 tracks, so we are not totally of topic . The next 2 are the by the Mound City Blues Blowers "Hello Lola" and "One Hour." The next 8 are Miller with Ray Noble Down by the River," "Chinatown, My Chinatown," "Let's Swing It," ""Way Down Yonder in New Orleans," St. Louis Blues," "Bugle Call Rag," "Dinah," "Big Chief De Sota." The final 5 tracks are by Tex Beneke with the Glenn Miller Orchestra from 1946 RCA recordings. "Give Me Five Minutes More," "The Woodchuck Song," "A Gal in Calico," "Anniversary Song," and "St. Louis Blues March."
Thanks. As I suspected, the LP version is the same except for the final five tracks. I also would argue that discussion of Miller is appropriate in light of their parallel careers through 1942 and the manner in which their music has been marketed in the US and Japan since the 1970s. I don't think anyone else from that era has been given the similar big black box treatment (here or abroad) by RCA, though Ellington did get a complete "Centennial Edition" box. It was done for neither Dorsey or Shaw or Waller, for example.
t Indeed! I was joking. Yeah, These are the only 2 on RCA that got sets like this. I think all of Fats Waller's RCA recordings were ulitmately released on several 3 cd sets and I believe a single. All of Artie Shaw's Bluebird/RCAs were released, but only on the 2 lp sets. Bluebird started Dorsey and Barnet in the 2 lps series but didn't finish. I don't think the 2 lp Bergian's were finished either, but they got close. Yeah, Ellington got the supberb cd box treatment. The complete RCA Armstrong recordings were released on CD several times but the best release of the 40's Armstrong RCA's is on the super speclature Mosaic box, which includes all those wonderful Plays WC Handy and Satch Plays Fats alternates.
Ha! If our host hasn't kicked us off yet for tangents, I think we're safe!!! This thread meanders more than the Mississippi. I lust after the Ellington set, but it hovers around $300 on online auction sites. I agree that the Mosaic boxed set of Armstrong's works is the best version. I only wish they would have done the earlier Victor studio sessions, but the RCA 4-disc box is not bad. And of course, the magic unicorn of all unicorns would be a Mosaic box of Goodman's Victor studio sessions, but I just don't see it happening.
I don't recall a comprehensive Waller set, just the JSP and Bluebird 3-4 CD boxes. With eight volumes and 16 LPs, it's surprising that didn't complete Tommy Dorsey's RCA output. As far as Dorsey on CD goes, apparently the best they could do is this:
Did Dorsey even get a Membran set, like Shaw's? SQ is bad, but at least it's something. But at least Dorsey got in the Chronological Classics series. Good luck finding them.
Right, no Waller RCA set. I think the JSPs are little too noise reduced but better than the membran. I’ve never seen the Dorsey set you posted. This is a real nice Dorsey set that RCA did: https://www.amazon.com/music/player...x=tommy+dorsey+,aps,63&qid=1658105199&sr=8-19
I so dearly wish Sony would reissue the Japanese black Goodman box...I still can't believe that the majority of his best material is either scattershot, not on officially licensed CDs or out of print and has been so for around 30 years...I want more than the Essential, RCA Small Groups, Carnegie Hall, the Birth Of Swing and the Charlie Christian box. Mosaics are so expensive too...
