Steve's Analogue Productions Blue Note SACD/CD Sound Quality Discussion Thread

Listening to to Somethin Else now. This Adderley / Davis collaboration is perhaps my all time favorite Blue Note. Just amazing musicianship and groove.

In the last 10 years, the 1999 RVG CD has become the standard issue of this title in the commercial marketplace. This title was panned to near mono by Rudy for the CD and worse, heavily compressed.

Listening to the new Analog Productions version, I am blown away. For example, Hank Jones beautiful piano introduction on "Love For Sale" is compressed into a muddy mess on the old 1999 RVG CD. In contrast, on the new AP SACD/CD, the dynamics are intact, no longer smashed and squashed to oblivion. Of course, the AP also has a wider spread and greater warmth and "air."

Rudy did a wonderful job of recording these titles, but it remains perplexing why he chose to heavily compress them for his CD remasterings. A lot of those RVG CDs sound truly awful. Of course he gets a "pass" because he recorded this stuff so well in the first place. But what was he thinking when remastering the RVG series?

Regardless of the reason, let's be thankful that AP has remastered this with beautiful results.

I used to have the gold MFSL CD and my recollection was that it was a little more clinical sounding than the AP. The AP is warmer and more engaging. I'd say the AP is the best I have ever heard this title.

These new APs are just amazing. I hope the series keeps going beyond the initial batch of 50!

 

I have all the Blue Note 45 rpm vinyl releases, and playing the ones with corresponding SACDs in A/B fashion, closely volume matched, it is clear the SACDs and 45 rpm vinyl issues sound essentially IDENTICAL - except for lacking that extra little bit of midrange warmth and breath of life good vinyl can give. But otherwise, they are the same, tonally, dynamically, etc - verifying what Steve says.

It's just that I seem to remember a couple of people going on and on about how supposedly the SACDs lacked in dynamic range, etc relative to the 45 rpm vinyls, when they were first issued. I do not hear that at all, nor would it make sense based on what Steve has said. I'm just glad to see other people digging them as much as I do.

 

Possibly RVG insisted that if they want to use his name on the remastered CDs, then he gets to do the mastering, or at least approve it.

I've thought a bit about the various mastering atrocities conducted on the RVG CDs. The channel panning to me seems to be Rudy trying to make the mix more 'modern' by not having such an exaggerated stereo spread.

The use of digital limiting seems to be his attempt to effectively remix the recording. It seems that he is sometimes concerned that the sound of the horns is louder than the rhythm section. Alternatively, maybe he just thinks they should be louder?

At any rate, it is very annoying that there are so many great Blue Note sessions that need to be remastered properly. There's only so many titles that will receive audiophile treatment, there are probably many other albums (including mid to late 1960s albums) that will never receive proper treatment.

 

I think that this is generally the feeling around these parts. I am glad to hear it from you.

 

Although I believe that your assesment is spot on, who really knows what Rudy was thinking.

 

I picked this SACD to inaugurate the new additions to my stereo setup - a new universal player including SACD and new speakers. There's not much I can add to this. This wondrous music now has a mastering to match. Thanks so much to Steve, Kevin, and everyone else involved for making such a great disc available!

- Joe

 

Looks like 2 more SACDs are shipping as my CC was charged on Jan 29th. I'm assuming these will be

Lou Donaldson's - Blues Walk and Here 'Tis

as these are showing as new arrivals on the Acoustic Sounds site.

 

Both arrived here a few minutes ago, and am currently spinning the redbook layer of Blues Walk on my work computer...

 

I got mine, I will be listening to them for a few hours.

 

Ouch, $25.00 a pop. I have all the Blue Note titles I want but they are the RVG editions that are so notorious for the compression/loudness. Are there any of the RVG titles that are note compressed/loud? Are these SACD Blue Note titles really worth the money?

 

Listening to Lou Donaldson Here 'Tis. Sounds great and it made all the rednecks leave the room. It's my new favorite album.

 

I gather that more recent RVG titles may be a bit less compressed than the earlier ones, but if so, it isn't by much. In my experience, they are still far louder than normally (that is, what USED to be considered normally) mastered CDs. Additionally, they often have the stereo soundfield narrowed to near-mono (especially in the earlier releases), and almost all of them have a harsh EQ that seems designed to make them stand out in cheap systems. To me, the SACD Blue Note titles really are worth the extra money, as they sound so much more open and natural--but only you can decide what's worth it for you. You might want to try just one and see what you think. That's what I did back with Blue Train, and I've ended up with every single release. But your mileage may vary.

 

LOL

 

Has anyone compared the Fred Jackson Hootin n Tootin SACD with the 1998 McMaster Connoisseur CD? I used to have the 1998 McMaster and recall the mastering to be quite bright, thin and brittle, a "McMaster Earbleeder Special."

Is the AP SACD a major improvement over the McMaster?

 

Hello,

thanks for your comments. What about the 1987 didx usa version (CDP 7 46338 2)? Did you listen to it? I think it sounds pretty good, and I like open, detailed and no-compressed sound.

Best regards.

 

Never heard the 87 McMaster of Somethin Else.

 

The MoFi Somethin' Else is really nice as well. I suppose it's a bit obsolete now with the current outstanding SACD in production.

I agree with Monkboughtlunch, this SACD is the best I have heard this title.

 

Anybody else have a problem with the SACD layer of the Joe Henderson "Page One" title not being recognized by your player? The other 3 titles I have in this series all find the SACD layer with no problem, but with Joe Henderson I can only access the redbook. (It still sounds fabulous).

 

Never mind. Now it is finding it. Strange.

 

That Joe Henderson disc is really nice, one of my faveroites from this batch.

 

I agree. I have been playing that one and especially Grant Green's "Idle Moments" over and over again.

Right now I am checking out an old (McMaster?) version of Dexter Gordon's "Go" that I borrowed to see if I want to spring for the SACD. Did you get this one?

 

I have to get Page One. Thanks for the comments.

 

Yes, I have the entire set of 25. I really like Grant Green IDLE MOMENTS, SACD, but the GO title didn't grab me musically at first. I like them all of course, but some stick out in my mind musically more than others.

 

I've been following your posts in the various Blue Note threads, Rocky. Thanks for all the great impressions you have posted as these titles have been released.

I am cherry picking as many titles that I can afford right now, which unfortunately are not nearly as many as I would like. So far I have picked up Blue Train, Page One, Somethin' Else, and Idle Moments. And I picked up Cool Struttin' and Soul Station in the XRCD series as well. Aside from Blue Train and Somethin' Else, these are all new titles to me. I am loving them!

 

I also subscribe to the Blue Note XRCD series. Right now I have 6 titles with 2 more already mailed out. It is a fine time to be getting into jazz for the first time, as I am.