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From: greg@olivee.UUCP (Greg Paley)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Analogue Masters X-ferred to CD
Message-ID: <465@olivee.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 23-Aug-85 14:18:52 EDT
Article-I.D.: olivee.465
Posted: Fri Aug 23 14:18:52 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 25-Aug-85 00:39:31 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: Olivetti ATC; Cupertino, Ca
Lines: 63

A previous article questioned the value of CD's made from
analogue source material.

I am sure that there are a number of cases where nothing is
gained and, in fact, something may be lost in this process.
However, I've heard several examples where, at least on the
equipment I've been able to use for comparisons, there has been
a striking difference between an LP and CD from an analogue
original.  I say "difference" rather than "improvement" because,
although I've generally preferred the CD, not everyone will agree.

Examples of this sort that I own or have listened to carefully 
are all on the London label, all originated in Vienna and
featured the Vienna Philharmonic, and are, specifically:

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde (Ferrier/Patzak/Vienna Philharmonic/
	Bruno Walter, cond.)  Recorded in the Musikvereinsaal,
	Vienna, 1952.  I believe the producer was Victor Olof, but
	I'm not certain about this.

Wagner: Ring Des Nibelungen (Nilsson/Windgassen/Ludwig/Hotter, etc.
	Vienna Philharmonic/Georg Solti, cond.)  Recorded in the
	Sofiensaal, Vienna 1958 (Rheingold), 1960-61 (Siegfried),
	1964 (Goetterdaemmerung), 1965 (Walkuere).  Produced by
	John Culshaw.

R. Strauss: Salome (Nilsson/Waechter/Stolze/Hoffman/Vienna
	Philharmonic/Georg Solti, cond.)  Recorded in the Sofiensaal,
	Vienna, 1962.  Produced by John Culshaw.

In each of these cases, I hear a greater detail and clarity that I
feel must approximate more closely the original master tape than
the analogue LP.  However, there is also (particularly on the Salome)
a greater impression of depth and a much "sweeter" sound to the strings
and voices.  I feel that this is a case where the analogue process
provides what some would find a benign masking of some of the harshness
picked up by the mikes on the original master.  I know that there are
those who will argue violently with this and contend that any such
harshness is a distortion which has been added by the "digitization"
process.  My reason for arguing against this is that the occasional
harshness and stridency I hear on the "Ring" and "Salome" recordings
have been characteristic of what I've heard, when sitting close to
the stage, from a number of those same singers that I've had occasion
to hear live (Nilsson, in particular) as well as the actual string
tone I've heard in live performance from the Vienna Philharmonic.

Certainly, changes in personnel would indicate that the playing I
would have heard live from that orchestra over the last ten years
could be radically different from what was there at the time of these older
recordings.  Nonetheless, I feel it worth mentioning that the sound
of the Vienna string section when I've heard the orchestra live was
not the airy, sweet sound I expected from earlier, analogue recordings
but was, in fact, the icy clear, resinous, and gutsy sound as reproduced
on some of the better digital recordings.

This does, however, make it plausible to me that it would not be so
terribly contradictory if someone were to say that he found digital
recordings more accurate but that he preferred the analogue.  I
find this difference in tastes analogous to that between two concertgoers,
one of whom prefers to sit up close whereas the other prefers the
seat in the highest balcony.

	- Greg Paley