For more information email ERC at: giantsteps@theelectricrecordingco.com but better hurry!
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COMMENTS
If the tapes are all that, I expect it will be a serene listening experience.
These pressings remind me of playing music in just the right environment.
They smack of good wine, good upholstery, a fine room, and pleasant detail.
Plus, perhaps my wife's favorite album.
- and the copies I own suffer from Tom Dowd's idea of stereo, so this is right up my street. Wish me luck convincing Mrs. rich d that spending $400 on a record is not a mental health red flag.
depending on conversion rate the day you pay
It is amazing that Atlantic ( or whatever successor... Warner? Universal? not sure ) would lend the original master tapes to a small company as ERC for such a small run. Did ERC truly get the original master tapes? - or maybe a new/newish copy of them, as opposed whatever copies bounced around the world for pressings - Although, like in the case of "A Love Supreme", some of those copies have become the best available master, due to different circumstances...
It is also amazing to me, because, sure, like you said, tapes are to be insured, but, they are irreplaceable, if something happens to them, we owner will have some money, but it will still be a huge cultural loss... but then again, don't know a lot about the whole process
Saw this announcement yesterday and felt a sudden pull to try and score the ERC. So to combat that urge I put on this digitally sourced LP (mastered by John Webber at Air Studios from the mono master). The pull is gone! Hallelujah Holy Sh**t, where's that tylenol??
The Japanese mono release from a few years ago also sounds wonderful. The difference between aaa and digital isn't worth several hundred dollars.
but as a stereo guy I’m quite pleased with my Rhino 2LP 45 RPM stereo Grundman remastering, the Rhino 33 RPM stereo Kevin Gray remastering and the Rhino 33 RPM mono Phil Lehle remastering.
Is that you get different valid variations with no clear favorite. It would not surprise me if that's the case this time as well.
why repeatedly the same war horses are reissues by various labels. There are really enough other recordings on the same level, which were never reissued, but with several fortunate exceptions, we usually get the same albums reissued more or less every few years by multiple labels, partly even simultaneously.
The Rhino 45 rpm was from 2010. 12 years between repeats. These things go out of print and in time new vinyl enthusiasts start buying audiophile reissues. It's supply and demand.
But there were several 33 RPM in the meantime, even lately. Not sure if all AAA.
In general, I'm not a huge fan of the "Atlantic Jazz sound". This album is a masterpiece. Unless you are playing as background music, the stereo mix is terrible if you are listening in the sweet spot. Mono really makes this album sound its best. I have two stereo copies that I just hit the mono button when playing. I'm sure this ERC release will sound wonderful. Especially since the mono tapes probably have not been played as much thru the years.
Except for Coltrane playing right behind the left channel (not in it), instruments are panned in full depth towards the middle and although there’s no exact middle fill, it’s a great spacious stereo recording, not playing left/right n the speakers. Kevin Gray‘s mastering even has more bass content towards the middle. Not a record that needs mono in my opinion. Both are also rich and warm sounding, Grundman didn’t rise his uppest treble controls in this case as he does here and there, so for me those releases are great.
If they were playing left/right in the speaker, I’d also go mono.
about a clarification of AAA or not. What I conclude is not, that Michael didn’t get info, but that the mastering engineer and he is not allowed to reveal sources. From that I further conclude that the source is digital, as otherwise no one would be shy to reveal it. Poor industry behavior if I’m right. That doesn’t make the music worse.
The fact that all gurus here are not able to identify an AAA recording from its sound under a certain quality level makes clear, that the relevance of this question is minor anyway.
It's pretty explicit. https://electricrecordingco.com/news
"Cut in True Mono directly from the original dedicated mono master tapes on our 1965 Lyrec all valve cutting system."
Although I'm not an ERC buyer and have opinions on their marketing/price of the product, there is no reason for ERC NOT to have anything but AAA releases. That is the whole point of the label....ANALOG
This should have gone to the Blakey topic. It was clear for me ERC does AAA.
from ERC
"This edition of 345 copies will be priced at 350.00 UK pounds.
Due to the high level of interest we have received relating to this release sales will be undertaken via an allocation process. Our focus will be on the music enthusiast rather than the speculator and priority will be given to ERC’s best customers.
We aim to complete the allocation process on or around the 28 January with shipping planned late February 2022."
With such a low number of pressings, I can see why ERC would give preference to existing customers. I think a "season ticket" model would work for ERC. You pay a introductory fee and you agree to accet and pay for every release. Then if somebody backs out, ERC could then allow someone on the waiting list to step in and be a member. Maybe have the Classical releases as a separate membership if not too many buy everything regardless of genre.
Given the near impossibility of securing a copy, exactly HOW do you become an existing customer when there is little or nothing available?
You have to wait for someone to die to move up in line.
There are music lovers around, who buy ERC-records for +$700 on the s/h-market. ERC will not have them on their own customer lists...
Before the big run on ERC I shopped in sum 5 records. I hope that qualifies me.
As I get older I'd like to see more effort made on something other than the same Coltrane and Miles Davis titles. There are 1000s if not more titles deserving of this sort of sonic deep dive. While I get these will sell out before heading onto the secondary flipper market, one can hope.
I could be wrong but this and the ORGMusic 45 rpm seem to be it.
I'm not certain who did the mastering
https://www.discogs.com/release/10456756-John-Coltrane-Giant-Steps
(mastered by John Webber at Air Studios from the mono master)
I do wish ERC would get back to their roots reproducing mono classical issues and early stereos.
There's no apparent commercial incentive because the issues are so limited and those such as the above are over-subscribed so I ask: What's the point? So few music lovers will get to hear it, let alone own a copy.
Yes, the early mono classicals were also sold out, attributable more to their limited nature than their inherent popularity over jazz. There are plenty of untapped classical treasures awaiting the ERC treatment than yet another "me too" version of a popular jazz title.
You’ve posted a commercial for a release that only ~345 people will be able to buy. File under irrelevant.
It will be interesting to me if ERC is able to tackle the QC issues that have been reported by the Vinyl Community. Looking forward to the reviews! ( and yes, following ERC is an spectator sport to me!)
I have two Giant Steps CDs, one states stereo on the cover, the other (Atlantic 1311-2) states nothing but according to Discogs is stereo. My questions are: is the mono a fold down of the stereo?
Or is it a completely different session? Was the infernal Ampex 8 track recorder used for the mono? What are the aural differences between the mono and stereo? Thanks in advance.
Just today I listened to the Levn Gry stereo, mono and the Grundman 45 RPM stereo.
The Grundman has the most controlled and less prominent bass, which is good for this recording. Different than mostly, the treble on his remastering is a bit recessed compared to the Kevin Gray stereo, and some instruments are panned a bit more left/right, both (inspite of some 45 RPN advantages ofGrundman‘s release) is why I tend to prefer Gray‘s stereo remastering, even though done on his old chain finally. Kevin Gray’s mono remaster has the strongest bass and at most the reduced treble energy of the Grundman. It’s great, too otherwise, but in my chain I prefer the other two and the stereos generally.
shall I be happy (because I will get the ERC-recording) or sad, because it is really heavy money and since UK left the EU I will have to pay custom taxes to Austria, too...
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